Spectral Calibration Accuracy Research Articles

Comment on Yu et al. Land Surface Temperature Retrieval from Landsat 8 TIRS—Comparison between Radiative Transfer Equation-Based Method, Split Window Algorithm and Single Channel Method. Remote Sens. 2014, 6, 9829–9852

Accurate land surface temperature (LST) retrieval from satellite data is pivotal in environmental monitoring and scientific research. This study addresses the impact of variability in the effective wavelengths used for LST retrieval from the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data of Landsat 8. We conduct a detailed analysis comparing the effective wavelengths reported by Yu et al. (2014) and those derived from data provided by the USGS. Our analysis reveals significant variability in the effective wavelengths for bands 10 and 11 of Landsat 8. By applying Planck’s Law and utilizing the K1 and K2 coefficients available in the metadata of Landsat 8 products, we derive the effective wavelengths for bands 10 and 11. We also rederive the effective wavelength by integrating the spectral response function of the TIRS1 sensor. Our findings indicate that the effective wavelength for band 10 is 10.814 μm, aligning with the USGS data, while the effective wavelength for band 11 is 12.013 μm. We discuss the implications of these corrected effective wavelengths on the accuracy of LST retrieval algorithms, particularly the single channel algorithm (SC) and the radiative transfer equation (RT) employed by Yu et al. The importance of using precise effective wavelengths in satellite-based temperature retrieval is emphasized, to ensure the reliability and consistency of results. This analysis underscores the critical role of accurate spectral calibration parameters in remote sensing studies and provides valuable insights in the field of land surface temperature retrieval from Landsat 8 TIRS data.

Assessment of the Influence of Instrument Parameters on the Detection Accuracy of Greenhouse-Gases Absorption Spectrometer-2 (GAS-2)

Satellite-based monitoring of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations has emerged as a prominent and globally recognized field of research. With the imminent launch of the Greenhouse-Gases Absorption Spectrometer-2 (GAS-2) on the FengYun3-H (FY3-H) satellite in 2024, there is a promising prospect for substantial advancements in GHG detection capabilities. Crucially, the accurate acquisition of spectral information by GAS-2 is heavily reliant on its instrument parameters. However, the existing body of research predominantly emphasizes the examination of atmospheric parameters and their impact on GHG detection accuracy, thereby leaving a discernible gap in the comprehensive evaluation of instrument parameters specifically concerning the acquisition of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration data by GAS-2. To address this knowledge gap, our study employs a radiation transfer model grounded in radiation transfer theory. This comprehensive investigation aims to quantitatively analyze the effects of various instrument parameters, encompassing crucial aspects such as spectral resolution, spectral sampling rate, signal-to-noise ratio, radiometric resolution, and spectral calibration accuracy (including instrument line shape function, central wavelength shift, and spectral resolution broadening). Based on our preliminary findings, it is evident that GAS-2 has the necessary spectral resolution, spectral sampling rate, and signal-to-noise ratio, slightly surpassing existing international instruments and enabling a significant detection accuracy level of 1 part per million (ppm). Moreover, it is essential to recognize the critical impact of instrument spectral calibration accuracy on overall detection precision. Among the five commonly used instrument line shape functions, the sinc function has the least impact on detection accuracy. Additionally, GAS-2’s radiance quantization depth is 14 bits, which is comparable to similar international payloads and maintains a root mean squared error below 0.1 ppm, thus ensuring a high level of precision. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the influence of GAS-2’s instrument parameters on detection accuracy, offering valuable insights for the future development of spectral calibration, the optimization of similar payload instrument parameters, and the overall improvement of instrument quantification capabilities.

Research on the Effects of Detector Shape on Spectral Calibration of Infrared Hyperspectral Interferometer Based on Simulation Data

