Variations in the brightness and color of our planet, as observed by EPIC
Abstract
In contrast to low orbit and geostationary satellites, the EPIC instrument on board the DSCOVR satellite provides multispectral images of the sunlit side of the Earth every hour or two. The spectral observations reveal a strong daily cycle and seasonal variations in the average brightness of the planet, especially at longer wavelengths. By combining EPIC observations taken at different wavelengths, this study examines the way the brightness and the color of our planet has varied since the launch of the DSCOVR satellite in mid-2015. Special attention has been paid to the daily and monthly variability of the EPIC observations. In order to understand the observed variability, the study also analyzes the influence of factors such as variations in the size of land, ocean, and ice-covered areas facing the sun or variations in cloud cover.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.A23D0259Y
- Keywords:
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- 0321 Cloud/radiation interaction;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 3311 Clouds and aerosols;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 3359 Radiative processes;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 3360 Remote sensing;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES