Albedo Features Research Articles

Comparative photometric analysis of the Reiner Gamma swirl and Chang’e 5 landing site

Context.Lunar swirls are bright albedo features only found on the Moon that are still not entirely understood. It is commonly accepted that reduced space weathering plays a role in explaining the origins of lunar swirls because the local magnetic fields that are typically associated with these albedo anomalies are effective in reducing the solar wind influx. However, additional processes are required to fully explain the spectral, photometric, and polarimetric properties of the swirls.Aims.In this study, we compare the photometric properties of the Chang’e-5 landing site to those of the Reiner Gamma swirl. Because the physical effects of a landing rocket jet on the lunar regolith are relatively well known, these observations can provide important insights into the physical properties of lunar swirls.Methods.We determined the single scattering albedo, opposition effect strength, and surface roughness of the Reiner Gamma swirl and the Chang’e-5 landing site with their respective statistical uncertainties based on the Hapke model and Bayesian inference sampling.Results.The Chang’e-5 landing site and the Reiner Gamma swirl exhibit similar photometric properties, in particular: an increased albedo and a reduced opposition effect strength. Additionally, the landing site is about 20% less rough compared to the surrounding area.Conclusions.These findings suggest that the swirl surface is less porous compared to the surrounding surface, similarly to a landing site where the top layer of the regolith has been blown away effectively so that the compactness was increased. We conclude that external mechanisms that are able to compress the uppermost regolith layer are involved in lunar swirl formation, such as interactions with the gaseous hull of a passing comet.

Intra-seasonal variability in supraglacial stream sediment on the Greenland Ice Sheet

On the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet, the presence of low-albedo features greatly contributes to ablation zone meltwater production. Some of the lowest albedo features on the Ice Sheet are water-filled supraglacial stream channels, especially those with abundant deposits of consolidated cryoconite sediment. Because these sediments enhance melting by disproportionately lowering albedo, studying their spatial extent can provide a better understanding of Greenland’s contribution to global sea level rise. However, little is known about the spatial distribution of supraglacial stream sediment, or how it changes in response to seasonal flow regimes. Here, we surveyed a supraglacial stream network in Southwest Greenland, collecting imagery from seven uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) flights over the course of 24 days in 2019. Using Structure-from-Motion-generated orthomosaic imagery and digital elevation models (DEMs), we manually digitized the banks of the supraglacial stream channels, classified the areal coverage of sediment deposits, and modeled how the terrain influences the amount of incoming solar radiation at the Ice Sheet surface. We used imagery classified by surface types andin-situspectrometer measurements to determine how changes in sediment cover altered albedo. We found that, within our study area, only 15% of cryoconite sediment was consolidated in cryoconite holes; the remaining 85% was located within supraglacial streams mostly concentrated on daily inundated riverbanks (hereafter termed floodplains). Sediment cover and stream width are highly correlated, suggesting that sediment influx into supraglacial drainage systems widens stream channels or darkens previously widened channels. This reduces albedo in floodplains that already receive greater solar radiation due to their flatness. Additionally, the areal extent of stream sediments increased in August following seasonal peak flow, suggesting that as stream power decreases, more sediment accumulates in supraglacial channels. This negative feedback loop for melting may delay Greenland’s runoff to the latter end of the melt season. This study shows in unprecedented detail where and when sediment is deposited and how these deposits potentially impact the Ice Sheet surface energy balance. These findings may allow for better prediction of how supraglacial floodplains, and the microbiomes they contain, might change in response to increased melting.

