Vicarious calibration of GLI by ground observation data

We conducted vicarious calibration of the Global Imager (GLI) in visible to near-infrared channels over different targets. For calibration over the ocean, we used the normalized water-leaving radiance derived from the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) and the aerosol optical properties (aerosol optical depth, size distribution, and refractive index) obtained through the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). For calibration over land, we used the ground-based measurement data at Railroad Valley Playa. The following GLI characteristics are recognized from the calibration results. First, GLI underestimates the radiance in channels 1, 2, 4, and 5. Next, in the near-infrared channels, there is good agreement between the observed and simulated radiance over bright targets. On the other hand, it is suggested that the GLI overestimates the radiance over dark targets (e.g., on the order of 15% at 4.0 W/m/sup 2///spl mu/m/sr in channels 18 and 19). Furthermore, we evaluated these calibration results over different targets taking into account the difference in the target radiance and in the accuracy between the two results. This combined evaluation of vicarious calibration results suggests the possibility that the GLI-observed radiance has offset radiance versus the simulated radiance.     

Comparing the ocean color measurements between MOS and SeaWiFS: avicarious intercalibration approach for MOS

The Modular Optoelectronic Scanner (MOS) was launched in the spring of 1996 on the Indian IRS-P3 satellite. With the successful launch of NASA's Sea-viewing Wide Field of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) in the summer of 1997, there are now two ocean color missions in concurrent operation, and there is interest to compare data from these two sensors. In this paper, we describe our efforts to retrieve ocean-optical properties from both SeaWiFS and MOS using consistent methods. We first briefly review the atmospheric correction, which removes more than 90% of the observed radiances in the visible, and then we describe how the atmospheric-correction algorithm used for the SeaWiFS data can be modified for application to other ocean color sensors. Next, since the retrieved water-leaving radiances in the visible between MOS and SeaWiFS are significantly different, we developed a vicarious intercalibration method to recalibrate the MOS spectral bands based on the optical properties of the ocean and atmosphere derived from the coincident SeaWiFS measurements. Furthermore, because of the strange calibration behavior of the MOS 750 nm band, we modified the atmospheric correction such that the MOS 685 and 868 nm bands can also be used. We present and discuss the MOS-retrieved, ocean-optical properties before and after the vicarious calibration using both the MOS 685 and 750 nm coupled with 868 nm bands in comparison with results from SeaWiFS and demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. We show that it is possible and efficient to vicariously intercalibrate sensors between one and another     

Evaluation and Comparison of the IRS-P6 and the Landsat Sensors

The Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-P6), also called ResourceSat-1, was launched in a polar sun-synchronous orbit on October 17, 2003. It carries three sensors: the high-resolution Linear Imaging Self-Scanner (LISS-IV), the medium-resolution Linear Imaging Self-Scanner (LISS-III), and the Advanced Wide-Field Sensor (AWiFS). These three sensors provide images of different resolutions and coverage. To understand the absolute radiometric calibration accuracy of IRS-P6 AWiFS and LISS-III sensors, image pairs from these sensors were compared to images from the Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat-7 Enhanced TM Plus (ETM+) sensors. The approach involves calibration of surface observations based on image statistics from areas observed nearly simultaneously by the two sensors. This paper also evaluated the viability of data from these next-generation imagers for use in creating three National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) products: land cover, percent tree canopy, and percent impervious surface. Individual products were consistent with previous studies but had slightly lower overall accuracies as compared to data from the Landsat sensors.     

