Multi-angle imaging spectroradiometer
Themulti-angle imaging spectroradiometer(MISR) is a scientific instrument on theTerra satellitelaunched byNASAon 18 December 1999. This device is designed to measure the intensity ofsolar radiationreflected by theEarthsystem (planetary surfaceandatmosphere) in various directions andspectral bands;it became operational in February 2000. Data generated by this sensor have been proven useful in a variety of applications includingatmospheric sciences,climatologyand monitoring terrestrial processes.
The MISR instrument consists of an innovative configuration of nine separatedigital camerasthat gather data in four different spectral bands of thesolar spectrum.One camera points toward thenadir,while the others provide forward and aftward view angles at 26.1°, 45.6°, 60.0°, and 70.5°. As the instrument flies overhead, each region of the Earth's surface is successively imaged by all nine cameras in each of fourwavelengths(blue, green, red, andnear-infrared).
The data gathered by MISR are useful in climatological studies concerning the disposition of the solarradiation fluxin the Earth's system. MISR is specifically designed to monitor the monthly, seasonal, and long-term trends of atmosphericaerosolparticle concentrations including those formed by natural sources and by human activities, upper air winds and cloud cover, type, height, as well as the characterization of land surface properties, including the structure ofvegetation canopies,the distribution ofland covertypes, or the properties ofsnowandice fields,amongst many other biogeophysical variables.
References[edit]
- IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing(July 2002) Special issue on MISR, Volume 40, No. 7.
- Diner, D. J., B. H. Braswell, R. Davies, N. Gobron, J. Hu, Y. Jin, R. A. Kahn, Y. Knyazikhin, N. Loeb, J.-P. Muller, A. W. Nolin, B. Pinty, C. B. Schaaf, G. Seiz, and J. Stroeve (2005) 'The value of multiangle measurements for retrieving structurally and radiatively consistent properties of clouds, aerosols, and surfaces',Remote Sensing of Environment,97,495–518.
- Remote Sensing of Environment(March 2007) Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Special Issue, Volume 107, Issues 1–2.
External links[edit]
- Official NASA site
- Visible Earth: Latest MISR images
- JPL MISR homepage
- Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center MISR data page