Topic Review
Assimilation of Key Data in Land Surface Models
The correction of Soil Moisture (SM) estimates in Land Surface Models (LSMs) is considered essential for improving the performance of numerical weather forecasting and hydrologic models used in weather and climate studies. Along with surface screen-level variables, the satellite data, including Brightness Temperature (BT) from passive microwave sensors, and retrieved SM from active, passive, or combined active–passive sensor products have been used as two critical inputs in improvements of the LSM.
  • 486
  • 22 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Atmospheric Correction for Landsat 8
Ocean colour (OC) remote sensing is important for monitoring marine ecosystems. However, inverting the OC signal from the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance measured by satellite sensors remains a challenge as the retrieval accuracy is highly dependent on the performance of the atmospheric correction as well as sensor calibration. In this study, the performances of four atmospheric correction (AC) algorithms, the Atmospheric and Radiometric Correction of Satellite Imagery (ARCSI), Atmospheric Correction for OLI ‘lite’ (ACOLITE), Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance (LSR) Climate Data Record (Landsat CDR), herein referred to as LaSRC (Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance Code), and the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) Data Analysis System (SeaDAS), implemented for Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data, were evaluated. The OLI-derived remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) products (also known as Level-2 products) were tested against near-simultaneous in-situ data acquired from the OC component of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET-OC). Analyses of the match-ups revealed that generic atmospheric correction methods (i.e., ARCSI and LaSRC), which perform reasonably well over land, provide inaccurate Level-2 products over coastal waters, in particular, in the blue bands. Between water-specific AC methods (i.e., SeaDAS and ACOLITE), SeaDAS was found to perform better over complex waters with root-mean-square error (RMSE) varying from 0.0013 to 0.0005 sr−1 for the 443 and 655 nm channels, respectively. An assessment of the effects of dominant environmental variables revealed AC retrieval errors were influenced by the solar zenith angle and wind speed for ACOLITE and SeaDAS in the 443 and 482 nm channels. Recognizing that the AERONET-OC sites are not representative of inland waters, extensive research and analyses are required to further evaluate the performance of various AC methods for high-resolution imagers like Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 under a broad range of aquatic/atmospheric conditions.
  • 3.0K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Atmospheric Influence on Grapevine Development
In many European regions, viticulture and winemaking play a major socioeconomic role in local economies, with climate being a central component of the terroirs, governing vineyard microclimate, vine development and growth, phenology, yield, and grape berry composition, which ultimately control attributes and typicity of the produced wines. Nonetheless, climate change is already affecting the viticultural suitability of many wine regions throughout the continent and is expected to continue along this same path in the upcoming decades. These climate-driven shifts may lead to a redesign of the geographical distribution of wine regions, while wine typicity may also be threatened in most cases. Climate change does require the implementation of well-timed, appropriate, and economically efficient adaptation strategies, while respecting local specificities for an effective reduction of the risks to which this vulnerable sector is exposed. However, knowledge on the adaptation potential of a range of measures is still incipient and will need more research in the near future.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Atmospheric Models
Static atmospheric models describe how the ideal gas properties (namely: pressure, temperature, density, and molecular weight) of an atmosphere change, primarily as a function of altitude. The World Meteorological Organization defines a standard atmosphere as "a hypothetical vertical distribution of atmospheric temperature, pressure and density which, by international agreement, is roughly representative of year-round, midlatitude conditions. Typical usages are as a basis for pressure altimeter calibrations, aircraft performance calculations, aircraft and rocket design, ballistic tables, and meteorological diagrams." For example, the U.S. Standard Atmosphere derives the values for air temperature, pressure, and mass density, as a function of altitude above sea level. Other static atmospheric models may have other outputs, or depend on inputs besides altitude.
