Phase 2B: Land surface Temperature comparison (Gobabeb, Namibia)

There are currently several systems and instruments which provide state of the art ground based validation measurements for obtaining in-situ Land Surface Temperature (LST). However, so far neither the instruments nor their field deployment have been compared and there are no established standards to ensure SI-traceability. Thus it was intended to complement the laboratory comparison experiments (LCE) in this project with field inter-comparison experiments (FICE).

The overarching objective of the TIR FRM Field Inter-comparison Experiments (FICE) is “to coordinate and demonstrate field inter-comparison activities for TIR FRM”. Inter-comparison experiments in the field cannot be controlled to the same extent as in the laboratory: therefore, selecting naturally homogenous sites is of key importance. The plan currently is for the LST FICE to be performed on the Namib gravel plains and sand sea.

To evaluate measurements of LST, a field comparison campaign is currently (2017) underway in Namibia at the Gobabeb research centre. The LST campaign spans a two week period (14 -27 June) with the following participating labs:

• KIT
• GOTA – Universidad de La Laguna
• ONERA
• THEMACS Ingénierie
• Universidad de Valencia
• University of Southampton

For further information, please read the Implementation plan for the FRM4STS LST FICE (FICE-IP) by Folke Olesen & Frank Göttsche.