EMISSIVITY MEASUREMENTS OF SEVERAL SOILS AND VEGETATION TYPES IN THE 8-14 MU-M WAVE BAND - ANALYSIS OF 2 FIELD METHODS

The two variants of the box method (with one and two lids) has been ri gorously analysed. As a result of this analysis, a correction factor t hat takes into account the nonideality of the materials used for the b ox, as well as its geometry, has been derived. A simple method for det ermining the effective downward atmospheric temperature that uses only the temperature measurement at the zenith also has been proposed. Fin ally, by using one of the two variants of the box method, 72 in situ e missivity measurements in the 8-14 mu m wave-band region of typical ve getation, soils, and rocks of Europe and South America, has been obtai ned. The use of these data for the emissivity correction of satellite thermal measurements has been analyzed, and emissivities for the Lands at Thematic Mapper band 6 and NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radio meter channels 4 and 5 have been derived. (C)Elsevier Science Inc., 19 97.