Simulation of surface reflectance properties from satellite sensors in the Amazon

• Grant number: 18/03413-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Lima Correia
• Grantee: Gabriel Farias Caccáos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research plan aims the simulation, by using a radiative transfer code, of upwelling radiance measurements performed by satellite sensors, when observing Amazon's forested surface. The impact Earth surface can exert over climate has a large scientific relevance, since in average the surface absorbs around 48.0% of solar energy and reflects around 6.7% of the solar radiation back to space (Trenberth et al., 2009). In a given area, surface radiative properties are defined by the ecosystem's energy usage. The radiative flux at the surface also defines the boundary conditions for the start of the convection process, which is essential for the hydrological cycle in the planet. In the Amazon there are few studies on how these radiative properties are inferred by satellite sensors. Each sensor has specific spectral properties, besides other physical characteristics such as spatial resolution and observational frequency, both defined by the satellite's orbital pattern. This project proposes the simulation of surface radiative properties over the Amazon, as observed by a geostationary platform, which allows assessing these properties with a high temporal resolution, every 30 minutes approximately. The simulations will be carried out with the libRadTran computer code, considered today an important tool for research on atmospheric radiation. The results to be obtained in this project will contribute with efforts to quantify the role Earth's surface plays over radiative patterns observed from space, which are crucial for the understanding of Earth's climatic system. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DA SILVA, JONATAN; MORAIS, FERNANDO G.; FRANCO, MARCO A.; LOPES, FABIO J. S.; ARRUDA, GREGORI DE A.; YOSHIDA, ALEXANDRE C.; CORREIA, ALEXANDRE; LANDULFO, EDUARDO; LIU, D; WANG, Y; et al. EXPLORING THE TWILIGHT ZONE: A MULTI-SENSOR APPROACH. RICAP16, 6TH ROMA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS, v. 237, p. 4-pg., 2020-01-01. (10/15959-3, 15/12793-0, 18/03413-8)