Satellite albedo measurement: a novel procedure

Under the current trend of increasing carbon emissions and global warming, innovative solutions have been studied and proposed for building application in order to increase the terrestrial albedo. Also the management of surface albedo by modification of the land cover type or use has been investigated. High-Albedo Solutions (HAS) represent a promising pathway to increase the terrestrial albedo and so to counteract global warming. The relationship between albedo increase and CO2 compensation has conventionally expressed by the radiative forcing (RF) concept. Under this framework, a novel approach, called RF-meter, has been presented by the Authors. The method allows to better estimate the effects of HAS on CO2 offset, promoting HAS as a potential strategy to get emission credits. The present approach conveniently investigates the in continuo RFa (RF due to an albedo change) time horizon by ground measurements, astronomical equations and satellite measures. A high-albedo surface of 900 m2 was designed and installed at University of Perugia, to test the RF meter procedure. The experimental field is equipped by an albedometer to perform ground measurements, a weather station and a Calculus Unit, based on field point system to calculate the RF time history and the CO2 offset. Sentinel-2 with a high spatial resolution of 10 m and an approximate 5-day revisit time is chosen for satellite measurements. The satellite measurements are used to calibrate the ground measurements by introducing a calibration constant, ensuring the methodology proposed is reliable. Preliminary results of the calibration method applied to the experimental field are here presented.