ABSTRACT Infrared hyperspectral instrument is a complex optical instrument. The requirement for the application of the infrared hyperspectral interferometer is fine calibration accuracy. The accuracy of the spectral frequency of the infrared hyperspectral interferometer is a key influencing factor of the radiometric calibration accuracy. In order to meet the quantitative application, the spectral calibration accuracy is generally within 10ppm. For infrared hyperspectral instruments in geostationary orbit, the focal plane has the characteristics of large array and small detector size. When the detector size of an infrared hyperspectral interferometer is in the geostationary orbit whether the detector as a point detector will affect the spectral calibration accuracy. In this paper, we simulate and analyze the influence of the shape of the detector (square and point detector) on the spectral calibration accuracy. This paper first builds an infrared hyperspectral observation and calibration simulation model. The brightness temperature deviation between the calibration spectrum and the input spectrum is close to 0 K, which shows the rationality of building the simulation model. Then, in the process of spectral calibration, two methods, square detectors and point detectors, are adopted, respectively. The spectral calibration of the square detector needs to calculate the line shape function of the instrument according to the detector position. Regarding point detector spectral calibration, this paper proposes a spectral calibration parameter optimization algorithm based on the optimization algorithm, which does not depend on the physical parameters of the instrument, but only uses the observed simulated spectrum and the reference spectrum. The results show that the spectral calibration accuracy of the point detector based on the optimization method can be close to 0ppm, which is consistent with the spectral calibration accuracy of the square detector.

Evaluation of the Accuracy of Spectral Calibration Light Source on Spectral Radiance Acquired by the Greenhouse-Gases Absorption Spectrometer-2 (GAS-2)

Monitoring global greenhouse gas concentration information via satellite remote sensing has become a critical area of research to support the further understanding of global carbon emissions. The Greenhouse-gases Absorption Spectrometer-2 (GAS-2) is being developed as the primary payload of the Fengyun-3H (FY-3H), which will be launched in 2024. Achieving high-precision mesurements of greenhouse gases requires precise spectral calibration. However, currently, there is no method for assessing the detection accuracy of GAS-2 using spectral calibration light sources, and quantitative studies are lacking. In this study, the influence model of calibration light sources on spectral calibration accuracy is established, and the spectral radiance acquired via GAS-2 is simulated using the line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM). We investigated the impact of different linewidths and wavelength stabilities of the calibration light source on its accuracy in four wavelength bands. This study is the first to examine the effects of the linewidth and wavelength stability of a calibration light source on the spectral radiance acquired via GAS-2. The initial results demonstrate that if the linewidth of the calibration light source is approximately 100 MHz and the wavelength stability is in the order of subpicometers, the radiance error obtained by GAS-2 is less than 10%. Among the four bands, the 2.06 μm (strong-CO2) band is more affected by the calibration light source than the other three bands. In addition, the wavelength stability of the light source has a greater influence on the error than the linewidth of the light source under the same error condition. The research findings can be used to guide and reference the selection of light sources in the laboratory spectral calibration of GAS-2, ultimately contributing to the instrument’s quantitative development level.

Spectral Fidelity of Earth's Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems

AbstractThe Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) investigation will create global maps of spectral surface reflectance and emissivity at a cadence of 16 days or better, with coverage to address global questions about Earth's geology, cryosphere and ecosystems. The revolutionary potential poses a commensurate challenge: creating contiguous maps free from regional biases induced by atmosphere, observation geometry, or inversion error. This will require an accurate calibration with precise knowledge of each channel's spectral response. Here, we quantify the impact of spectral calibration on SBG's aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem objectives. We find that contemporary algorithms for ecosystem trait retrieval demand more accurate spectral calibration than historical missions. Errors due to drift or spatial nonuniformity in the wavelength calibration that have previously been considered acceptable can cause systematic errors larger than the instrument noise and of the same order as the variability SBG aims to measure. Moreover, their impact on atmospheric correction can induce climate‐dependent systematic errors that thwart comparisons between ecosystems. These results underscore the importance of spectral response accuracy in SBG mission design.

The FHD/εppsilon Epoch of Reionisation power spectrum pipeline

AbstractEpoch of Reionisation (EoR) data analysis requires unprecedented levels of accuracy in radio interferometer pipelines. We have developed an imaging power spectrum analysis to meet these requirements and generate robust 21 cm EoR measurements. In this work, we build a signal path framework to mathematically describe each step in the analysis, from data reduction in the Fast Holographic Deconvolution (FHD) package to power spectrum generation in theεppsilon package. In particular, we focus on the distinguishing characteristics of FHD/εppsilon: highly accurate spectral calibration, extensive data verification products, and end-to-end error propagation. We present our key data analysis products in detail to facilitate understanding of the prominent systematics in image-based power spectrum analyses. As a verification to our analysis, we also highlight a full-pipeline analysis simulation to demonstrate signal preservation and lack of signal loss. This careful treatment ensures that the FHD/εppsilon power spectrum pipeline can reduce radio interferometric data to produce credible 21 cm EoR measurements.

