Comparison of land surface emissivity and radiometric temperature derived from MODIS and ASTER sensors

• Published in: Remote sensing of environment Vol. 90; no. 2; pp. 137 - 152
• Main Authors: Jacob, Frédéric, Petitcolin, Franc̨ois, Schmugge, Thomas, Vermote, Éric, French, Andrew, Ogawa, Kenta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.2004; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural sciences; Agronomy; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied geophysics; ASTER; Atmospheric corrections; Bioclimatology; Biological and medical sciences; Continental interfaces, environment; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecology, environment; Electromagnetism; Engineering Sciences; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Techniques; Geophysics; Global Changes; Hydrology; Internal geophysics; Life Sciences; MIR/TIR remote sensing; MODIS; Optics; Photonic; Sciences of the Universe; Signal and Image processing; Spatial variability; Surface emissivity and radiometric temperature; Teledetection and vegetation maps; TES; TISIE; Central African Republic; Central Africa; United States; New Mexico; Africa, Central; USA; Mexico, Chihuahuan Desert; Spatial variability; TES; ASTER; Atmospheric corrections; Surface emissivity and radiometric temperature; TISIE; MIR/TIR remote sensing; MODIS; algorithms; Earth Observing System; measurement sensor; North America; thermal emission; Radiative properties; Semi arid zone; Imaging; radiometry; savanna; temperature; Radiative transfer; spatial variations; landscapes; satellites; NASA; Space remote sensing; Africa; deserts; Emissivity; brightness temperature; prediction; atmospheric correction; strategy; semi-arid environment; Radiometer
• ISSN: 0034-4257; 1879-0704
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2003.11.015

This study compared surface emissivity and radiometric temperature retrievals derived from data collected with the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensors, onboard the NASA's Earth Observation System (EOS)-TERRA satellite. Two study sites were selected: a semi-arid area located in northern Chihuahuan desert, USA, and a Savannah landscape located in central Africa. Atmospheric corrections were performed using the MODTRAN 4 atmospheric radiative transfer code along with atmospheric profiles generated by the National Center for Environmental Predictions (NCEP). Atmospheric radiative properties were derived from MODTRAN 4 calculations according to the sensor swaths, which yielded different strategies from one sensor to the other. The MODIS estimates were then computed using a designed Temperature-Independent Spectral Indices of Emissivity (TISIE) method. The ASTER estimates were derived using the Temperature Emissivity Separation (TES) algorithm. The MODIS and ASTER radiometric temperature retrievals were in good agreement when the atmospheric corrections were similar, with differences lower than 0.9 K. The emissivity estimates were compared for MODIS/ASTER matching bands at 8.5 and 11 μm. It was shown that the retrievals agreed well, with RMSD ranging from 0.005 to 0.015, and biases ranging from −0.01 to 0.005. At 8.5 μm, the ranges of emissivities from both sensors were very similar. At 11 μm, however, the ranges of MODIS values were broader than those of the ASTER estimates. The larger MODIS values were ascribed to the gray body problem of the TES algorithm, whereas the lower MODIS values were not consistent with field references. Finally, we assessed the combined effects of spatial variability and sensor resolution. It was shown that for the study areas we considered, these effects were not critical.