# Presentation: 501889

## Remote Sensing of Atmosphere, Land and Ocean Properties from Terra

- Remote sensing of atmosphere, land and ocean properties
- Examples from Earth observations
- Orbit, sensors, and sampling characteristics

- Michael D. King
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

## EOS Goals & Mission Objectives

- Goals
- Develop an understanding of the total Earth system, and the effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment
- Expand scientific knowledge of the Earth system using NASA’s unique capabilities from the vantage points of space, aircraft, and in situ platforms
- Disseminate information about the Earth system
- Support national and international environmental policy recommendations
- Mission Objectives
- Create an integrated scientific observing system that will enable multidisciplinary study of Earth system science
- Develop a comprehensive data and information system, including a data retrieval and processing system
- Acquire and assemble a global database emphasizing remote sensing measurements from space over a decade or more
- Improve predictive models of the Earth system

## Terra Objectives

- Provide the first, consistent global “snapshot” of numerous important Earth surface and atmospheric characteristics
- Improve the ability to detect the human impacts on climate by identifying indicators, or “fingerprints,” of human activity that can be used to distinguish them from natural variability
- Provide measurements of the effects of clouds, aerosols, and greenhouse gases on the Earth’s total energy balance
- Provide estimates of global terrestrial and marine productivity that will enable more accurate calculations of global carbon storage, exchange with the atmosphere, and year-to-year variability
- Provide observations that will improve predictions of climate and of weather at seasonal and interannual time scales
- Contribute to improved methods of disaster prediction, characterization, and risk reduction from wild fires, volcanoes, floods, and droughts

## Terra’s Global Perspective

- MODIS
- 1-2 day global coverage  in 36 wavelengths from 250 m to 1 km resolution
- MISR
- Stereo images at 9 look angles
- ASTER
- Hi-resolution, multi-spectral images from 15 m to 90 m resolution, plus stereo
- MOPITT
- Global measures of CH4 & CO
- CERES
- Measures Earth’s shortwave, longwave, and net radiant energy budget

## Terra

- ASTER

- Launched December 18, 1999

- MODIS

- CERES

- MISR

- MOPITT

## Terra Launch Animation

## Terra Deployment of Solar Panel

## Terra Orbit & Ground Track

## MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

- launches 1999, 2002
- 705 km polar orbits, descending (10:30 a.m.) & ascending (1:30 p.m.)
- Sensor Characteristics
- 36 spectral bands ranging from 0.41 to 14.385 μm
- cross-track scan mirror with 2330 km swath width
- Spatial resolutions:
- 250 m (bands 1 - 2)
- 500 m (bands 3 - 7)
- 1000 m (bands 8 - 36)
- 2% reflectance calibration accuracy
- onboard solar diffuser & solar diffuser stability monitor

## MODIS Scan Swath

## Global Level-1B Composite Image

- G	=	0.56 μm
- B	=	0.47 μm

- May 28, 2001

## Cloud Optical Thickness(M. D. King, S. Platnick, M. Gray, E. Moody, et al. – NASA GSFC, UMBC)

- Cloud Optical Thickness(M. D. King, S. Platnick, M. Gray, E. Moody, et al. – NASA GSFC, UMBC)

**c

- 1

- 10

- 70

- Level-3 Monthly
- August 2001

## Cloud Top Pressure(W. P. Menzel, R. Frey, K. Strabala, L. Gumley, et al. – NOAA NESDIS, U. Wisconsin/CIMSS)

- Cloud Top Pressure(W. P. Menzel, R. Frey, K. Strabala, L. Gumley, et al. – NOAA NESDIS, U. Wisconsin/CIMSS)

- Level-3 Monthly
- April 2001

- 300

- 400

- 500

- 700

- 1000

- pc (hPa)

- 900

- 800

- 600

## Precipitable Water over Land & Sunglint(B. C. Gao, et al. – Naval Research Laboratory)

- Precipitable Water over Land & Sunglint(B. C. Gao, et al. – Naval Research Laboratory)

- Level-3 Monthly
- August 2001

- q (cm)

