A Simplified Method To Estimate Atmospheric Water Vapor Using Modis Near-Infrared Data

Atmospheric water vapor plays a significant role in the study of climate change and hydrological cycle processes. In order to acquire the accurate distribution of atmospheric water vapor which is varying with time, location, and altitude, it is necessary to monitor it at high spatial and temporal resolution. Unfortunately, it is difficult to map the spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapor due to the lack of meteorological instrumentation at adequate spatial and temporal observation scales. This paper introduces a simplified method to retrieve Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) using the ratio of the apparent reflectance values of the 18th and 19th band of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Compared to the EOS PWV products of the same time and area, the PWV estimated using this simplified method is closer to the radiosonde results which is considered as the true PWV value. Results reveal that this simplified method is applicable over cloud-free atmospheric conditions of the mid-latitude regions.