Preflight Spectral Calibration of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2

This paper describes the preflight spectral calibration methods and results for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2), following the approach developed for the first OCO. The instrument line shape (ILS) function and dispersion parameters were determined through laser-based spectroscopic measurements, and then further optimized by comparing solar spectra recorded simultaneously on the ground by the OCO-2 flight instrument and a collocated high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). The resulting ILS profiles and dispersion parameters, when applied to the FTS solar data, showed agreement between the spectra recorded by the spectrometers and FTS to approximately 0.2% RMS, satisfying the preflight spectral calibration accuracy requirement of <0.25% RMS. Specific changes to the OCO-2 instrument and calibration process, compared to the original OCO, include stray-light protection; improved laser setup; increased spectral sampling; enhanced data screening, and incremental improvements in the ILS, dispersion, and FTS optimization analyses.

Characterization of Long-Term Stability of Suomi NPP Cross-Track Infrared Sounder Spectral Calibration

Since early 2012, the cross-track infrared sounder (CrIS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership satellite has continually provided the hyperspectral infrared observations for profiling atmospheric temperature, moisture, and greenhouse gases. The CrIS radiance data are also directly assimilated into global numerical weather prediction models to improve the medium-range forecasts. These important applications require accurate CrIS calibration. Since CrIS radiometric accuracy depends on the accurate spectral calibration, it is important to reduce the spectral uncertainty and increase the calibration stability for weather and climate applications. In this paper, the accuracy of CrIS spectral calibration and its stability are assessed using the operational sensor data record (SDR) data generated by the interface data processing segment (IDPS). A spectral validation method is developed and applied to clear scene data over ocean from September 22, 2012, to April 19, 2016. It is shown that CrIS metrology laser wavelength varies within 3 ppm, as measured by the Neon calibration subsystem. While the current CrIS operational algorithm is designed to have a spectra error less than 2 ppm, the actual spectral errors are about 4 ppm due to the IDPS software bugs. A new correction method is applied to fix the bugs and to further improve CrIS spectral calibration. It is found that the CrIS spectral calibration accuracy is less than 1 ppm in both normal and full spectral resolution SDR data sets.

Verification method of spectral calibration accuracy for hyperspectral remote sensors

Verification method of spectral calibration accuracy for hyperspectral remote sensors

An Algorithm for In-Flight Spectral Calibration of Imaging Spectrometers

Accurate spectral calibration of satellite and airborne spectrometers is essential for remote sensing applications that rely on accurate knowledge of center wavelength (CW) positions and slit function parameters (SFP). We present a new in-flight spectral calibration algorithm that retrieves CWs and SFPs across a wide spectral range by fitting a high-resolution solar spectrum and atmospheric absorbers to in-flight radiance spectra. Using a maximum a posteriori optimal estimation approach, the quality of the fit can be improved with a priori information. The algorithm was tested with synthetic spectra and applied to data from the APEX imaging spectrometer over the spectral range of 385–870 nm. CWs were retrieved with high accuracy (uncertainty &lt;0.05 spectral pixels) from Fraunhofer lines below 550 nm and atmospheric absorbers above 650 nm. This enabled a detailed characterization of APEX’s across-track spectral smile and a previously unknown along-track drift. The FWHMs of the slit function were also retrieved with good accuracy (&lt;10% uncertainty) for synthetic spectra, while some obvious misfits appear for the APEX spectra that are likely related to radiometric calibration issues. In conclusion, our algorithm significantly improves the in-flight spectral calibration of APEX and similar spectrometers, making them better suited for the retrieval of atmospheric and surface variables relying on accurate calibration.

Development and characterization of Carbon Observing Satellite

Carbon Observing Satellite (Tan-Sat) is the first satellite of China designed to monitor column-averaged atmospheric carbon dioxide (XCO2) by detecting gas absorption spectra of the solar shortwave infrared radiation reflected from the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Two instruments are accommodated on Tan-Sat: the high resolution hyperspectral sensor for carbon observation grating spectrometer (HRHS-GS) and the cloud and aerosol polarimetric imager (CAPI). HRHS-GS will provide the space-based measurements of CO2 on a scale and with the accuracy and precision to quantify terrestrial sources and sinks of CO2. CAPI is used to identify the contamination by optically thick clouds and to minimize the impact of scattering by aerosol. These two instruments work together to collect global column CO2 concentrations with correction for cloud and aerosol contamination. The instrument design of HRHS-GS is presented. Ocean reflectivity and the incident radiation of the instrument for transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations in glint mode are discussed. The changes to glint mode operation are described. The spectral characteristics of HRHS-GS were determined through the laser-based spectral calibration. The onboard spectral calibration method based on spectrum matching is introduced. The availability was verified, satisfying the onboard spectral calibration accuracy requirement of better than Δλ/10 (Δλ is spectral resolution).

