Consistent surface albedo retrieval from two adjacent geostationary satellites

Abstract

Monitoring and understanding climate changes of the Earth require the generation of long-term and consistent global data set from observations. In this context, geostationary satellite observations could play a significant role thanks to the long duration of the missions and the corresponding archives. In particular, their frequent acquisition cycle throughout the day can be used to document the surface anisotropy and therefore surface albedo. This paper investigates the possibility to generate a consistent surface albedo maps from two adjacent geostationary satellites, namely Meteosat-5 and -7. The analysis relies on the comparison of albedo values derived over the common observed area. These values agree favorably between the two spacecrafts. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.