Global Monthly Land Surface Emissivity Uncertainty Climatology at 5km Resolution

NASA's CAMEL data suite provides a monthly global uncertainty climatology for land surface emissivity at 0.05-degree resolution. The dataset averages 19 years of data from 2003 through 2021, quantifying three independent components of variability. It was produced by the LPCLOUD organization under NASA's MEaSUREs program.

Use Cases

• Quantify algorithm uncertainty for each of the 13 spectral hinge-point emissivity values to assess sensor-derived product reliability.
• Analyze spatial uncertainty per latitude-longitude point to identify regions with higher variability in emissivity measurements.
• Model temporal uncertainty averaged for each month to understand seasonal patterns in measurement stability from 2003-2021.
• Use the total uncertainty variable, combined with its quality flag, to filter data for downstream land surface temperature retrieval algorithms.
• Compare the three independent uncertainty components (algorithm, spatial, temporal) to diagnose the dominant source of error in specific geographic areas.

Strengths

• 19-year temporal coverage from 2003 through 2021 provides a long-term climatological baseline.
• Product distinguishes three concrete uncertainty components: algorithm, spatial, and temporal.
• Global coverage at a consistent 0.05-degree (~5 km) spatial resolution.

Limitations

• Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting assessment of data density.
• Data is a monthly climatology average, not raw instantaneous observations, which may smooth out extreme events.
• The dataset's last update was in 2021, so it does not include recent years.

Provenance

Source

NASA MEaSUREs program, produced by LPCLOUD.

Collection Method

Combined analysis of ASTER and MODIS satellite sensor data, with methodology detailed in a User Guide and Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD).

Time Range

2003 through 2021.

Freshness

Climatology period ended in 2021; update frequency is not specified.

Geography

Global land coverage.