Derivation of 1.064 μm normal albedos on the C-type asteroid Ryugu from laser pulse intensity measurement of the Hayabusa2 LIDAR

Japanese asteroid explorer Hayabusa2 arrived at C-type asteroid 162,173 Ryugu in June 2018. The laser altimeter (LIDAR) onboard Hayabusa2 measured its own transmitted laser and returned pulse intensities from a Ryugu surface until November 2019. Because the Ryugu surface is extremely rough, topography dominates over the material properties in the conventional derivation of normal albedo. Thus, we developed a method to retrieve the normal albedo from the rough surface of a C-type asteroid at a LIDAR laser wavelength of 1.064 μm. The albedo map covering an equatorial band between – 40° and + 20° in latitude was created with 3˚-by-3˚ resolution using the intensity data obtained before the conjunction of the spacecraft with the Sun. The average of the normal albedo is 0.0405 ±\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\pm$$\\end{document} 0.0027, whereas approximately half of the 3°-by-3° grids are between 0.04 and 0.045. The low and uniform normal albedo feature is common to other remote-sensing observations of Ryugu by visible and near-infrared cameras onboard Hayabusa2.Graphical

Mapping Lunar Swirls with Machine Learning: The Application of Unsupervised and Supervised Image Classification Algorithms in Reiner Gamma and Mare Ingenii

Lunar swirls are recognized as broad, bright albedo features in various regions of the Moon. These features are often separated by dark off-swirl lanes or terminate against the dark background, such as lunar maria. Prior mapping of swirls has been done primarily by albedo contrast, which is prone to subjectivity. Closer examination of on-swirl areas shows that they are not uniform, making the boundary between on- and off-swirl difficult to map with certainty. We have applied machine learning techniques to address these issues by identifying the number of swirl units and then mapping them based on actual reflectance, or I/F data. Using LROC NAC paired stereo images that are converted to I/F reflectance at a range of incidence angles, we applied both unsupervised K-means clustering and supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithms to classify and map portions of lunar swirls in Reiner Gamma and Mare Ingenii. Results show that the classification maps are a reasonable match to the representative albedos for the two study regions. A third transitionary swirl unit, termed diffuse-swirl, is present in both the maps and the cumulative distribution plots of the reflectance values. Overall, we find that the use of both algorithms provides independent confirmation of both the number and location of these units and their interrelation. More importantly, the algorithms remove mapping subjectivity by using quantitative information. The data and the statistics generated from the maps also have value in future studies by placing limits for categorizing swirl units in different regions on the Moon.

New Craters on Mars: An Updated Catalog

AbstractWe present a catalog of new impacts on Mars. These craters formed in the last few decades, constrained with repeat orbital imaging. Crater diameters range from 58 m down to <1 m. For each impact, we report whether it formed a single crater or a cluster (58% clusters); albedo features of the blast zone (88% halos; 64% linear rays; 10% arcuate rays; majority dark‐toned; 4% light‐toned; 14% dual‐toned); and exposures of ice (4% definite; 2% possible). We find no trends in the occurrences of clusters with latitude, elevation, or impact size. Albedo features do not depend on atmospheric fragmentation. Halos are more prevalent at lower elevations, indicating an atmospheric pressure dependence; and around smaller impacts, which could be an observational bias. Linear rays are more likely to form from larger impacts into more consolidated material and may be enhanced by lower atmospheric pressure at higher elevations. Light‐ and dual‐toned blast zones occur in specific regions and more commonly around larger impacts, indicating excavation of compositionally distinct material. Surfaces covered with bright dust lacking cohesion are favored to form detectable surface features. The slope of the cumulative size frequency distribution for this data set is 2.2 for diameters >8 m (differential slope 2.9), significantly shallower than the slope of new lunar craters. We believe that no systematic biases exist in the Martian data set sufficient to explain the discrepancy. This catalog is complete at the time of writing, although observational biases exist, and new discoveries continue.

