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Cited by 46Calibration and Measurement TechniquesOceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesOcean Waves and Remote Sensing

Independent uncertainty estimates for coefficient based sea surface temperature retrieval from the Along-Track Scanning Radiometer instruments

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Bulgin, C.E., Embury, O., Corlett, G., Merchant, C.J.·2016·Remote Sensing of Environment
DOI 10.1016/j.rse.2016.02.022
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Abstract

We establish a methodology for calculating uncertainties in sea surface temperature estimates from coefficient based satellite retrievals. The uncertainty estimates are derived independently of in-situ data. This enables validation of both the retrieved SSTs and their uncertainty estimate using in-situ data records. The total uncertainty budget is comprised of a number of components, arising from uncorrelated (e.g. noise), locally systematic (e.g. atmospheric), large scale systematic and sampling effects (for gridded products). The importance of distinguishing these components arises in propagating uncertainty across spatio-temporal scales. We apply the method to SST data retrieved from the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) and validate the results for two different SST retrieval algorithms, both at a per pixel level and for gridded data. We find good agreement between our estimated uncertainties and validation data. This approach to calculating uncertainties in SST retrievals has a wider application to data from other instruments and retrieval of other geophysical variables.

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Authors
Bulgin, C. E., Embury, O., Corlett, G., & Merchant, C. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Reading (GB)
  • University of Leicester (GB)
Corresponding author
Bulgin, C.E.
ORCID
Venue
Remote Sensing of Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-06
Volume
178
Pages
213-222
ISSN
0034-4257 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.rse.2016.02.022
OpenAlex
W2292167702
Cited by
46
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 2
FWCI
9.77
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Remote Sensing of Environment (publishedVersion)
  • CentAUR (University of Reading) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
Funders
European Space Agency (ESA ESRIN REF 3-13904/13/I-NB)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Calibration and Measurement Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Ocean Waves and Remote Sensing
Keywords
sea surface temperature, uncertainty estimation, ATSR, AATSR, satellite SST retrieval, uncertainty budget, systematic errors, sampling effects, retrieval validation, error propagation

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