Variations in Apparent Surface Temperature as a Function of Imager Viewing Angle

Date
2010-05
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Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Remote sensing has the potential to be a useful tool for analyzing the physical properties and spatio-temporal variations of sediments in intertidal environments. In order for this goal to be achieved, we must first understand the behavior of these sediments under different environmental conditions, such as temperature and moisture content. A variety of remote sensors can have inherent errors as a function of viewing angle and the effect that parameters like sediment type and nominal temperature have on these errors. Thus, these effects must quantified. In order to have control over the type of sediment and temperature of the samples being analyzed, we constructed a laboratory environment to explore the effect that imager viewing angle has on different sediments for five nominal temperature values. It is found that apparent temperature variations are only on the order of 1° C for imager angles with respect to nadir up to about 30 degrees. However, for larger angles, those more indicative of tower-based imager deployments, apparent temperature variations on the order of 4° C were observed. Variations in error for temperature as well as sediment type are also presented and discussed in this paper.
Description
Keywords
imager viewing angle, surface temperature, remote sensors, intertidal environments
Citation