Language: English
Published on: 2004-01
Hardcover
This thesis describes the use of sea surface thermal information from the AVHRR on the TIROS-N/NOAA series of polar orbiting meteorological satellites for oceanographic applications and some methodology for image processing required in this study.
Chapter1 presents a literature review of the determination of sea surface temperatures from AVHRR thermal infrared data. The sea surface temperatures derived from the satellite data are of particular interest because they are available four times a day. Attention is given to the use of thermal information on oceanographic applications.
Chapter2 describes the nature of the geometrical errors encountered in AVHRR images with emphasis on the development of an automatic procedure for the rectification and registration of images. Results are presented of the procedure which provides sub-pixel accuracy for the rectification of AVHRR images.
Chaptert3 gives attention to the contamination of the sea surface temperature by cloud, the radiative properties of cloud, land and sea in the AVHRR visible and thermal infrared channels, with emphasis on cloud detection techniques. Results are presented of the automatic detection procedure over the oceans during day and night.
Chapter4 provides the results of thermal observations of the outflow plume of the River Shannon on the mid-west coast of Ireland. The plume has been found to be a variable phenomenon mainly affected by the river discharge and local wind stress. Its surface extent on the coast has been estimated.
Chapter5 presents the results of satellite and field observations of the Irish Shelf front off the west coast of Ireland. The combined satellite data and field measurements give a three-dimensional view of the front.
Chaptert6 shows how it is possible to estimate sea surface velocity vectors from a time sequence of thermal infrared images, with particular emphasis on the development of an automatic procedure for estimating velocity vectors. Results, in good agreement both in magnitude and direction of sea surface current between image estimation and sea measurements, are presented.
Chapter7 presents general conclusions. The limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions are given for future work.
1.Background
(1)Introduction
(2)TIROS-N/NOAA satellites
(3)The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
(4)Determination of sea surface temperature
(5)SST applications in oceanography
(6)Objectives
2.Automatic Registration and Rectification
(1)Introduction
(2)Sources of geometric distortion
(3)An automated registration and rectification procedure
(4)Spatial interpolation
(5)Results
(6)Conclusions
3.Cloud Detection over Oceans
(1)Introduction
(2)Effect of cloud on SST
(3)Radiative properties of cloud, land and sea at the AVHRR visible and thermal infrared channels
(4)Methods for detecting cloudy pixels
(5)Automated cloud detection procedure
(6)Results
(7)Conclusions
4.Satellite Thermal Observations of the River Shannon Plume
(1)Introduction
(2)Background
(3)Data and methods
(4)Observations of the Plume
(5)Discussion and conclusions
5.Satellite and Field Observations of the Irish Shelf Front
(1)Introduction
(2)Background
(3)Data and methods
(4)Observations
(5)Frontal instabilities
(6)Discussions and conclusions
6.Sea Surface Current Determination with Thermal Infrared Imagery
(1)Introduction
(2)Principles of velocity vector estimation
(3)Procedure for velocity vector estimation
(4)Results
(5)Conclusions
7.Conclusions and Suggestions