Atmospheric, Geomorphological, and Compositional Analysis of Martian Asimov and Hale Craters: Implications for Recurring Slope Lineae

Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are small, dark, seasonal albedo features lengthening down “warm” Martian steep slopes. Their origin has been attributed to both liquid and dry processes, hence representing one of the major open science questions on present day Mars. In the present study, we report a catalog of previous literature and newly added RSL sites making a total of 940 sites globally on Mars along with the detailed geological and compositional investigation of the Hale and Asimov craters with their RSL features. We also estimate temperature and atmospheric water abundances in the study area, which are two of the main factors to explain the origin and formation of RSL. The study found that the Asimov crater’s local temperatures are high enough to allow either the melting of brines or deliquescence of calcium perchlorate and other salts during the HiRISE observation period and found the water vapor column to be nearly five times higher than those measured “before RSL appearance.” This supports the theory of deliquescence as one of the mechanisms for the regolith-atmosphere interaction and RSL formation in the studied crater, which suggests that minerals absorb moisture from the environment until the minerals dissolve in the absorbed water and yield a solution. We also used compact reconnaissance imaging spectrometer for Mars–derived browse products for a compositional study associated with RSL features hosting craters and surface characteristics of Mars.

Remote sensing of methane plumes: instrument tradeoff analysis for detecting and quantifying local sources at global scale

Abstract. Methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas with a significant impact on radiative forcing, tropospheric air quality, and stratospheric water vapor. Remote sensing observations enable the detection and quantification of local methane emissions across large geographical areas, which is a critical step for understanding local flux distributions and subsequently prioritizing mitigation strategies. Obtaining methane column concentration measurements with low noise and minimal surface interference has direct consequences for accurately determining the location and emission rates of methane sources. The quality of retrieved column enhancements depends on the choices of the instrument and retrieval parameters. Here, we studied the changes in precision error and bias as a result of different spectral resolutions, instrument optical performance, and detector exposure times by using a realistic instrument noise model. In addition, we formally analyzed the impact of spectrally complex surface albedo features on retrievals using the iterative maximum a posteriori differential optical absorption spectroscopy (IMAP-DOAS) algorithm. We built an end-to-end modeling framework that can simulate observed radiances from reflected solar irradiance through a simulated CH4 plume over several natural and artificial surfaces. Our analysis shows that complex surface features can alias into retrieved methane abundances, explaining the existence of retrieval biases in current airborne methane observations. The impact can be mitigated with higher spectral resolution and a larger polynomial degree to approximate surface albedo variations. Using a spectral resolution of 1.5 nm, an exposure time of 20 ms, and a polynomial degree of 25, a retrieval precision error below 0.007 mole m−2 or 1.0 % of total atmospheric CH4 column can be achieved for high albedo cases, while minimizing the bias due to surface interference such that the noise is uncorrelated among various surfaces. At coarser spectral resolutions, it becomes increasingly harder to separate complex surface albedo features from atmospheric absorption features. Our modeling framework provides the basis for assessing tradeoffs for future remote sensing instruments and algorithmic designs. For instance, we find that improving the spectral resolution beyond 0.2 nm would actually decrease the retrieval precision, as detector readout noise will play an increasing role. Our work contributes towards building an enhanced monitoring system that can measure CH4 concentration fields to determine methane sources accurately and efficiently at scale.

CaSSIS color and multi-angular observations of Martian slope streaks

Slope streaks are albedo features that form frequently on equatorial Martian slopes. Most slope streaks are dark relative to surrounding terrains, a minor fraction is bright, and there are rare transitioning streaks that exhibit a contrast reversal partway downslope. Their formation mechanisms and physical surface properties are not well understood. New observations acquired by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) on board ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) provide insights into slope streaks' surface microstructure, roughness and particle size ranges. Using multiple phase angle observations, we show that dark slope streaks are substantially rougher and possibly more porous than their bright counterparts, which are likely composed of more compact regolith. Color data acquired in the four wavelength bands suggest that dark streaks are spectrally similar to bright streaks but are composed of larger particles. The comparison of our orbital results to the laboratory measurements of Martian regolith analogs indicates that particles within dark slope streaks may be up to a factor of four larger than the granular material of the surrounding terrains. At one study site in Arabia Terra, using complementary imagery from other orbiters, we identify a case where dark slope streaks turned fully bright in a twenty-year period. These and CaSSIS observations suggest that bright slope streaks are old dark slope streaks, likely formed by deposition of dust or decomposition of surface aggregates into smaller particles.

