Atmospheric Remote Sensing with the Eos Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) experiment is an Instrument Investigation selected for flight aboard the first NASA Earth Observing System polar platform, Eos-A. The purpose of the MISR investigation is to study the effects of geophysical processes and human activities on the Earth’s ecology and climate. Scientific objectives include study of the climatic and environmental impacts of atmospheric aerosols, characterization of heterogeneous cloud fields and their impact on the shortwave radiation budget, and investigation of biosphere-atmosphere interactions and ecosystem change. A detailed understanding of the causes and effects of regional and global change will require long-term monitoring of the Earth system. MISR is a unique component of the Eos instrument suite in that it will systematically acquire multispectral images of the angular reflectance signatures of terrestrial scenes. Theoretical simulations, ground-based measurements, and remotely-sensed observations of aerosol-laden atmospheres, cloud fields, and vegetated landscapes demonstrate the necessity of multi-angle data for climatological and biogeophysical studies. While the spectral coverage and resolution of nadir-viewing imaging spectrometers provide invaluable information on chemical composition, the angular variation of reflectance furnishes the means of inferring physical quantities related to geometric and optical structure, radiative energy transfer, and biosphere-atmosphere mass exchange.