Analysis and application of 1-km resolution visible and infrared satellite data over the mackenzie river basin

Abstract

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) visible and infrared satellite data were collected at 1-km resolution over the Mackenzie Basin specifically for the Mackenzie GEWEX Study (MAGS) water year and the Canadian GEWEX Enhanced Study period. Through the use of satellite data, clear sky products (land surface temperature, evapotranspiration, water temperature time series over lakes of size ≥ 100 km2) and cloud top temperatures were generated to provide information for the analysis of the water and energy budgets. The satellite database was augmented with 2002-04 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature data. This chapter summarizes results of MAGS studies based on these satellite products, and documents improved methods to compare the satellite-derived products with ground observations from research sites and with regional climate model outputs of low spatial resolution. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.