Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Measurements of CO2 Fluxes at Non-Ideal Eddy Covariance Sites
Published on: June 24, 2019
Inter-comparison of thermal measurements using ground-based sensors, UAV thermal cameras, and eddy covariance
Alfonso Torres-Rua1, Hector Nieto2, Christopher Parry3
1Utah Water Research Laboratory.
Abstract:
With the increasing availability of thermal proximity sensors, UAV-borne cameras, and eddy covariance radiometers there may be an assumption that information produced by these sensors is interchangeable or compatible. This assumption is often held for estimation of agricultural parameters such as canopy and soil temperature, energy balance components, and evapotranspiration. Nevertheless, environmental conditions, calibration, and ground settings may affect the relationship between measurements from each of these thermal sensors. This work presents a comparison between proximity infrared radiometer (IRT) sensors, microbolometer thermal cameras used in UAVs, and thermal radiometers used in eddy covariance towers in an agricultural setting. The information was collected in the 2015 and 2016 irrigation seasons at a commercial vineyard located in California for the USDA Agricultural Research Service Grape Remote Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration Experiment (GRAPEX) Program. Information was captured at different times during diurnal cycles, and IRT and radiometer footprint areas were calculated for comparison with UAV thermal raster information. Issues such as sensor accuracy, the location of IRT sensors, diurnal temperature changes, and surface characterizations are presented.
Related Concept Videos
Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55...
Thermal Strain
Thermal Expansion
Thermal Stress
Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium
The concept of temperature has evolved from the common concepts of hot and cold. The scientific definition of temperature explains more than just our sense of hot and cold. Temperature is operationally defined as the quantity measured with a thermometer. Furthermore, temperature is...
Thermal Insulation in Masonry Walls
External insulation can be applied using an Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS), which involves affixing panels of plastic foam to the wall and covering them with a polymeric stucco reinforced with glass fiber mesh....

