SATELLITE THERMAL INFRARED DATA APPLICATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL METEOROLOGY

Thermal IR data is available from meteorological satellites (as METEOSAT and NOAAA-VHRR). The derived surface temperatures are biefly discussed (calibration, atmospheric corrections), before a review of possible applications (regional topoclimate mapping, frost characterization, crop water stress assessment on a regional level). This last point is detailed, in terms of computation of actuel evapotranspiration ET. Examples are given for drought episodes in France and Algeria, where thermal IR from NOAA-AVHRR is used in parallel with the NDVI classical vegetation index derived from channels 1 and 2 to assess the extension and severity of water shortage on cultivated crops.