Reddening and darkening trends of on/off swirls and the relationship with magnetic field strength

AbstractLunar swirls are albedo features associated with magnetic anomalies, and their formation mechanism has long been debated. Because spectral properties of lunar swirls provide information on space weathering environments and surface compositions, differences in the spectra between swirls and background regions can give a clue to their formation. We analyze space weathering for swirls in the lunar highlands and maria using the VIS-NIR spectral slope, 1550 nm reflectance, and 950 nm band depth. We find that highland swirls show lower reddening-to-darkening ratios than off-swirl regions, implying more decreases of nanophase iron relative to microphase iron on swirls. We also use magnetic field data to investigate the influence of the crustal magnetic field on the space weathering of a few selected swirls. The Reiner Gamma swirl becomes more immature as the magnetic field strength increases, although the entire swirl has a high albedo. Especially, the Reiner Gamma tail shows that the stronger magnetic field makes the surface undergo less spectral reddening. Our results support the solar wind stand-off hypothesis, which is that the solar wind deflected by the crustal field determines the optical property of the surface.

Comparison and evaluation of different dryness indices based on vegetation indices-land surface temperature/albedo feature space

Nowadays, there are many dryness indices based on vegetation indices (VI s )-land surface temperature (T s ) feature space. Which dryness index should we use in dryness monitoring? The differences and capabilities for dryness monitoring among seven indices were evaluated in this study. These dryness indices were based on VI s -T s or Albedo feature space. For instance, Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) from a triangle NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)-T s feature space (TVDI t ), TVDI from bi-parabolic NDVI-T s feature space (TVDI c ), TFDI from FPAR (Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation)-T s feature space, TVDI from LAI (Leaf Area Index)-T s feature space (TLDI), TVDI from EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index)-T s feature space (TEDI), TVDI from SAVI (Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index)-T s feature space (TSDI) and Vegetation Condition Albedo Dryness Index (VCADI) from NDVI-Albedo feature space. In this study, the assimilated 5/10 cm depth soil moisture, field measured 10 cm depth soil moisture, precipitation, and the assimilated land surface temperature data were selected as the indicators to test the performance of each dryness index in two periods of 2013/2015 and three periods of 2018. The results showed that the spatial distributions of dryness from TVDI c , TVDI t , TFDI, TLDI, TEDI, and TSDI were similar, except for VCADI. The ability of TSDI and TVDI t in dryness monitoring was not as good as TVDI c and TEDI, however, the robustness of them was stable and can be an alternative dryness index. TFDI can be applied to evaluate dryness conditions, but its robustness was not stable and its monitoring performance was not as good as other indices in Shaanxi province, China. Although TLDI can detect dryness conditions when NDVI reached saturation, its robustness was worse than TEDI. When NDVI did not reach saturation, TVDI c had the best ability in dryness monitoring. TEDI was the optimal dryness index when NDVI was approaching or reaching saturation. This study determined that NDVI reached saturation (LAI = 3) when its average value was >0.5368.

Topographic correction of HiRISE and CaSSIS images: Validation and application to color observations of Martian albedo features

The topographic correction of satellite images has to be applied to both disentangle albedo features from illumination effects induced by local topography and perform spectrophotometric analyses of planetary surfaces. This work focuses on the modeling and removal of surface brightness variations induced by topography, referred as topographic shading, from high resolution images of Mars. Topographic shading can be modeled through functions of the surface illumination and observation angles called disk functions. We consider four disk functions that are widely used in planetary photometry: the Lambert, Lommel-Seeliger, Akimov and Minnaert disk functions. We test and evaluate their performances in removing topographic shading from High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Colour and Surface Science Imaging System (CaSSIS) images. We here validate our method, moreover, we report scientific applications to single or multi-band datasets by analyzing topographically corrected HiRISE colour observations of Martian recurring slope lineae and dust devil tracks, as well as CaSSIS panchromatic observations.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Soil Salinization in the Yellow River Delta of China from 2015 to 2019

