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Assessment of Albedo Derived from MODIS

Miguel Roman, Boston University, mroman@bu.edu
Crystal Schaaf, Boston University, schaaf@bu.edu (Presenting)
Alan Strahler, Boston University, alan@bu.edu
Charles Gatebe, GSFC, gatebe@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov
Michael King, GSFC, michael.d.king@nasa.gov
Jeff Morisette, GSFC, eff.morisette@nasa.gov

The MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)/Albedo algorithm makes use of all cloud-free, atmospherically corrected, directional surface reflectances available over a multi-day period to retrieve a 500m land surface BRDF model. This model is then integrated to supply directional hemispherical reflectance (black-sky or completely direct albedo) and bihemispherical reflectance under isotropic illumination (white-sky or wholly diffuse albedo). By using optical depths measured in the field, the MODIS BRDF models can be used to establish satellite-based surface albedos for a region throughout a day. Field albedos collected at several tower sites in the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) Southern Great Plains (SGP) facilities during the Cloud Land Surface Interaction Campaign (CLASIC) field campaign in June 2007 are being used to evaluate such MODIS-derived albedos. These field albedometer data are being used in conjunction with multiangular and multispectral observations obtained by National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA’s) Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) which was deployed on several flights by the J-31 during CLASIC field campaign. The availability of the airborne CAR data, as well as additional high-resolution imagery (such as from Atmosphere-Surface Turbulent Exchange Research [ASTER] instrument) is allowing for a more rigorous scaling of the ground-based point measurements up to the moderate resolution MODIS pixels in this region of heterogeneous surface covers.


NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Active Awards Represented by this Poster:

  • Award: In progress
     

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