We present a novel Overlapped Cloud Motion Vectors (OCMVs) deriving algorithm using the Himawari-8 satellite. A multi-layer Cloud Top Heights (CTHs) retrieving model based on multi-spectral observed radiances is constructed using neural networks to reduce the substantial uncertainty of CMVs over multi-layer clouds. The retrieved CTHs are assigned to upper ice and lower water cloud layers, then they are used as respective tracers for deriving OCMVs based on an optical flow algorithm. OCMVs reveal the asymmetric kinematic structure of Typhoon Mulan, particularly in the typhoon’s inner-core. The vortex center of lower water CMVs is significantly closer to the typhoon center than that of the upper ice CMVs. Additionally, the direction of CMVs in the lower inner-core show excellent agreement with dropsonde observations. This marks the first time that a geostationary satellite successfully captured the lower layer CMVs of typhoons, providing a valuable reference for the typhoon center identification.

A set of LSE observations from field experiments were conducted on 16-18 Oct 2013 along a south/north desert road in the Taklimakan Desert (TD), China. The observed LSEs (EOBS) are thus used in this study as the reference to evaluate the quality of Combined ASTER MODIS Emissivity over Land (CAMEL). Analysis of these data shows four main results. Firstly, the CAMEL appears to capture the spatial variations of LSE from the oasis to the hinterland of TD well, especially in the quartz reststrahlen band 8.1 mm, 8.6 mm and 9.1 mm. From site 1 at the south edge of the TD to site 10 at the north edge, the EOBS and the corresponding CAMEL in the quartz reststrahlen band firstly decrease and reach their minimum around sites 4-6 at the hinterland of the TD. Then the LSE increases gradually and finally gets their maximum at site 10 with clay ground surface, which is higher at the edges of the desert and lower in the center. Second, the CAMEL at 8.3 mm has a Zonal distribution characteristic of northeast-southwest strike. Third, the unrealistic variation of original EOBS can be filtered out with useful signals remaining by the first 6 principal components from PCA upon the laboratory measured hyperspectral emissivity spectra (ELAB). Fourth, the CAMEL correlates well with the measured LSE at the ten observation sites, with the EOBS slightly smaller than CAMEL in general.