Spectral Calibration of Hyperspectral Data Observed From a Hyperspectrometer Loaded on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platform

Hyperspectral imaging has been widely applied in remote sensing scientific fields. For this study, hyperspectral imaging data covering the spectral region from 400 to 1000 nm were collected from an unmanned aerial vehicle visible/near-infrared imaging hyperspectrometer (UAV-VNIRIS). Theoretically, the spectral calibration parameters of the UAV-VNIRIS measured in the laboratory should be refined when applied to the hyperspectral data obtained from the UAV platform due to variations between the laboratory and actual flight environments. Therefore, accurate spectral calibration of the UAV-VNIRIS is essential to further applications of the hyperspectral data. Shifts in both the spectral center wavelength position and the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) were retrieved using two different methods (Methods I and II) based on spectrum matching of atmospheric absorption features at oxygen bands near 760 nm and water vapor bands near 820 and 940 nm. Comparison of the spectral calibration results of these two methods over the calibration targets showed that the derived center wavelength and FWHM shifts are similar. For the UAV-VNIRIS observed data used here, the shifts in center wavelength derived from both Methods I and II over the three absorption bands are less than 0.13 nm, and less than 0.22 nm in terms of FWHM. The findings of this paper revealed: 1) the UAV-VNIRIS payload on the UAV platform performed well in terms of spectral calibration; and 2) the applied methods are effective for on-orbit spectral calibration of the hyper spectrometer.

Quantitative Effects of the Spectral Calibration Accuracy of the Imaging Spectrometer on the Vegetation Red Edge

The red edge position (REP) has been widely used to estimate vegetation parameters and also as a sensitive indicator of vegetation stress. Detailed characterizations of REP can be easily achieved from hyperspectral data obtained from imaging spectrometers. After launch of imaging spectrometers, shift in the center wavelength of the spectral channel may occur due to the vibrations and aging of components. In this paper, we firstly proposed a method to quantify the effects of the spectral shift of imaging spectrometers on the REP. The fundamental basis of the method was the simulation of the vegetation reflectance spectra after spectral shift (SSR). The quantitative relationship between the spectral shift value and the REP derived from the SSR was analysed. The result showed a significant linear relationship between spectral shift value and REP error (R2=0.9932). For a 10nm resolution spectrometer, channel center wavelength errors of 10%, 30% and 50% would introduce 0.8nm, 2.5nm and 5.3nm error in REP, respectively. The study indicated that spectral calibration error was an important factor to generate REP shift.

凸面光栅成像光谱仪全视场自动化光谱定标系统设计

In order to determine spectral characteristics of the imaging spectrometer with convex grating,spectral calibration is required.A spectral calibration system of full field is designed which is based on the method of collimated monochromatic light.A spherical mirror is used to provide collimated light,and a freely sliding and rotating folding mirror is used to change the angle of incident light.The automation of the calibration system has been realized.The CODEV result of optical simulation proves the whole system is reliability.Analysis is done combined with structure and characteristics of the entire spectral calibration system.The result shows that the system spectral calibration's accuracy is better than 1%.The calibration system has many advantages such as small size,better commonality and so on.It may provide references for others.

单色仪与成像光谱仪的交互光谱定标

To improve the spectral calibration accuracy of an imaging spectrometer and to reduce the complicity of the calibration process, the idea of the cross-spectral calibration was proposed based on the calibration principle of monochromator scanning. Then, a cross-spectral calibration system was designed for a monochromator and an imaging spectrometer. The spectral calibration experiments for the monochromator and the imaging spectrometer were performed and the spectral calibration data were processed. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the spectral calibration for the monochromator is better than 0.1 nm, the spectral range of the imaging spectrometer is greater than 400-800 nm and its spectral resolution is better than 3 nm. The cross-spectral calibration system overcomes the defect that the spectral calibration for the monochromator and the imaging spectrometer requires two detectors, and the calibration is implemented by switching the calibration modes only.It offers higher calibration accuracy for both the monochromator and the imaging spectrometer,and has the merits of low complexity, versatility, wider range and high calibration accuracy.

