Estimation of emittances and surface temperatures from AVHRR data

Abstract

An approach to the estimation of surface temperatures and emissivities using AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) data acquired near noon is presented. Thermal data in channels 3, 4, and 5 were used to estimate the reflective component in 3. For three water bodies in Oregon the average emittances found for channels 3 and 4 were 0.979 and 0.991, respectively. Also studied were agricultural sites and forests, comprising both primary (PF) and secondary (SF) types. For the agricultural sites, the average emittances were 0.919 and 0.943 for channels 3 and 4. For the PF and SF the results were 0.976 and 0.983 for channel 3 and 0.988 and 0.995 for channel 4.