Soil salinization poses a significant challenge for achieving sustainable utilization of land resources, especially in coastal, arid, and semi-arid areas. Timely monitoring of soil salt content and its spatial distribution is conducive to secure efficient agricultural development in these regions. In this study, to address the persistent problem of soil salinization in the Yellow River Delta in China, the feature space method was used to construct multiple feature spaces of surface albedo (Albedo)–modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), salinity index (SI)–Albedo, and SI–normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and an optimal inversion model of soil salinity was developed. Based on Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) image data and simultaneous field-measured sampling data, an optimal model from 2015 to 2019 was used to obtain the soil salt content in the region at a 30 m resolution. The results show that the proportion of soil salinization in 2015 and 2019 was approximately 76% and 70%, respectively, and overall soil salinization showed a downward trend. The salinization-mitigated areas are primarily distributed in the southwest of the Yellow River Delta, and the aggravated areas are distributed in the northeast and southeast. In general, the spatial variation characteristics show an increasing trend from the southwest to the eastern coastal areas, corresponding to the formation mechanism of salt accumulation in the region. Further, corresponding sustainable development countermeasures and suggestions were proposed for different salinity levels. Meanwhile, this study revealed that the SI–Albedo feature space model is the most suitable for inversion of salinization in coastal areas.

Hyperspectral image clustering with Albedo recovery Fuzzy C-Means

ABSTRACT Hyperspectral image clustering is usually used for unsupervised learning in different applications. However, the traditional clustering methods have not been considered the complex relationships among neighbouring pixels. The Albedo and Shading elements can define pixel values in the HyperSpectral Images (HSIs). In HSIs, features are different from each other because of their natural physical characteristics and the physical nature of different image features can be described by the Albedo element. Therefore, in this paper, we generate the natural Albedo feature of the HSIs by applying Albedo recovery step to exploit main information from HSIs. Then, we utilized the Fuzzy C-means clustering method to cluster the natural Albedo dataset. In this paper, we propose a novel accurate Albedo Recovery based Fuzzy C-Means (ARFCM) method to cluster HSIs. In the dataset, each feature vector is processed by the Albedo recovery step to create a new feature vector. This new feature vector can describe the dataset better than the original one. Comparing clustering methods as one of the powerful clustering algorithms are widely used in the remote sensing fields of studying. The experiments conducted on several benchmark datasets demonstrated that the proposed clustering method achieves higher performance than other methods and present the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results of experiments over different HSI datasets indicated that the proposed method could produce reliable and suitable results compared to the other methods. This shows the robustness of the proposed ARFCM algorithm over the various HSI datasets. Other methods may provide a good response in a given dataset and do not perform well in the other data. Consequently, the ARFCM method, regardless of the study area characteristics and the sensor features, always renders remarkable clustering accuracy.

Closing the gap between Earth-based and interplanetary mission observations: Vesta seen by VLT/SPHERE

