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CSI 759: Topics in Microwave Remote Sensing and Earth System Sciences

This course will focus on the retrieval, analysis and application of geophysical parameters derived from remotely sensed data for Earth system science research. Topics will include theory of passive and active microwave remote sensing, heritage sensors, sensor calibration, retrieval algorithms for geophysical parameters, validation and error estimates. The geophysical parameters will include rain and cloud parameters, sea surface wind and temperature, soil moisture, vegetation, snow, and sea ice. We will discuss data sets derived from heritage sensors, and related Earth system science research. Emphasis will be placed on the recently launched Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) by NASA and NASDA to measure tropical and sub-tropical rain systems.

Related topics such as the EOS-AM and EOS-PM, ADEOS-II, and NPOESS missions and instruments will be discussed depending on the interest of the class. This course will be taught as a seminar course, with in-class discussion and student presentation. Outside experts will be invited to give seminars as appropriate.

Equipment: The course will make use of computer platforms in the CSI computer lab.

Grade: 80% will be based on 1) an original research project report of 25 pages or more double spaced. The quality should be publishable in JGR or similar journals, and 2) 20% on class participation and presentation of research progress.

Prerequisites: CSI 753 or Permission of Instructor

Course Material/Texts: Students will make use of the WWW.

TRMM (report of the steering group, J. Simpson, Editor)

DMSP Special Sensor microwave/Imager calibration/Validation, NRL final report.

Atlas of satellite observations related to global change (R. J. Gurney, J. Foster, and C. Parkinson, Editors)

GMU CSI-759 Topics in Remote Sensing and Earth System Sciences

Course Outline

1. Background. Global energy and water balance. The Atmospheric Environment. Composition of air. Atmospheric aerosol. Ozone. Hydrometeors-cloud particles and rain. Taylor hypothesis. Reynold averaging.

(Grossman, 1972)

2. Electromagnetic radiation: A review. Maxwell’s equation. Wave equation. Polarization. Coherency. Group and Phase velocity. Doppler shift. Generation of EM radiation. Atomic and molecular spectra. (Goody and Yung, 1996, class notes)

3. Radiation of natural phenomena. The solar spectrum. Atmospheric absorption spectrum. oxygen and ozone, CO2, water vapor. Atmospheric transmission. Atomic and molecular spectra. Line and band models. Pressure, temperature, and Doppler broadening. Atmospheric windows. Spectral signature of Earth’s surfaces.

4. Radiometry. Planck’s law of thermal radiation. Stefan-Boltzmann law, Wein’s displacement law, Rayleigh-Jean approximation. Brightness temperature. Apparant temperature. Antenna temperature. Radiative transfer theory. Propagation of radiation - scattering (Rayleigh and Mie), Absorption, Refraction. Reflection. Absorption, Transmission. Optical thickness. Opacity. Radiative transfer equation. Dielectric properties of Earth natural materials. (Cracknell and Hayes, Chapter 8, Ulaby et al., Chapter 4)

5. Passive Microwave Sensors. Heritage. Channel selection. Radiometers. Spectral resolution. Ground resolution. Sensor Calibration. Radiometric sensitivity. Radiometric calibration. Antenna pattern correction. Spatial resolution enhancement. Antenna pattern matching. (Hollinger et al., NRL report)

6. Algorithm Development HITRAN. Radiative transfer codes. The forward Problem. The inverse problem. Physical retrieval. Statistical retrieval. Combined Retrieval. Simultaneous retrieval. Regression Technique. D-Matrix approach. Non-linear regression. Neural networks. Error Analysis- Algorithm and random errors. Sampling error. (Deepak, Fleming and Theon 1987)

7. Active Microwave Sensors. The radar equation. Reflectivity. Scattering cross section. Surface return. Radar Calibration. Doppler radar. Scatterometer. Altimeter. TRMM Precipitation Radar. Volume scattering. Atmospheric gas absorption. Drop size distribution. Melting layer. (Ulaby et al, Part II, Meneghini and Kozu)

8. Visible/IR Sensor. Heritage sensors. Sensor calibration. AVHRR channels. radiometric sensitivity. TRMM VIRS. MODIS. Atmospheric correction. MODIS products - vegetation, ocean color, sea surface temperature, cloud, aerosol, snow and ice.

9 Remote Sensing of Rain History. VIS/IR techniques - cloud type, cloud life history, GPI, threshold techniques, split channel techniques, cloud top particle size. Passive microwave Wave techniques - emission, scattering, optimal estimation, beam filling correction. Combined Vis/IR and MW. Algorithm inter-comparison. Radar Technique- Backscattering, DSD, Z-R relationship. Matched Z-R relation. Surface reference. PR/TMI combined approach.

10. Atmospheric Sounding Technique. Radiative transfer equation. Beer’s law. Weighting functions. Forward problem. Inversion algorithm. Temperature and water vapor sounding.

11 Cryospheric Sensing.

11.1 Sea Ice: History. Dielectric and extinction of water-ice-snow interface. microwave signature. Sea ice algorithms. ESMR, SMMR and SSM/I estimates. Validation. (Carsey, editor)

11.2 Snow: Morphology of dry snow. Wet snow. Effect of vegetation

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12 Ocean Surface Sensing.

12.1 SST. Sea Surface Emissivity. MW algorithms. Inter-comparison of algorithms (Njoku)

12.2 Sea Surface wind speed. Wind direction ambiguity. Variational technique.

13. Land Surface Sensing. Soil moisture. Dielectric properties of soil moisture. Surface vegetation correction. (Jackson et al.)