- 0.0

- 2.5

- 7.5

- 5.0

## Aerosol Optical Thickness(Y. J. Kaufman, D. Tanré, D. A. Chu, L. A. Remer et al. – NASA GSFC, University of Lille)

**a (0.55 μm)

- 0.0

- 0.1

- 0.2

- 0.3

- 0.4

- 0.8

- 0.7

- 0.5

- 0.6

- Aerosol Optical Thickness(Y. J. Kaufman, D. Tanré, D. A. Chu, L. A. Remer et al. – NASA GSFC, University of Lille)

- Level-3 Monthly
- September 2000

## Aerosol Optical Thickness(Y. J. Kaufman, D. Tanré, D. A. Chu, L. A. Remer et al. – NASA GSFC, University of Lille)

- 0.0

- 0.1

- 0.2

- 0.3

- 0.4

**a (0.55 μm)

- Aerosol Optical Thickness(Y. J. Kaufman, D. Tanré, D. A. Chu, L. A. Remer et al. – NASA GSFC, University of Lille)

- Level-3 Monthly
- September 2000

## Global Aerosol Optical Properties

- 1.0

- 0.0

- 0.0

- 0.25

- 0.5

- Aerosol Optical Thickness

- Fine Aerosol Fraction

## MODIS Reveals Atmospheric Moisture Details As Never Seen Before 

- MODIS Water Vapor (1 km)

- MODIS Reveals Atmospheric Moisture Details As Never Seen Before

- GOES-8 Water Vapor (4 x 8 km)

## Four Panel Zoom of Cloud-Free Orographic Waves revealed in Water Vapor Imagery

- MODIS Water Vapor (1 km)

- Four Panel Zoom of Cloud-Free Orographic Waves revealed in Water Vapor Imagery

- Shortwave Infrared Window

- Longwave Infrared Window

- Visible

## Every 100 Minutes MODIS Covers the Polar Regions 

## Every 100 Minutes MODIS Covers the Polar Regions 

## Winds from MODIS: An Arctic Example 

- Winds from MODIS: An Arctic Example

**Notes:**
Cloud-track winds (left) and water vapor winds (right) from MODIS for a case in the western Arctic.  The wind vectors were derived from a sequence of three images, each separated by 100 minutes.  They are plotted on the first 11 m (left) and 6.7 m (right) images in the sequence.

## MODIS Detects Subvisible Cirrus 

- MODIS Detects Subvisible Cirrus

- Central America
- April 4, 2000

## South America

- Surface Reflectance of South AmericaMOD09 (atmospherically corrected radiance)

## Brazil

- Surface Reflectance of South AmericaMOD09 (atmospherically corrected radiance)

## MODIS Land Cover Classification

- 0 Water

- 1 Evergreen Needleleaf Forest

- 2 Evergreen Broadleaf Forest

- 3 Deciduous Needleleaf Forest

- 4 Deciduous Broadleaf Forest

- 5 Mixed Forests

- 6 Closed Shrublands

- 7 Open Shrublands

- 8 Woody Savannas

- 9 Savannas

- 10 Grasslands

- 11 Permanent Wetlands

- 12 Croplands

- 13 Urban and Built-Up

- 14 Cropland/Natural Veg. Mosaic

- 15 Snow and Ice

- 16 Barren or Sparsely Vegetated

- 17 Tundra

## Surface Albedo Surface albedo = ecosystem + MOD43 (Strahler, Schaaf et al.) aggregation

**Notes:**
For the time being we’re using ecosystem as a surrogate for surface albedo.

## Albedo Movies

- _Albedo Movies_
- Loops through bands 0.65, 0.86,
-          1.24, 1.64, 2.1, and 3.7 μm
- Loops through seasonal equinox
-    and solstice, progressing from
-    Julian days 91, 173, 293, 356

- _Ecosystem Color Scheme_
- Pink = Crops
- Green = Trees
- Yellows = Barren/Deserts
- Blues = Savannas

## MODIS Snow Cover(D. K. Hall, V. V. Salomonson, G. A. Riggs – NASA GSFC)

- October 16, 2001 – April 23, 2002

## Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature(O. B. Brown, P. J. Minnett, R. H. Evans – University of Miami)

- Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature(O. B. Brown, P. J. Minnett, R. H. Evans – University of Miami)

- -2

- 5

- 10

- 15

- 20

- 30

- 25

- °C

- 35

- Level-3 Monthly
- May 2001

## Chlorophyll-a(K. L. Carder, R. H. Evans – U. South Florida, U. Miami)

- 0.01

- 1.0

- 10

- mg m-3

- 20

- 0.1

- Level-3 Monthly
- May 2001

## MODIS Sea Surface Temperature off the East Coast of the US

- May 8, 2000

## Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES)

- launches 1997, 1999, 2002
- 350 km orbit (35° inclination), 705 km polar orbits, descending (10:30 a.m.) & ascending (1:30 p.m.)
- Sensor Characteristics
- 3 spectral bands
- Shortwave (0.3-5.0 μm)
- Window (8-12 μm)
- Total (0.3->200 μm)
- Spatial resolution:
- 20 km
- ±78° cross-track scan and 360° azimuth biaxial scan
- 0.5% calibration accuracy
- onboard blackbodies & solar diffuser

## CERES Scan Swath

## CERES Scan Swath on Aqua

## CERES Measurements

- Study cloud radiative forcing and feedbacks;
- Develop an observational baseline of clear-sky radiative fluxes;
- Document radiant input to atmospheric and oceanic energetics models;
- Validate general circulation models; and
- Enhance extended-range numerical weather predictions

- Shortwave Flux (W m-2)

- Longwave Flux (W m-2)

- 0

- 105

- 210

- 100

- 210

- 320

## Longwave (on left): Radiation emitted to space from the Earth system
Shortwave (on right): Sunlight reflected back to space

- Shortwave (on right): Sunlight reflected back to space

- Shortwave and Longwave Radiation as Determined from Data of the Terra CERESMarch 2000 – May 2001

## Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission & Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)

- 705 km polar orbit, descending (10:30 a.m.)
- Sensor Characteristics
- 14 spectral bands ranging from 0.56 to 11.3 μm
- 3 tiltable subsystems for acquiring stereoscopic imagery over a swath width of 60 km
- Spatial resolutions:
- 15 m (bands 1, 2, 3N, 3B)
- 30 m (bands 4 - 9)
- 90 m (bands 10 - 14)
- 4% reflectance calibration accuracy (VNIR & SWIR)
- 2 K brightness temperature accuracy (240-370 K)

- SWIR

- VNIR (1,2,3N)

- VNIR (3B)

- TIR

## ASTER Scan Swath

## ASTER Spectral Bands

## ASTER Measurements

- Spectral reflectances of the Earth’s surface at 15-30 m
- Surface temperature and emissivities at 90 m
- Digital elevation maps from stereo images
- Surface composition and vegetation mapscloud, sea ice, and polar ice products
- Observation of natural hazards (volcanoes, etc.)

- Color IR

- Shortwave IR

- Thermal IR

- SST

- March 3, 2000

## ASTER - Ji Paraná, Brazil

## ASTER - Mount St. Helens

## Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR)

- launched in 1999
- polar, descending orbits of 705 km, 10:30 a.m. crossing
- Sensor Characteristics
- uses nine CCD-based push-broom cameras viewing nadir and fore & aft to 70.5°
- swath width of 400 km
- four spectral bands for each camera (36 channels), at 443, 555, 670, & 865 nm
- resolutions of 275 m, 550 m, or 1.1 km
- Advantages
- high spectral stability
- 9 viewing angles helps determine aerosol by μ dependence (fixed )