Context. Over the past decades, several interplanetary missions have studied small bodies in situ, leading to major advances in our understanding of their geological and geophysical properties. These missions, however, have had a limited number of targets. Among them, the NASA Dawn mission has characterised in detail the topography and albedo variegation across the surface of asteroid (4) Vesta down to a spatial resolution of ~20 m pixel−1 scale. Aims. Here our aim was to determine how much topographic and albedo information can be retrieved from the ground with VLT/SPHERE in the case of Vesta, having a former space mission (Dawn) providing us with the ground truth that can be used as a benchmark. Methods. We observed Vesta with VLT/SPHERE/ZIMPOL as part of our ESO large programme (ID 199.C-0074) at six different epochs, and deconvolved the collected images with a parametric point spread function (PSF). We then compared our images with synthetic views of Vesta generated from the 3D shape model of the Dawn mission, on which we projected Vesta’s albedo information. Results. We show that the deconvolution of the VLT/SPHERE images with a parametric PSF allows the retrieval of the main topographic and albedo features present across the surface of Vesta down to a spatial resolution of ~20–30 km. Contour extraction shows an accuracy of ~1 pixel (3.6 mas). The present study provides the very first quantitative estimate of the accuracy of ground-based adaptive-optics imaging observations of asteroid surfaces. Conclusions. In the case of Vesta, the upcoming generation of 30–40 m telescopes (ELT, TMT, GMT) should in principle be able to resolve all of the main features present across its surface, including the troughs and the north–south crater dichotomy, provided that they operate at the diffraction limit.

Combinational shadow index for building shadow extraction in urban areas from Sentinel-2A MSI imagery

Images from Multispectral Instrument (MSI) on Sentinel-2A are useful for studies of urban environments and their spatio-temporal changes. However, the frequent occurrence of building shadows in urban areas brings about great challenges in urban studies. Existing building shadow indices are not effective for Sentinel-2A MSI images due to that these indices do not make full use of the rich spectral information contained in Sentinel-2A. In this study, we propose a combinational shadow index (CSI) to address this challenge. In the formulation of CSI, three features, including the proposed shadow enhancement index (SEI), the normalized difference water index (NDWI) and the NIR band (B8), were combined to separate spectrally similar objects, such as building shadows, water and low albedo features at the Earth surface. The accuracy and robustness of CSI were tested by using six data sets from four cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China. The performance of CSI was compared with three existing shadow indices, i.e., P algorithm, the normalized saturation-value difference index (NSVDI) and the shadow index (SI). Results show that CSI can detect building shadows with fine structures in both clear and cloudy images more effectively and worked well on large areas too. CSI can separate shadows from water and low albedo features as measured by a spectral discrimination index (SDI). Compared with the existing building shadow indices, CSI can improve the performance of building shadow detection by combining the feature information of SEI, NDWI and NIR band, and yielded satisfactory results for extracting building shadows from Sentinel-2A MSI imagery.

Post-impact thermal structure and cooling timescales of Occator crater on asteroid 1 Ceres

Occator crater is perhaps the most distinct surface feature observed by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on the Cerean surface. Contained within the crater are the highest albedo features on the planet, Cerealia Facula and Vinalia Faculae, and relatively smooth lobate flow deposits. We present hydrocode simulations of the formation of Occator crater, varying the water to rock ratio of our pre-impact Cerean surface. We find that at water to rock mass ratios up to 0.3, sufficient volumes of Occator's post-impact subsurface would be above the melting point of water to allow for the deposition of faculae-like deposits via impact-heat driven hydrothermal effusion of brines. This reservoir of hydrothermally viable material beneath the crater is composed of a mixture of impactor material and material uplifted from 10′s of kilometers beneath the pre-impact surface, which could sample a deep subsurface volatile reservoir, if present. Using a conductive cooling model, we estimate that the lifetime of hydrothermal activity within such a system, depending on choice of material constants, is between 0.4 and 4 Myr. Our results suggest that impact heating from the Occator forming impact provides a viable mechanism for the creation of the observed faculae, with the proviso that the faculae formed within a relatively short time window after the crater itself formed.

