Infrared Emissivity of the Sahara from Tiros Data

Abstract
Most rocks, minerals, and sands show strong infrared reflection bands. In the atmospheric window (8 to 12µ), quartz and feldspar show an emissivity near 0.8, calcite near 1.0. These laboratory data are confirmed from observations during a Tiros flight over the Libyan desert. The Mediterranean Sea was used for calibration. Desert emissivity is between 0.7 and 0.9