Land Surface Temperature (LST) Retrieval from GOES Satellite Observations - Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change - page 279

Chapter 19
Land Surface Temperature (LST) Retrieval
from GOES Satellite Observations

Donglian Sun and Yunyue Yu

Abstract This chapter includes recent advances on the retrieval of land surface
temperature (LST) from satellite observations. Special attention has been paid to
the LST retrieval from GOES satellites. Detailed introduction is given about the
literature review, the existing problems and challenges, and the advantages of
geostationary satellites and GOES instruments. Algorithm theoretical basis (both
physical and mathematical) has been provided. The simulation test and error
analysis are enclosed. The chapter gives a complete coverage on the LST retrieval
from GOES observations, including the physical problem, mathematical descrip-
tion of the theoretical basis, forward model simulations, and algorithm coefficient
derivation, validation against ground observations, and error estimate and analysis.

Keywords Land surface temperature (LST) • GOES • LST product • Validation

19.1 Introduction

Surface skin temperature, which is the temperature at the interface between the land
surface and atmosphere, is an important climate parameter due to its control of the
upward terrestrial radiation, and hence, the surface sensible heat and latent heat flux
exchange with the atmosphere. The importance of land surface processes for
climate and weather modeling has increasingly been recognized. Many general
circulation and climate models are now coupled with land surface schemes. For
example, the community climate model (CCM) is coupled with the biosphere-
atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS);

the National Environmental Prediction

D. Sun ( * )
Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University,
Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Y. Yu
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR, College Park, MD 20740, USA