Research project PX/8/EO/02 (Research action PX)
The solar radiation is reflected, diffused, absorbed and re-emitted under the combined effect of the atmosphere, aerosols, clouds, vegetation and surface. These processes exhibit very large spatial and temporal variability. The challenge addressed by the LSA-SAF is to model the involved fluxes at the ground level. The net amount of radiative energy available at the surface, Rn, is an important driver for the surface processes involving energy like turbulent transfers. It can be deduced from the following future LSA-SAF products: the (broadband) albedo (AL), the downwelling surface shortwave radiation (DSSF), the downwelling surface longwave radiation (DSLF), the land surface temperature (LST) and the surface emissivity (EM).
All the LSA-SAF products will be computed within the area covered by the MSG disk or by EPS in the adjacent polar region over specific geographical regions, with the corresponding spatial and temporal resolution. The product generation for the MSG disk will be split into 3 different regions, with the highest priority given to the European area covering all EUMETSAT member states.
In the LSA-SAF consortium, the RMI team focuses on the energy released to the atmosphere as latent heat, LE, from which the amount of evapotranspiration ET = LE/Lv (Lv, the latent heat of vaporization) may then be deduced.
Satellite(s) or flight opportunity(ies):
- MSG
- METOP
Field of research:
Earth Observation: Meteorology and Climatology
