Measurements of short-wave broadband albedo were collected using Kipp & Zonen CMP6 and CMP3 pyranometers. The incoming global short-wave radiation was measured by the CMP6, mounted at the top of a 9m (29’) telescopic mast and recorded by a Kipp & Zonen METEON data logger.

The downward facing CMP3 was secured to the underside of a custom-made UAV, levelled by a motorized gimble, and the data recorded by another METEON.

The mast holding the upward-facing CMP6 pyranometer was placed at the take-off location, approximately 200m (656’) from the final measurement point of the downward-facing CMP3, held by the drone at 120m (393’) above the ground. Albedo was calculated as the ratio between the thirty-second averages of the incoming and reflected radiation measurements by the two pyranometers.

The location was a research site in the State University of New York’s Heiberg Memorial Forest, near the town of Tully. The drone made several flights on 27th July 2016 of approximately twelve minutes in duration, combined. Five flights, spaced around solar noon (13:11), saw the drone at the assigned latitude and longitude and at the assigned height of 120m (393’).

Observations having interfering cloud cover, based both on local observation and on total incoming solar radiation values being below the selected threshold of 750W/m2, were removed.

Project - Novel Estimation of Albedo Using a Drone Pyranometer

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