Abstract

The paper outlines the instrumentation needed to study, from a light aircraft, the solar radiation reflected by ground surfaces and the incoming solar radiation. A global shortwave radiometer was mounted on the roof of the aircraft and a specially designed mount was used to support a downward pointing 70-mm aerial camera, a downward pointing narrow-beam pyranometer, and, sometimes, a downward pointing global shortwave pyranometer. Calibration factors were determined for the three pyranometers by comparison with a standard Angstrom compensation pyrheliometer. Results have indicated trends in the albedos of major plant communities and have shown that the calculated albedo values vary according to whether the downward pointing instrument is narrow-beam or global. Comparisons were also made with albedos measured on the ground.

© 1973 Optical Society of America

Solar Irradiance Measurements from a Research Aircraft

M. P. Thekaekara, R. Kruger, and C. H. Duncan
Appl. Opt. 8(8) 1713-1732 (1969)

Remote sensing of surface and near surface temperature from remotely piloted aircraft

James L. Cogan
Appl. Opt. 24(7) 1030-1036 (1985)

Reflected irradiance indicatrices of natural surfaces and their effect on albedo

Frank D. Eaton and Inge Dirmhirn
Appl. Opt. 18(7) 994-1008 (1979)

Passive remote sensing of slant path transmittance from aircraft

James L. Cogan
Appl. Opt. 27(15) 3280-3289 (1988)

Measuring Earth-to-Space Contrast Transmittance from Ground Stations

Jacqueline I. Gordon, James L. Harris, and Seibert Q. Duntley
Appl. Opt. 12(6) 1317-1324 (1973)