2006 · 11 citations · 4 references
Natural SciencesEarth SciencesMeteorologyAtmospheric ScienceClimatologyRemote SensingRadiation BalanceSatellite Data ValidationSatellite InstrumentationSatellite SensorsSurface Temperature RetrievalThermal Remote SensingAccuracyLand Surface Temperature RetrievalsReference Data SetsSatellite Retrievals Of Surface RadiationSatellite ValidationSeasonal Bias CorrectionSurface Radiation Observations
Operational land surface temperature (LST) data from ESA’s Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) are now available to users. The target accuracy of these data is 1.0 K at night, and 2.5 K during the day. We present the results of one experiment where the accuracy of the AATSR LSTs has been assessed over a site in Oklahoma, USA. The results indicate that the accuracy of the product is 1.2 K (standard deviation 1.2 K) at night and 0.5 K (3.3 K) during the day. The AATSR LSTs exhibit a seasonal bias over this site with the maxima of the cycle (AATSR minus ground) occurring during the summer. Similar seasonal biases are observed in comparisons between the AATSR LSTs and other data sets (e.g. MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Investigations using the results of radiative transf er simulations suggest that the AATSR LST algorithm has a strong dependency on the concentration of atmospheric water vapour, which may be a contributing factor to the observed biases.
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