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Title: Selection and characterization of Saharan and Arabian desert sites for the calibration of optical satellite sensors

Abstract

Desert areas are good candidates for the assessment of multitemporal, multiband, or multiangular calibration of optical satellite sensors. This article describes a selection procedure of desert sites in North Africa and Saudi Arabia, of size 100 x 100 km{sup 2}, using a criterion of spatial uniformity in a series of Meteosat-4 visible data. Twenty such sites are selected with a spatial uniformity better than 3% in relative value in a multitemporal series of cloud-free images. These sites are among the driest sites in the world. Their meteorological properties are here described in terms of cloud cover with ISCCP data and precipitation using data from a network of meteorological stations. Most of the selected sites are large sand seas, the geomorphology of which can be characterized with Spot data. The temporal stability of the spatially averaged reflectance of each selected site is investigated at seasonal and hourly time scales with multitemporal series of Meteosat-4 data. It is found that the temporal variations, of typical peak-to-peak amplitude 8--15% in relative value, are mostly controlled by directional effects. Once the directional effects are removed, the residual rms variations, representative of random temporal variability, are on the order of 1--2% in relative value. Themore » suitability of use of these selected sites in routine operational calibration procedures is briefly discussed.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2]
  1. CERT-DERO, Toulouse (France)
  2. UMR CNES-CNRS-UPS, Toulouse (France)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
415612
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Remote Sensing of Environment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 58; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ARID LANDS; REMOTE SENSING; AFRICA; SAUDI ARABIA; METEOROLOGY

Citation Formats

Cosnefroy, H, Briottet, X, and Leroy, M. Selection and characterization of Saharan and Arabian desert sites for the calibration of optical satellite sensors. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.1016/0034-4257(95)00211-1.
Cosnefroy, H, Briottet, X, & Leroy, M. Selection and characterization of Saharan and Arabian desert sites for the calibration of optical satellite sensors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-4257(95)00211-1
Cosnefroy, H, Briottet, X, and Leroy, M. 1996. "Selection and characterization of Saharan and Arabian desert sites for the calibration of optical satellite sensors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-4257(95)00211-1.
@article{osti_415612,
title = {Selection and characterization of Saharan and Arabian desert sites for the calibration of optical satellite sensors},
author = {Cosnefroy, H and Briottet, X and Leroy, M},
abstractNote = {Desert areas are good candidates for the assessment of multitemporal, multiband, or multiangular calibration of optical satellite sensors. This article describes a selection procedure of desert sites in North Africa and Saudi Arabia, of size 100 x 100 km{sup 2}, using a criterion of spatial uniformity in a series of Meteosat-4 visible data. Twenty such sites are selected with a spatial uniformity better than 3% in relative value in a multitemporal series of cloud-free images. These sites are among the driest sites in the world. Their meteorological properties are here described in terms of cloud cover with ISCCP data and precipitation using data from a network of meteorological stations. Most of the selected sites are large sand seas, the geomorphology of which can be characterized with Spot data. The temporal stability of the spatially averaged reflectance of each selected site is investigated at seasonal and hourly time scales with multitemporal series of Meteosat-4 data. It is found that the temporal variations, of typical peak-to-peak amplitude 8--15% in relative value, are mostly controlled by directional effects. Once the directional effects are removed, the residual rms variations, representative of random temporal variability, are on the order of 1--2% in relative value. The suitability of use of these selected sites in routine operational calibration procedures is briefly discussed.},
doi = {10.1016/0034-4257(95)00211-1},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/415612}, journal = {Remote Sensing of Environment},
number = 1,
volume = 58,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}