场地自动化定标技术进展

场地自动化替代定标是光学遥感卫星定标发展的新方向。自动化定标通过在场地布设无人值守的全自动观测仪器获取地面和大气光学参数,实施对卫星遥感器的高频次定标,从而提升定标精度。论文分析了自动化定标的方法和技术发展现状,针对自动定标的应用需求,提出了自动化定标设备的设计方案和关键技术,讨论了自动化定标的未来发展前景。     

Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-7 ETM+ absolute radiometric calibration using the reflectance-based method

The reflectance-based method of vicarious calibration has been used for the absolute radiometric calibration of the Landsat series of sensors since the launch of Landsat-4. The reflectance-based method relies on ground-based measurements of the surface reflectance and atmospheric conditions at a selected test site nearly coincident with the imaging of that site by the sensor of interest. The results of this approach are presented here for Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). The data have been collected by two groups, one from the University of Arizona and the other from South Dakota State University. The test sites used by the University of Arizona group for this work are the Railroad Valley Playa, Lunar Lake Playa, and Roach Lake Playa all of which are in Nevada, Ivanpah Playa in California, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The test site for the South Dakota State group is a grass site in Brookings, SD. The gains derived from dates using these sites spanning the period from 1984 to 2003 are presented for TM and for the period of 1999 to 2003 for ETM+. Differences between the two groups are less than the combined uncertainties of the methods, and the data are thus treated as a single dataset. The results of these vicarious data indicate that there has been no degradation apparent in TM since 1995 and in ETM+ since launch. Agreement between the reflectance-based results and the preflight calibration of ETM+ is better than 4% in all bands, and the standard deviation of the average difference indicates a precision of the reflectance-based method on the order of 3%.     

Landsat-7 ETM+ on-orbit reflective-band radiometric stability and absolute calibration

Launched in April 1999, the Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument is in its sixth year of operation. The ETM+ instrument has been the most stable of any of the Landsat instruments. To date, the best onboard calibration source for the reflective bands has been the Full Aperture Solar Calibrator, a solar-diffuser-based system, which has indicated changes of between 1% to 2% per year in the ETM+ gain for bands 1-4 and 8 and less than 0.5%/year for bands 5 and 7. However, most of this change is believed to be caused by changes in the solar diffuser panel, as opposed to a change in the instrument's gain. This belief is based partially on vicarious calibrations and observations of "invariant sites", hyperarid sites of the Sahara and Arabia. Weighted average slopes determined from these datasets suggest changes of 0.0% to 0.4% per year for bands 1-4 and 8 and 0.4% to 0.5% per year for bands 5 and 7. Absolute calibration of the reflective bands of the ETM+ is consistent with vicarious observations and other sensors generally at the 5% level, though there appear to be some systematic differences.     

超连续谱激光-单色仪在偏振遥感器定标中的影响因素分析

偏振遥感器的相对光谱响应度和带内光谱响应非一致性是遥感器实验室定标的基本参数。文中利用新型的超连续谱激光作为单色仪的前置照明光源,搭建了一套基于超连续谱激光-单色仪的细分光谱扫描定标装置,可用于偏振遥感器的相对光谱响应度定标。实验中以490 、670、910 nm三个偏振通道作为例,分别在单色仪直接输出光和单色光导入积分球两种状态下,得到通道式偏振遥感器的相对光谱响应度结果,并对两种状态下定标光源的偏振特性进行了测量。实验结果表明,单色仪直接输出光模式下,光源存在明显的偏振度和偏振方位角变化,三个偏振通道的带内光谱响应非一致性分别为0.91%、4.25%和1.06%;而在单色光导入积分球后,光源的偏振度明显降低,此时带内光谱响应非一致性结果分别为0.15%、0.47%和0.57%,说明消偏后的光源能有效适用偏振遥感器的光谱响应度定标,基于超连续谱激光-单色仪的系统级定标装置在偏振遥感器的定标中具有广泛应用前景。     

ASTER preflight and inflight calibration and the validation ofLevel 2 products

Describes the preflight and inflight calibration approaches used for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). The system is a multispectral, high-spatial resolution sensor on the Earth Observing System's EOS-AM1 platform. Preflight calibration of ASTER uses well-characterized sources to provide calibration and preflight round-robin exercises to understand biases between the calibration sources of ASTER and other EOS sensors. These round-robins rely on well-characterized, ultra-stable radiometers. An experiment field in Yokohama, Japan, showed that the output from the source used for the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) subsystem of ASTER may be underestimated by 1.5%, but this is still within the 4% specification for the absolute, radiometric calibration of these bands. Inflight calibration will rely on vicarious techniques and onboard blackbodies and lamps. Vicarious techniques include ground-reference methods using desert and water sites. A recent joint field campaign gives confidence that these methods currently provide absolute calibration to better than 5%, and indications are that uncertainties less than the required 4% should be achievable at launch. The EOS-AM1 platform will also provide a spacecraft maneuver that will allow ASTER to see the Moon, allowing further characterization of the sensor. A method for combining the results of these independent calibration results is presented. The paper also describes the plans for validating the Level 2 data products from ASTER. These plans rely heavily upon field campaigns using methods similar to those used for the ground-reference, vicarious calibration methods     

