A new approach to improve precipitable water vapour estimations of Sentinel-3A satellite data using LST, elevation and NDVI over Iran

ABSTRACT The total precipitable water vapour (TPW) extraction algorithm using the Sentinel-3A Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) has the potential to be improved on a regional scale. The aim of this study was to improve the TPW extraction algorithm of OLCI for the first time using environmental variables, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), land surface temperature (LST), and elevation from mean sea level, on a regional scale over Iran. A previously developed TPW recovery algorithm was applied to the OLCI data during cloud-free days throughout a one-year period (1 January–29 December 2020). The artificial neural network (ANN) methodology was utilized in eight models. The evaluation results revealed the effectiveness of the models varied based on the topography and climate of each station. The assessment findings demonstrated that model 2, which integrated LST, elevation, and NDVI data in the ANN framework, outperformed other models across the study area.