Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission

Tower-based data combined with high-resolution satellite products have been used to produce surface albedo at various spatial scales over land. Because tower-based albedo data are available at only a few sites, surface albedos using these combined data are spatially limited. Moreover, tower-based al...

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Main Authors: Evgueni Kassianov, James Barnard, Connor Flynn, Laura Riihimaki, Larry K. Berg, David A. Rutan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2017-07-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/7/123
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spelling doaj-985ff4f8f1e04c41825adee9923513072020-11-25T00:38:14ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332017-07-018712310.3390/atmos8070123atmos8070123Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based TransmissionEvgueni Kassianov0James Barnard1Connor Flynn2Laura Riihimaki3Larry K. Berg4David A. Rutan5Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USADepartment of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USAAtmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USAAtmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USAAtmospheric Sciences & Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USAScience Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA 23666, USATower-based data combined with high-resolution satellite products have been used to produce surface albedo at various spatial scales over land. Because tower-based albedo data are available at only a few sites, surface albedos using these combined data are spatially limited. Moreover, tower-based albedo data are not representative of highly heterogeneous regions. To produce areal-averaged and spectrally-resolved surface albedo for regions with various degrees of surface heterogeneity, we have developed a transmission-based retrieval and demonstrated its feasibility for relatively homogeneous land surfaces. Here, we demonstrate its feasibility for a highly heterogeneous coastal region. We use the atmospheric transmission measured during a 19-month period (June 2009–December 2010) by a ground-based Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR) at five wavelengths (0.415, 0.5, 0.615, 0.673 and 0.87 µm) at the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) site located on Graciosa Island. We compare the MFRSR-retrieved areal-averaged surface albedo with albedo derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations, and also a composite-based albedo. We demonstrate that these three methods produce similar spectral signatures of surface albedo; however, the MFRSR-retrieved albedo, is higher on average (≤0.04) than the MODIS-based areal-averaged surface albedo and the largest difference occurs in winter.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/7/123Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR)Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observationsatmospheric transmissionareal-averaged surface albedospectral and seasonal variabilityAtmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Mobile Facility (AMF)coastal regionGraciosa IslandAzores
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Evgueni Kassianov
James Barnard
Connor Flynn
Laura Riihimaki
Larry K. Berg
David A. Rutan
spellingShingle Evgueni Kassianov
James Barnard
Connor Flynn
Laura Riihimaki
Larry K. Berg
David A. Rutan
Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission
Atmosphere
Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR)
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations
atmospheric transmission
areal-averaged surface albedo
spectral and seasonal variability
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Mobile Facility (AMF)
coastal region
Graciosa Island
Azores
author_facet Evgueni Kassianov
James Barnard
Connor Flynn
Laura Riihimaki
Larry K. Berg
David A. Rutan
author_sort Evgueni Kassianov
title Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission
title_short Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission
title_full Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission
title_fullStr Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission
title_full_unstemmed Areal-Averaged Spectral Surface Albedo in an Atlantic Coastal Area: Estimation from Ground-Based Transmission
title_sort areal-averaged spectral surface albedo in an atlantic coastal area: estimation from ground-based transmission
publisher MDPI AG
series Atmosphere
issn 2073-4433
publishDate 2017-07-01
description Tower-based data combined with high-resolution satellite products have been used to produce surface albedo at various spatial scales over land. Because tower-based albedo data are available at only a few sites, surface albedos using these combined data are spatially limited. Moreover, tower-based albedo data are not representative of highly heterogeneous regions. To produce areal-averaged and spectrally-resolved surface albedo for regions with various degrees of surface heterogeneity, we have developed a transmission-based retrieval and demonstrated its feasibility for relatively homogeneous land surfaces. Here, we demonstrate its feasibility for a highly heterogeneous coastal region. We use the atmospheric transmission measured during a 19-month period (June 2009–December 2010) by a ground-based Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR) at five wavelengths (0.415, 0.5, 0.615, 0.673 and 0.87 µm) at the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) site located on Graciosa Island. We compare the MFRSR-retrieved areal-averaged surface albedo with albedo derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations, and also a composite-based albedo. We demonstrate that these three methods produce similar spectral signatures of surface albedo; however, the MFRSR-retrieved albedo, is higher on average (≤0.04) than the MODIS-based areal-averaged surface albedo and the largest difference occurs in winter.
topic Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR)
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations
atmospheric transmission
areal-averaged surface albedo
spectral and seasonal variability
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Mobile Facility (AMF)
coastal region
Graciosa Island
Azores
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/7/123
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