干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Through acquisition of well-calibrated near-nadir and oblique-angle imagery (0 degrees-70 degrees zenith angles) at moderately high spatial resolution (275 m-1.1 km), the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) experiment aboard NASA's Terra satellite has taken atmospheric remote sensing in new directions. Retrieval algorithms that were largely conceptual prior to Terra launch in 1999 have led to publicly available aerosol and cloud products with direct application to global climate and particulate air quality research. Automated algorithms making use of stereoscopic parallax, time lapse among the nine angular views, and the variation in radiance with view angle, scattering angle, and wavelength (446-866 nm) make possible unique data sets including geometric cloud and aerosol plume heights derived independently of emissivity or temperature assumptions; height-resolved cloud-tracked winds; and aerosol optical depth and particle type over a wide variety of surfaces including bright desert source regions. To illustrate these capabilities, examples of regional and global MISR data products, quantitative evaluations of product accuracies based on comparisons with independent data sources, and time series showing seasonal and interannual variations are presented here. Future sensor improvements aimed at building upon MISR heritage, including expanding the spectral coverage to ultraviolet and shortwave infrared wavelengths, adding polarization channels, and widening the sensor swath, are also discussed.