Towards Development of a Synthesized Database of Spatial and Temporal Surface Spectral Reflectivity Over the ARM SGP CART Area

Surface albedo is a key variable determining the disposition of solar radiation between the surface and the atmosphere. Reliable mapping of surface albedo and improved understanding of radiation interactions at the surface are required for advancing weather forecasting and climate studies. The ground-based observations are limited to a handful of locations sparsely distributed in the South Great Plains (SGP). Frequently, they represent only small-scale features of surface reflective properties and may not be representative for larger scales. Satellite data combined with necessary field validation measurements are suitable source of such information. A major objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive database of surface spectral reflective properties at high resolution over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s SGP Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site, which is characterized by diverse surface conditions and strong seasonal variations. We are developing satellite data processing system aimed onto systematic generation of surface narrowband and broadband reflectance, albedo, as well as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and some other parameters over the SGP area of ~10deg x 10deg on various time scales.