Obtaining of Environmental Parameters in the Semiarid Region of Paraíba by MODIS Data

Abstract The spatial and temporal behavior of the surface net radiation (Rn) has been studied on ecosystems of semi-arid regions of the world and few studies have been intended for semi-arid region of Brazil, specifically in the Caatinga ecosystem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use a methodology that does not require surface data to estimate the Rn in the semiarid region of Paraíba, from orbital MODIS data, and validate with data measured in experimental areas of Caatinga in recovery and degraded. Considering the results, it can be seen the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, and the same more precise in areas with the barest ground. According to the statistical analysis methodology showed a better quality of fit for the recovery area, with explained variance of 78% and a degraded area of 61%.