场地自动化观测辐射计的设计与实现

为了解决场地替代定标中人工测量地表反射率的不足,提高定标频次,获取大量连续的观测数据,研制了场地自动化观测辐射计,该辐射计共8个通道,覆盖可见及近红外波段,光谱带宽20~40 nm,通过北斗卫星实现远程数据传输,可以实现无人职守下的自动观测和数据回传。文中对该仪器的工作原理、各单元的设计和特点进行了描述,并给出了辐射计的室内辐射定标方法和结果,最后介绍了辐射计在敦煌辐射校正场的实验情况。     

利用大洋浮标数据和NCEP再分析资料对FY-2C红外分裂窗通道的绝对辐射定标

介绍利用大洋浮标数据和NCEP再分析资料对FY-2C红外分裂窗通道进行在轨绝对辐射定标的方法,并选择了2006年10个时次的卫星数据进行辐射定标试验.将利用这种方法获得的定标结果与FY-2C卫星数据产品中提供的定标查找表进行比较分析,结果表明两套不同的定标系数反演的大气层顶(TOA)亮度温度的主要差别集中在云顶、冰雪覆盖区域等低温像元;而在常温区的陆表和海表像元定标结果差别较小,反演的TOA亮温差在2K左右.提出的替代定标方法可以极大地提高定标频次,为实现FY-2C红外分裂窗通道的实时绝对辐射定标提供了重要的方法基础.     

一种卫星遥感仪器热红外通道在轨绝对辐射定标新方法

利用青海湖水文自动观测浮标系统测得的水表温度和NCEP再分析资料的探空数据对HY-1／COCTS热红外通道进行在轨绝对辐射定标．该方法定标结果与常规场地试验定标结果一致，可以实现对卫星热红外通道的在轨连续场地绝对辐射定标．     

Advanced vegetation indices optimized for up-coming sensors: Design, performance, and applications

This paper describes the implementation of a physical and mathematical approach to designing advanced vegetation indices optimized for future sensors operating in the solar domain such as the medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS), the global imager (GLI), and the VEGETATION instrument, and proposes an initial evaluation of such indices. These optimized indices address sensor-specific issues such as dependencies with respect to the actual spectral response of the sensor as well as the natural sensitivity of remote sensing measurements to illumination and observing geometry, to atmospheric absorption and scattering effects, and to soil color or brightness changes. The derivation of vegetation index formulae optimized to estimate the same vegetation property fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) from data generated by different sensors allows the comparison of their relative performances compared with existing vegetation indices, both from a theoretical and experimental point of view and permits the creation of global products, as well as the constitution of long time series from multiple sensors.     

Hybrid Sensor Calibration Scheme for Mobile Crowdsensing–Based City‐Scale Environmental Measurements

In this paper, we propose a hybrid sensor calibration scheme for mobile crowdsensing applications. As the number of newly produced mobile devices containing embedded sensors continues to rise, the potential to use mobile devices as a sensor data source increases. However, because mobile device sensors are generally of a lower performance and cost than dedicated sensors, sensor calibration is crucial. To enable more accurate measurements of natural phenomena through the use of mobile device sensors, we propose a hybrid sensor calibration scheme for such sensors; the scheme makes use of mobile device sensors and existing sensing infrastructure, such as weather stations, to obtain dense data. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme supports low mean square errors. As a practical application of our proposed scheme, we built a temperature map of a city using six mobile phone sensors and six reference sensors. Thanks to the mobility of the sensors and the proposed scheme, our map presents more detailed information than infrastructure‐based measurements.     

