Microwave surface emittance retrieval using coincident microwave and infrared satellite data

Two methods are used to calculate microwave surface emittance using the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) data and the GOES Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) data. The first method calculates an effective surface emittance using only the microwave and infrared brightness temperatures and uses the infrared data as a near-blackbody temperature reference. This method does not account for atmospheric attenuation in the infrared or microwave frequencies. A second more rigorous method includes an atmospheric correction for water vapor attenuation. Comparisons are made between the methods followed by a discussion of the practical implications of the results