Evaluation of Fengyun-4A Detection Accuracy: A Case Study of the Land Surface Temperature Product for Hunan Province, Central China

Abstract

Land surface temperature (LST) is an important parameter in determining surface energy balance and a fundamental variable detected by the advanced geostationary radiation imager (AGRI), the main payload of FY-4A. FY-4A is the first of a new generation of Chinese geostationary satellites, and the detection product of the satellite has not been extensively validated. Therefore, it is important to conduct a comprehensive assessment of this product. In this study, the performance of the FY-4A LST product in the Hunan Province was authenticity tested with in situ measurements, triple collocation analyzed with reanalysis products, and impact analyzed with environmental factors. The results confirm that FY-4A captures LST well (R = 0.893, Rho = 0.915), but there is a general underestimation (Bias = −0.6295 °C) and relatively high random error (RMSE = 8.588 °C, ubRMSE = 5.842 °C). In terms of accuracy, FY-4A LST is more accurate for central-eastern, northern, and south-central Hunan Province and less accurate for western and southern mountainous areas and Dongting Lake. FY-4A LST is not as accurate as Himawari-8 LST; its accuracy also varies seasonally and between day and night. The accuracy of FY-4A LST decreases as elevation, in situ measured LST, surface heterogeneity, topographic relief, slope, or NDVI increase and as soil moisture decreases. FY-4A LST is also more accurate when the land cover is cultivated land or artificial surfaces or when the landform is a platform for other land covers and landforms. The conclusions drawn from the comprehensive analysis of the large quantity of data are generalizable and provide a quantitative baseline for assessing the detection capability of the FY-4A satellite, a reference for determining improvement in the retrieval algorithm, and a foundation for the development and application of future domestic satellite products.