Satellite AVHRR temperature measurements of Pools 4, 7, and 8 of the Upper Mississippi River System
Dates
Publication Date
1997-11
Summary
The polar-orbiting Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) was evaluated as a means of detecting and measuring surface water temperatures of selected Pools of the Upper Mississippi River System. In summer 1994 Pools 4, 7, and 8 were monitored and, despite heavy cloud cover and fog, useful results were obtained. Satellite mean temperatures were within about 1 Celsius degree of in situ temperature means for nine observation dates for the three pools. A split window procedure, combining the radiance of thermal infrared bands 4 and 5, greatly improved the accuracy of temperature estimates. Routine temperature monitoring could become a reality when some of the logistical problems encountered in this study are addressed. In particular [...]
Summary
The polar-orbiting Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) was evaluated as a means of detecting
and measuring surface water temperatures of selected Pools of the Upper Mississippi River System. In summer
1994 Pools 4, 7, and 8 were monitored and, despite heavy cloud cover and fog, useful results were obtained.
Satellite mean temperatures were within about 1 Celsius degree of in situ temperature means for nine observation
dates for the three pools. A split window procedure, combining the radiance of thermal infrared bands 4 and 5,
greatly improved the accuracy of temperature estimates. Routine temperature monitoring could become a reality
when some of the logistical problems encountered in this study are addressed. In particular there is a need to
establish improved locational control to tie AVHRR pixels more accurately to their surface locations, to provide
for systematic surface water data collection on dates of imaging passes, and to link other variables such as water
depth and turbidity to the remote temperature measurements.