Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is being used to continue the record of Earth Science observations and data products produced routinely from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements. However, the abs...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: A. M. Sayer, N. C. Hsu, C. Bettenhausen, R. E. Holz, J. Lee, G. Quinn, P. Veglio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2017-04-01
Series:Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Online Access:http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1425/2017/amt-10-1425-2017.pdf
id doaj-b9269e7a472740d2a73271fed9fdab8c
record_format Article
spelling doaj-b9269e7a472740d2a73271fed9fdab8c2020-11-24T23:44:54ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482017-04-011041425144410.5194/amt-10-1425-2017Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenesA. M. Sayer0N. C. Hsu1C. Bettenhausen2R. E. Holz3J. Lee4G. Quinn5P. Veglio6Goddard Earth Sciences Technology And Research (GESTAR), Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Columbia, MD, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USASpace Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USASpace Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USASpace Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USAThe Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is being used to continue the record of Earth Science observations and data products produced routinely from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements. However, the absolute calibration of VIIRS's reflected solar bands is thought to be biased, leading to offsets in derived data products such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) as compared to when similar algorithms are applied to different sensors. This study presents a cross-calibration of these VIIRS bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes, finding corrections to the NASA VIIRS Level 1 (version 2) reflectances between approximately +1 and −7 % (dependent on band) are needed to bring the two into alignment (after accounting for expected differences resulting from different band spectral response functions), and indications of relative trending of up to  ∼  0.35 % per year in some bands. The derived calibration gain corrections are also applied to the VIIRS reflectance and then used in an AOD retrieval, and they are shown to decrease the bias and total error in AOD across the mid-visible spectral region compared to the standard VIIRS NASA reflectance calibration. The resulting AOD bias characteristics are similar to those of NASA MODIS AOD data products, which is encouraging in terms of multi-sensor data continuity.http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1425/2017/amt-10-1425-2017.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author A. M. Sayer
N. C. Hsu
C. Bettenhausen
R. E. Holz
J. Lee
G. Quinn
P. Veglio
spellingShingle A. M. Sayer
N. C. Hsu
C. Bettenhausen
R. E. Holz
J. Lee
G. Quinn
P. Veglio
Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
author_facet A. M. Sayer
N. C. Hsu
C. Bettenhausen
R. E. Holz
J. Lee
G. Quinn
P. Veglio
author_sort A. M. Sayer
title Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes
title_short Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes
title_full Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes
title_fullStr Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes
title_full_unstemmed Cross-calibration of S-NPP VIIRS moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes
title_sort cross-calibration of s-npp viirs moderate-resolution reflective solar bands against modis aqua over dark water scenes
publisher Copernicus Publications
series Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
issn 1867-1381
1867-8548
publishDate 2017-04-01
description The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is being used to continue the record of Earth Science observations and data products produced routinely from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements. However, the absolute calibration of VIIRS's reflected solar bands is thought to be biased, leading to offsets in derived data products such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) as compared to when similar algorithms are applied to different sensors. This study presents a cross-calibration of these VIIRS bands against MODIS Aqua over dark water scenes, finding corrections to the NASA VIIRS Level 1 (version 2) reflectances between approximately +1 and −7 % (dependent on band) are needed to bring the two into alignment (after accounting for expected differences resulting from different band spectral response functions), and indications of relative trending of up to  ∼  0.35 % per year in some bands. The derived calibration gain corrections are also applied to the VIIRS reflectance and then used in an AOD retrieval, and they are shown to decrease the bias and total error in AOD across the mid-visible spectral region compared to the standard VIIRS NASA reflectance calibration. The resulting AOD bias characteristics are similar to those of NASA MODIS AOD data products, which is encouraging in terms of multi-sensor data continuity.
url http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1425/2017/amt-10-1425-2017.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT amsayer crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
AT nchsu crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
AT cbettenhausen crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
AT reholz crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
AT jlee crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
AT gquinn crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
AT pveglio crosscalibrationofsnppviirsmoderateresolutionreflectivesolarbandsagainstmodisaquaoverdarkwaterscenes
_version_ 1725498074227277824