Physical statistical algorithm for precipitable water vapor inversion on land surface based on multi-source remotely sensed data

Abstract

Water vapor plays a crucial role in atmospheric processes that act over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, from global climate to micrometeorology. The determination of water vapor distribution in the atmosphere and its changing pattern is very important. Although atmospheric scientists have developed a variety of means to measure precipitable water vapor (PWV) using remote sensing data that have been widely used, there are some limitations in using one kind satellite measurements for PWV retrieval over land. In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed for retrieving PWV over land by combining different kinds of remote sensing data and it would work well under the cloud weather conditions. The PWV retrieval algorithm based on near infrared data is more suitable to clear sky conditions with high precision. The 23.5 GHz microwave remote sensing data is sensitive to water vapor and powerful in cloud-covered areas because of its longer wavelengths that permit viewing into and through the atmosphere. Therefore, the PWV retrieval results from near infrared data and the indices combined by microwave bands remote sensing data which are sensitive to water vapor will be regressed to generate the equation for PWV retrieval under cloud covered areas. The algorithm developed in this paper has the potential to detect PWV under all weather conditions and makes an excellent complement to PWV retrieved by near infrared data. Different types of surface exert different depolarization effects on surface emissions, which would increase the complexity of the algorithm. In this paper, MODIS surface classification data was used to consider this influence. Compared with the GPS results, the root mean square error of our algorithm is 8 mm for cloud covered area. Regional consistency was found between the results from MODIS and our algorithm. Our algorithm can yield reasonable results on the surfaces covered by cloud where MODIS cannot be used to retrieve PWV.