  • 523
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Atmospheric Sciences
Atmospheric sciences are the study of the Earth's atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather forecasting. Climatology is the study of atmospheric changes (both long and short-term) that define average climates and their change over time, due to both natural and anthropogenic climate variability. Aeronomy is the study of the upper layers of the atmosphere, where dissociation and ionization are important. Atmospheric science has been extended to the field of planetary science and the study of the atmospheres of the planets of the solar system. Experimental instruments used in atmospheric sciences include satellites, rocketsondes, radiosondes, weather balloons, and lasers. The term aerology (from Greek ἀήρ, aēr, "air"; and -λογία, -logia) is sometimes used as an alternative term for the study of Earth's atmosphere. Early pioneers in the field include Léon Teisserenc de Bort and Richard Assmann.
  • 512
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Available Agrometeorological Data Sources in Croatia
Precision agriculture (PA) is a data-driven approach to farming that uses a range of ICT solutions—remote sensing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI)—to improve and increase crop yields and the profitability of agricultural production, while reducing the amount of resources needed for food production, such as the amount of water, fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides. Croatia consists of three main geographical regions: the Pannonian and para-Pannonian plains in the north and north-east, the central mountain belt in the west and south, and the Croatian coastal area. The Pannonian plains are the most fertile agricultural regions in Croatia, enriched by alluvial deposits from the Sava and Drava rivers. The central mountain belt offers some arable, meadow, and pasture land, while the coastal region is mostly barren and mountainous with little agricultural land.
  • 58
  • 26 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Basis of Tracing Fossil Fuel CO2 Using 14C
Carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important greenhouse gas, is a significant driver of global warming. Radiocarbon (14C), a widely used dating method in archaeology, geosciences, etc., is a direct tracer and a promising method to differentiate the emissions of fossil fuel and non-fossil fuel from atmospheric carbon.
  • 279
  • 30 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Bioclimatic Building Design
Bioclimatic building design emerges as a holistic approach to sustainable architecture that integrates the built environment with natural elements. Bioclimatic building design’s capacity to significantly reduce energy consumption, enhance occupant well-being, and shape sustainable behavior has been well documented in existing research. 
  • 65
  • 21 Feb 2024
Topic Review Video
Chaos and Order in the Atmosphere
The Lorenz 1963 and 1969 models have been applied for revealing the chaotic nature of weather and climate and for estimating the atmospheric predictability limit. Recently, an in-depth analysis of classical Lorenz models (LMs) and newly developed, generalized Lorenz models suggested a revised view that “The atmosphere possesses chaos and order; it includes, as examples, emerging organized systems (such as tornadoes) and time varying forcing from recurrent seasons”, in contrast to the conventional view of “weather is chaotic”. The revised view focuses on distinct predictability and time varying multistability. Distinct predictability suggests limited predictability for chaotic solutions and unlimited predictability (or up to their lifetime) for non-chaotic solutions. To support the revised view, multistability (for attractor coexistence) and monostability (for single-type solutions) are first illustrated using kayaking and skiing as an analogy. Additionally, this entry provides a list of non-chaotic weather systems and a short list of suggested future tasks.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Characterisation of Thunderstorms with Multiple Lightning Jumps
Several works have shown that lightning jumps are precursors of severe weather in deep-convective thunderstorms. Since 2017, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia has operationally run an algorithm that identifies lightning jumps (LJs) in real time. It has resulted in being an effective tool for nowcasting severe weather with a lead time between 15 min and 120 min in advance. This time can be of high value for managing emergencies caused by severe phenomena or heavy rains. The present research focused on the events’ analysis in which more than one lightning jump occurred, searching for those elements that differentiate single warning cases. Thunderstorms producing LJs were divided into two main categories, depending on the number of jumps triggered during the life cycle. Besides, both classes were split into two main sub-types, based on the level of the LJ that occurred. Multiple LJ thunderstorms produce more Level 2—related to severe weather—jumps than Level 1—small hail or intense precipitation—while in the case of a single LJ, the opposite behaviour occurs. In general, multiple LJ thunderstorms with at least one Level 2 jump are the more intense and have a higher vertical development. Finally, lineal and well-organised thunderstorms are the more common modes in those intenser cases. 
  • 384
  • 28 Jan 2022
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