NOAA Polar‐Orbiting Satellite APT Data in Lake Evaporation Estimation

Abstract

Water surface temperatures of Lake Okeechobee are measured using automatic picture transmission (APT) thermal infrared data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) polar‐orbit satellite advanced very high resolution radiometers (AVHRR). The cloud‐free APT thermal infrared data are acquired during the months of May and December, 1989. The spatial temperature variation of Lake Okeechobee is investigated. The correlation of pan evaporation with water surface temperature and solar radiation is studied. A regression model of evaporation based on satellite‐derived water temperature, ground‐measured water temperature, and solar radiation is developed. The results indicate that pan evaporation is highly correlated with the temperature and solar radiation, and that the satellite‐derived lake temperatures have a better correlation