LST validation station on the Plains in Gobabeb, Namibia

Panorama at GBB Plains

'GBB Plains' LST validation station was set up in September 2012 about 7 km north-east of Gobabeb Training & Research Centre in the Namib Desert, Namibia. Like 'GBB Wind' station, GBB Plains is located on large gravel plains (several thousand km2), which are covered by a highly homogeneous mixture of gravel, sand and sparse desiccated grass. However, GBB Plains has several advantages: it is located well in the middle of the gravel plains, there are fewer human activities, and it is at some distance from the Kuiseb River and the high dunes of the Namib sand sea. These features are also particularly important for up-welling broadband radiance measurements, which are performed in co-operation with the University of Basel as a contribution to the 'Baseline Surface Radiation Network' (BSRN).

Due to the hyper-arid desert climate, the site is spatially and temporally highly stable and, therefore, ideal for long-term validation of satellite products. The long-term average annual temperature at Gobabeb is 21.1°C whereas the average annual precipitation is less than 100 mm and highly variable. Therefore, fog is of special importance for the water balance of the Namib.

Geographical location and satellite view of the station

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