## MISR Scan

## Fire Animation from MISR

- multi-angle
- animation

**Notes:**
These Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer images of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains show several smoke plumes from wildfires burning throughout Northern California on August 13, 2001. The overview image represents an area of 336 kilometers by 332 kilometers, and was acquired by MISR's 46-degree backward-looking camera during Terra orbit 8802.
The most prominent plume arises from the Emigrant Gap Fire, located about 40 kilometers west of Lake Tahoe. The animated panorama uses different MISR cameras to enable this plume to be seen from multiple vantage points as the satellite flies overhead. The animation begins with the view from MISR's 70-degree forward camera, which captured the plume from the north, and moves through six additional camera angles before reaching the 60-degree backward camera, which imaged the plume's southern face. The frames in the animated image were acquired over a time period of about six minutes, and include an area of 79 kilometers by 105 kilometers. The apparent northward displacement of the terrain as the animation plays is due to geometric parallax resulting from the topographic elevation of the scene and the manner in which the images from the different cameras are superimposed. Features with the highest altitudes exhibit the most parallax. A bright "flash" from several water bodies can also be seen at one of the camera angles; this particular angle is catching sunglint from these mirror-like surfaces.
The Emigrant Gap Fire started during the early afternoon of August 12 and was the result of human activity. It was contained within four days, and burned about 2,500 acres in total. Also visible in the overview image are smoke plumes from the Blue Complex Fires (upper right) and the Trough Fire (lower left). The round hill in the Central Valley is Sutter Buttes, and the single snowcapped peak in the upper left is Mount Shasta.
As of August 30, the US Forest Service reported the total year-to-date area burned in Northern California to be in excess of 200,000 acres, or 800 square kilometers.

## Saharan Dust Storm near Canary Islands

- February 29, 2000

- 70° Forward

- Nadir

- 70° Aftward

## MISR is being used to study clouds and how they interact with sunlight
Cycling through the nine views of this scene of clouds over Florida, notice the displacement of the clouds
This is due to a geometric effect called “parallax,” and not true motion

- MISR is being used to study clouds and how they interact with sunlight
- Cycling through the nine views of this scene of clouds over Florida, notice the displacement of the clouds
- This is due to a geometric effect called “parallax,” and not true motion

- Parallax Effect in MISR Images

- March 6, 2000

## Extratropical Cyclone in the Southern OceanAugust 20, 2001

- Cloud-tracked winds

- cloud-top heights

## MISR Imagery & Aerosol Optical ThicknessAngola and Namibia

- a (0.558 μm)

- Nadir

- 70° backward

- Multiangle

- Nadir
- True color RGB (672, 558, 446 nm)
- 70° backward-viewing camera
- True color RGB
- Multiangle (672 nm)
- Red = nadir camera
- Green = 70° forward
- Blue = 70° backward

- Diner et al. (2001)

## Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT)

- launched in 1999
- polar, descending orbits of 705 km, 10:30 a.m. crossing
- Sensor Characteristics
- Spectral bands:2.223-2.294 μm  CH42.323-2.345 μm CO4.562-4.673 μm CO
- Spatial resolution:22 km at nadir
- CO profiles:22 km x 3 km
- Swath: 640 km

- Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT)

## MOPITT Scan Swath

## MOPITT Measurements

- Measure and model tropospheric carbon monoxide and methane concentrations
- Obtain carbon monoxide profiles with 22 km x 3 km resolution
- Measure the methane column in the troposphere
- Generate global maps of carbon monoxide and methane distribution, and provide increased knowledge of tropospheric chemistry

- Carbon Monoxide, March 2000

## MOPITT CO PerspectiveThe First Year of Terra Data

- MOPITT CO PerspectiveThe First Year of Terra Data

## Terra’s New Features

- Array of five Earth Science Instruments in space - hardware, software and maneuvers to convert the remote sensing signal into science
- ASTER: Thermal channels for geology and environment, stereo looks, 15-90 m resolutions
- CERES: Cloud radiative forcing, better angular sampling
- MISR: Multiangle views of clouds and land, BRDF, 275-1100 m resolutions
- MODIS:
- 250 m daily coverage for clouds and vegetation change
- 7 solar channels for land and aerosol
- 1.37 μm Cirrus clouds
- 0.94 μm water vapor
- fire channels and air temperature profiles at 1 km
- MOPITT: Global CO and CH4

## Web Sites—Check them out

- earthobservatory.nasa.gov

- terra.nasa.gov

- visibleearth.nasa.gov

- Mission

- Education

- Images

## MODIS Granule Flyby of the Himalayas(MOD09 Atmospherically Corrected Radiance)

- MODIS Granule Flyby of the Himalayas(MOD09 Atmospherically Corrected Radiance)