Potential of Getis statistics to characterize the radiometric uniformity and stability of test sites used for the calibration of Earth observation sensors

The calibration of airborne and satellite remote sensing sensors is a fundamental step for the rigorous validation of products derived from satellite data. Because of the inaccessibility of Earth Observation Satellites on orbit, the direct calibration method based on a test site with ground reference data is often considered necessary. However, the problem of radiometric spatial uniformity and temporal stability of test sites constitutes an important issue in the accuracy achieved in calibration operations and the long-term characterization of satellite sensor radiometry. Generally, the coefficient of variation and semivariograms are the most widely used tools for evaluating the radiometric uniformity and stability of a calibration site. In this study, we analyze for the first time the potential of Getis statistics compared to the coefficient of variation for the study of the radiometric spatial uniformity and temporal stability of the Lunar Lake Playa, Nevada (LLPN) test site. The results obtained show the potential and the importance of the synergy generated by these two methods for analyzing the radiometric temporal stability of the LLPN site. Getis statistics provide an excellent spatial analysis of the site while the coefficient of variation provides complementary information on the temporal evolution of the site.     

Vicarious calibration experiment in support of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

On June 11, 2000, the first vicarious calibration experiment in support of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) was conducted. The purpose of this experiment was to acquire in situ measurements of surface and atmospheric conditions over a bright, uniform area. These data were then used to compute top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiances, which were correlated with the camera digital number output, to determine the in-flight radiometric response of the on-orbit sensor. The Lunar Lake Playa, Nevada, was the primary target instrumented by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for this experiment. The airborne MISR simulator (AirMISR) on board a NASA ER-2 acquired simultaneous observations over Lunar Lake. The in situ estimations of top-of-atmosphere radiances and AirMISR measurements at a 20-km altitude were in good agreement with each other and differed by 9% from MISR measurements. The difference has been corrected by adjusting the gain coefficients used in MISR standard product generation. Data acquired simultaneously by other sensors, such as Landsat, the Terra Moderate-Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS), and the Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), were used to validate this correction. Because of this experiment, MISR radiances are 9% higher than the values based on the on-board calibration. Semiannual field campaigns are planned for the future in order to detect any systematic trends in sensor calibration.     

Cross calibration of the Landsat-7 ETM+ and EO-1 ALI sensor

As part of the Earth Observer 1 (EO-1) Mission, the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) demonstrates a potential technological direction for Landsat Data Continuity Missions. To evaluate ALI's capabilities in this role, a cross-calibration methodology has been developed using image pairs from the Landsat-7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and EO-1 (ALI) to verify the radiometric calibration of ALI with respect to the well-calibrated L7 ETM+ sensor. Results have been obtained using two different approaches. The first approach involves calibration of nearly simultaneous surface observations based on image statistics from areas observed simultaneously by the two sensors. The second approach uses vicarious calibration techniques to compare the predicted top-of-atmosphere radiance derived from ground reference data collected during the overpass to the measured radiance obtained from the sensor. The results indicate that the relative sensor chip assemblies gains agree with the ETM+ visible and near-infrared bands to within 2% and the shortwave infrared bands to within 4%.     

Prelaunch calibrations of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant EnergySystem (CERES) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and Earth ObservingSystem morning (EOS-AM1) spacecraft thermistor bolometer sensors

The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) spacecraft scanning thermistor bolometer sensors measure Earth radiances in the broadband shortwave solar (0.3-5.0 μm) and total (0.3->100 μm) spectral bands as well as in the 8-12-μm water vapor window spectral band. On November 27, 1997, the launch of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft placed the first set of CERES sensors into orbit, and 30 days later, the sensors initiated operational measurements of the Earth radiance fields. In 1998, the Earth Observing System morning (EOS-AM1) spacecraft will place the second and third sensor sets into orbit. The prelaunch CERES sensors' count conversion coefficients (gains and zero-radiance offsets) were determined in vacuum ground facilities. The gains were tied radiometrically to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90). The gain determinations included the spectral properties (reflectance, transmittance, emittance, etc.) of both the sources and sensors as well as the in-field-of-view (FOV) and out-of-FOV sensor responses. The resulting prelaunch coefficients for the TRMM and EOS-AM1 sensors are presented. Inflight calibration systems and on-orbit calibration approaches are described, which are being used to determine the temporal stabilities of the sensors' gains and offsets from prelaunch calibrations through on-orbit measurements. Analyses of the TRMM prelaunch and on-orbit calibration results indicate that the sensors have retained their ties to ITS-90 at accuracy levels better than ±0.3% between the 1995 prelaunch and 1997 on-orbit calibrations     

