Algorithm for Recovery of Integrated Water Vapor Content in the Atmosphere over Land Surfaces Based on Satellite Spectroradiometer Data

Abstract

An algorithm is proposed for making charts of the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere based on multispectral images of the earth by the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) on board of the European research satellite Sentinel-3. The algorithm is based on multiple regression fits of the spectral brightness coefficients at the upper boundary of the atmosphere, the geometric parameters of the satellite location (solar and viewing angles), and the total water vapor content in the atmosphere. A regression equation is derived from experimental data on the variation in the optical characteristics of the atmosphere and underlying surface, together with Monte-Carlo calculations of the radiative transfer characteristics. The equation includes the brightness coefficients in the near IR channels of the OLCI for the absorption bands of water vapor and oxygen, as well as for the transparency windows of the atmosphere. Together these make it possible to eliminate the effect of the reflection spectrum of the underlying surface and air pressure on the accuracy of the measurements. The algorithm is tested using data from a prototype OLCI, the medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS). A sample chart of the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere over Eastern Europe is constructed without using subsatellite data and digital models of the surface relief. The water vapor contents in the atmosphere determined using MERIS images and data provided by earthbound measurements with the aerosol robotic network (AERONET) are compared with a mean square deviation of 1.24 kg/m2.