Calibration of the Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Instrument (GMI) Based on a Digital Calibration Field Network

Abstract

The Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Instrument (GMI), carried by Gaofen 5 (GF5-01), and the Hyperspectral Observation Satellite (GF5-02) were successfully launched on 9 May 2018, and September 7, 2021, respectively, and are the only passive greenhouse gas payloads in China that can regularly obtain effective detection data in-orbit at this stage. Before launch, the research team carried out much laboratory calibration work and designed an on-board calibration system based on solar radiation sources which guarantees the quantitative accuracy of the payload data to the greatest extent. In order to more effectively meet the high frequency calibration requirements over the whole life cycle of the payload, the research team carried out research using the on-track site calibration method based on digital calibration field network technology, and the obtained calibration coefficient effectively complements the laboratory and on-board calibration results. The working principle of the GMI is quite different from that of a traditional imaging payload. Spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS) is used to detect the absorption spectrum of greenhouse gases, has a large field of view and is non-imaging and hyperspectral. The existing fixed-site alternative calibration methods cannot fully meet the requirements of calibration tasks. In this paper, we propose a set of global digital calibration radiation field screening criteria that can meet the characteristics of the GMI and design a method to calculate the site calibration coefficients of non-absorption spectral channels according to the characteristics of hyperspectral data. Based on the historical observation data of the GMI, the initial calibration calculation of the payload launch was carried out, and the calibration results of four spectral channels of the GMI were obtained: The calibration coefficient range of the O2 channel is 1.05–1.15, the mean value is 1.10 and the standard deviation is 2.72%; the calibration coefficient of the CO2-1 channel is 1.05–1.13, the mean value is 1.09 and the standard deviation is 2.64%; the calibration coefficient of the CH4 channel is 1.08–1.10, the mean value is 1.11 and the standard deviation is 2.73%; the calibration coefficient of the CO2-2 channel is 1.09–1.14, the mean value is 1.12 and the standard deviation is 2.93%. The above results show that the radiation performance of each channel of the GMI shows no significant attenuation during this period, that the site calibration coefficient has no significant fluctuation and that the in-orbit operation state is stable.