Discrepancy Between ASTER- and MODIS- Derived Land Surface Temperatures Terrain Effects.docVIP

Sensors 2009, 9, 1054-1066; doi:10.3390/OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Article Discrepancy Between ASTER- and MODIS- Derived Land Surface Temperatures: Terrain Effects Yuanbo Liu 1,2,*, Yousuke Noumi 2 and Yasushi Yamaguchi 3 1 Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China. 2 Faculty of Informatics, Okayama University of Science, Okayama 700-0005, Japan; E-Mail: y_noumi@big.ous.ac.jp 3 Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; E-Mail: yasushi@nagoya-u.jp * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: yb218@; Tel.: +81-25-8688-2164; Fax: +81-25-5771-4759 Received: 11 November 2008; in revised form: 10 February 2009 / Accepted: 11 February 2009 / Published: 17 February 2009 Abstract: The MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) are onboard the same satellite platform NASA TERRA. Both MODIS and ASTER offer routine retrieval of land surface temperatures (LSTs), and the ASTER- and MODIS-retrieved LST products have been used worldwide. Because a large fraction of the earth surface consists of mountainous areas, variations in elevation, terrain slope and aspect angles can cause biases in the retrieved LSTs. However, terrain-induced effects are generally neglected in most satellite retrievals, which may generate discrepancy between ASTER and MODIS LSTs. In this paper, we reported the terrain effects on the LST discrepancy with a case examination over a relief area at the Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that the terrain-induced effects were not major, but nevertheless important for the total LST discrepancy. A large local slope did not necessarily lead to a large LST discrepancy. The angle of emitted radiance was more importa