Reiner Gamma albedo features reproduced by modeling solar wind standoff

All lunar swirls are known to be co-located with crustal magnetic anomalies (LMAs). Not all LMAs can be associated with albedo markings, making swirls, and their possible connection with the former, an intriguing puzzle yet to be solved. By coupling fully kinetic simulations with a Surface Vector Mapping model, we show that solar wind standoff, an ion–electron kinetic interaction mechanism that locally prevents weathering by solar wind ions, reproduces the shape of the Reiner Gamma albedo pattern. Our method reveals why not every magnetic anomaly forms a distinct albedo marking. A qualitative match between optical remote observations and in situ particle measurements of the back-scattered ions is simultaneously achieved, demonstrating the importance of a kinetic approach to describe the solar wind interaction with LMAs. The anti-correlation between the predicted amount of surface weathering and the surface reflectance is strongest when evaluating the proton energy flux.

How Does the Shape of the Stellar Spectrum Affect the Raman Scattering Features in the Albedo of Exoplanets?

Abstract The diagnostic potential of the spectral signatures of Raman scattering, imprinted in planetary albedo spectra at short optical wavelengths, has been demonstrated in research on planets in the solar system, and has recently been proposed as a probe of exoplanet atmospheres, complementary to albedo studies at longer wavelengths. Spectral features caused by Raman scattering offer insight into the properties of planetary atmospheres, such as the atmospheric depth, composition, and temperature, as well as the possibility of detecting and spectroscopically identifying spectrally inactive species, such as H2 and N2, in the visible wavelength range. Raman albedo features, however, depend on both the properties of the atmosphere and the shape of the incident stellar spectrum. Identical planetary atmospheres can produce very different albedo spectra depending on the spectral properties of the host star. Here we present a set of geometric albedo spectra calculated for atmospheres with H2/He, N2, and CO2 composition, irradiated by different stellar types ranging from late A to late K stars. Prominent albedo features caused by Raman scattering appear at different wavelengths for different types of host stars. We investigate how absorption due to the alkali elements sodium and potassium may affect the intensity of Raman features, and we discuss the preferred strategies for detecting Raman features in future observations.

Albedo recovery for hyperspectral image classification

Image intensity value is determined by both the albedo component and the shading component. The albedo component describes the physical nature of different objects at the surface of the earth, and land-cover classes are different from each other because of their intrinsic physical materials. We, therefore, recover the intrinsic albedo feature of the hyperspectral image to exploit the spatial semantic information. Then, we use the support vector machine (SVM) to classify the recovered intrinsic albedo hyperspectral image. The SVM tries to maximize the minimum margin to achieve good generalization performance. Experimental results show that the SVM with the intrinsic albedo feature method achieves a better classification performance than the state-of-the-art methods in terms of visual quality and three quantitative metrics.

Global albedos of Pluto and Charon from LORRI New Horizons observations

The exploration of the Pluto-Charon system by the New Horizons spacecraft represents the first opportunity to understand the distribution of albedo and other photometric properties of the surfaces of objects in the Solar System's “Third Zone” of distant ice-rich bodies. Images of the entire illuminated surface of Pluto and Charon obtained by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera provide a global map of Pluto that reveals surface albedo variegations larger than any other Solar System world except for Saturn's moon Iapetus. Normal reflectances on Pluto range from 0.08–1.0, and the low-albedo areas of Pluto are darker than any region of Charon. Charon exhibits a much blander surface with normal reflectances ranging from 0.20–0.73. Pluto's albedo features are well-correlated with geologic features, although some exogenous low-albedo dust may be responsible for features seen to the west of the area informally named Tombaugh Regio. The albedo patterns of both Pluto and Charon are latitudinally organized, with the exception of Tombaugh Regio, with darker regions concentrated at the Pluto's equator and Charon's northern pole. The phase curve of Pluto is similar to that of Triton, the large moon of Neptune believed to be a captured Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), while Charon's is similar to that of the Moon. Preliminary Bond albedos are 0.25 ± 0.03 for Charon and 0.72 ± 0.07 for Pluto. Maps of an approximation to the Bond albedo for both Pluto and Charon are presented for the first time. Our work shows a connection between very high albedo (near unity) and planetary activity, a result that suggests the KBO Eris may be currently active.