Field validation of the GLASS land surface broadband emissivitydatabase using pseudo-invariant sand dune sites in northern China

The land surface broadband emissivity (LSBE) is a key parameter for estimatingsurface radiation, and there have been many studies of the LSBE at global orlocal scales. However, few studies have validated the surface emissivity databasewith multi-point field measurement data using infrared radiometry, especially inChina. In this study, we focus on the validation of the emissivity product of theglobal land surface satellite (GLASS) LSBE database for northern China for theperiod from 2006 to 2011. Specifically, we have employed an eight-day averaged,gridded emissivity product in the 813.5 mm spectral range produced at a spatialresolution of 1000 m from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometeralbedo product using a new algorithm. The GLASS LSBE database was validatedover bare surfaces with field measurement data from sand samples collected atmany pseudo-invariant sand dune sites located in western and northwesternChina. By comparing measured emissivity for different land surface types atdifferent sites and different times, it was shown that the results were consistentand that the accuracy of the field measurements was reliable. The results of thevalidation of GLASS LSBE with these field emissivity data showed very goodagreement.