Intercalibration of Polar-Orbiting Spectral Radiometers Without Simultaneous Observations

• Published in: IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 1507 - 1519
• Main Authors: Manninen, Terhikki, Riihela, Aku, Heidinger, Andrew, Schaaf, Crystal, Lattanzio, Alessio, Key, Jeffrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.03.2018; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Calibration; Climatic data; Imaging techniques; Instruments; Intercalibration; Meteorological satellites; Meteorology; Methods; Microwave imagery; MODIS; Polar orbiting satellites; Radiometers; Reflectance; remote sensing; Resolution; Satellite broadcasting; Satellite constellations; Satellite instruments; Satellite-borne instruments; Satellites; Spatial resolution; Spectroradiometers; Statistical analysis; statistics
• ISSN: 0196-2892; 1558-0644
• DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2017.2764627

A new intercalibration method for two polar-orbiting satellite instruments or two instrument constellations' Fundamental Climate Data Records (FCDRs) is presented. It is based on statistical fitting of reflectance data from the two instruments covering the same area during the same period, but not simultaneously. A Deming regression with iterative weights is used. The accuracy of the intercalibration method itself was better than 0.5% for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) versus MODIS and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) versus AVHRR test data sets. The intercalibration of an AVHRR FCDR generated by NOAA versus a combined MODIS Terra and Aqua data set of red and near-infrared (NIR) channels was carried out and showed a difference in the reflectance values of about 2% (red) and 6% (NIR). The presented intercalibration method can be used for checking the calibration of two instruments or FCDRs in all viewing angles used separately.