Inflight straylight analysis for ASTER thermal infrared bands

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument was launched into Earth orbit on the Terra platform in late 1999. ASTER produces images of the Earth in 14 spectral bands including five bands in the thermal infrared (TIR) part of the electromagnetic spectrum (8-12 /spl mu/m). On one occasion ASTER was used to image the Moon as part of the long-term calibration strategy for instruments on the Terra platform. Analysis of the imagery revealed that the TIR band had noticeable straylight effects (ghosting), and an algorithm was developed to correct for these effects. The algorithm was applied to ASTER/TIR images acquired over a vicarious calibration (VC) site at Cold Springs Reservoir (CSR), NV. Data from CSR had been evaluated in three previous VC experiments and showed large unexplained differences between the ASTER image radiance and vicarious predicted radiance not observed in other larger, more laterally homogenous sites. After straylight correction the vicarious and image radiances were in good agreement. A further comparison with nearly simultaneous airborne TIR data acquired with the MODIS/ASTER (MASTER) sensor indicated that the ASTER straylight corrected data also agreed with the airborne data. Finally, the algorithm was applied to artificially created models. The results indicated that a radiance change caused by straylight reached 6% to 8% of a radiance contrast for a smaller square target than 10/spl times/10 pixels or a narrower line target than five pixels. Straylight in ASTER/TIR imagery may not be very large for most targets, but may become an error factor for high-radiance-contrast targets.     

基于实时校准技术的光纤光栅传感解调系统

报道了一种采用实时校准技术的数字化光纤光栅传感解调方案。解调系统利用锯齿波电压信号和数字相位同步信号控制可调谐光纤法布里一珀罗(TFFP)滤波器，对光纤光栅传感器阵列进行扫描式寻址，同时采用非测量环境中的参考光栅和数字温度计提供精确的参考波长，并由高速数字信号处理器(DSP)实时校准滤波器的波长读取值，很好地消除了滤波器渊谐的温度漂移、非线性和蠕动性引起的测量误差。结果表明，实验系统的波长寻址范围为1520～1570nm，扫描频率为100Hz，波长测量分辨率为5pm，应变测量分辨率为4．13με。     

Calibration of WindSat polarimetric channels with a vicarious cold reference

Absolute calibration of WindSat's third and fourth Stokes brightness temperatures (T/sub 3/ and T/sub 4/) is needed at the tenth of Kelvin level in order to adequately resolve their dependence on wind direction. Previous aircraft based fully polarimetric microwave radiometers have generally relied on "circle flights", during which a single area of the ocean is observed at all azimuth angles, to estimate residual biases in the calibration of its polarimetric channels. WindSat, the first spaceborne fully polarimetric microwave radiometer, operates in low Earth orbit and thus cannot execute this traditional calibration technique. A new method is presented to estimate the residual biases that are present in WindSat's T/sub 3/ and T/sub 4/ estimates. The method uses a vicarious cold reference brightness temperature applied to measurements made by WindSat at /spl plusmn/45/spl deg/ slant linear (T/sub P/ and T/sub M/) and left- and right-hand circular (T/sub L/ and T/sub R/) polarization. WindSat derives the third and fourth Stokes brightness temperatures by the differences T/sub P/-T/sub M/ and T/sub L/-T/sub R/, respectively. The method is demonstrated by applying it to the 10.7-GHz WindSat observations. Calibration biases of 0.2-0.6 K are determined with a precision of 0.04 K.