氧气吸收通道的高光谱传感器在轨光谱定标

The Oxygen absorption characteristic was analyzed and four hyperspectral sensor models were built with full width at half maximum of 15,10,5and 2.5nm.Four spectral matching styles and six spectral matching algorithms were proposed.The measured spectrum and referenced spectrum with spectral offset were simulated based on MODTRAN radiative transfer model.The spectral calibrations of hyperspectral sensor with different FWHMs were processed using four spectral matching styles and six spectral matching algorithms. Then the in-flight spectral calibration accuracy was analyzed quantitatively.The results show that the spectral calibration based on correlative coefficient of measured apparent radiance and referenced apparent radiance has the highest accuracy.

The Clouds Climate Change Initiative: Assessment of state-of-the-art cloud property retrieval schemes applied to AVHRR heritage measurements

Cloud property retrievals from 3 decades of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) measurements provide a unique opportunity for a long-term analysis of clouds. In this study, the accuracy of AVHRR-derived cloud properties cloud mask, cloud-top height, cloud phase and cloud liquid water path is assessed using three state-of-the-art retrieval schemes. In addition, the same retrieval schemes are applied to the AVHRR heritage channels of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to create AVHRR-like retrievals with higher spatial resolution and based on presumably more accurate spectral calibration. The cloud property retrievals were collocated and inter-compared with observations from CloudSat, CALIPSO and AMSR-E The resulting comparison exhibited good agreement in general. The schemes provide correct cloud detection in 82 to 90% of all cloudy cases. With correct identification of clear-sky in 61 to 85% of all clear areas, the schemes are slightly biased towards cloudy conditions. The evaluation of the cloud phase classification shows correct identification of liquid clouds in 61 to 97% and a correct identification of ice clouds in 68 to 95%, demonstrating a large variability among the schemes. Cloud-top height (CTH) retrievals were of relatively similar quality with standard deviations ranging from 2.1km to 2.7km. Significant negative biases in these retrievals are found in particular for cirrus clouds. The biases decrease if optical depth thresholds are applied to determine the reference CTH measure. Cloud liquid water path (LWP) is also retrieved well with relative low standard deviations (20 to 28g/m2), negative bias and high correlations. Cloud ice water path (IWP) retrievals of AVHRR and MODIS exhibit a relative high uncertainty with standard deviations between 800 and 1400g/m2, which in relative terms exceed 100% when normalized with the mean IWP. However, the global histogram distributions of IWP were similar to the reference dataset.MODIS retrievals are for most comparisons of slightly better quality than AVHRR-based retrievals. Additionally, the choice of different near-infrared channels, 3.7μm as opposed to 1.6μm, can have a significant impact on the retrieval quality, most pronounced for IWP, with better accuracy for the 1.6μm channel setup. This study presents a novel assessment of the quality of cloud properties derived from AVHRR channels, which quantifies the accuracy of the considered retrievals based on common approaches and validation data. Furthermore, it assesses the capabilities of AVHRR-like spectral information for retrieving cloud properties in the light of generating climate data records of cloud properties from three decades of AVHRR measurements.

Spectral Recalibration for In-Flight Broadband Sensor Using Man-Made Ground Targets

Accurate spectral calibration of the in-flight sensors is crucial for processing and exploration of remotely sensed data. This paper developed a strategy to make spectral recalibration (i.e., spectral response function, central wavelength, and bandwidth) for in-flight broadband sensor using a device-responsivity-decomposition model with a priori knowledge and an optimization algorithm. Sensitivity analysis indicates that an accurate result requires the targets to be observed under a dry and clear atmospheric condition (column water vapor <; 2 g/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and visibility > 23 km) and no more than 5% error is included in the measured data. The new strategy was used to retrieve the spectral parameters along with radiometric calibration coefficients for a multichannel camera onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle from simultaneously remotely sensed and ground measured data sets over 19 (15 color-scaled and four gray-scaled) man-made surface targets, and the retrieved results were validated with a similar data set over another four man-made targets. It demonstrated that the camera's spectral parameters were accurately retrieved and an error less than 3.5 W/m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> /μm/sr was brought to the channel radiance.

Experimental measurement of aluminium diffuser applied to calibration system of space-borne differential optical absorption spectrometer

In a space-borne differential optical absorption spectrometer, which has a large field in nadir push-broom mode the “Sun+Diffuser” method is adopted for onboard spectral calibration. Therefore the aluminium diffuser used in the space-borne spectral calibration system is required to have a good Lambert feature to ensure the full field spectral calibration accuracy of the space-borne differential optical absorption spectrometer. And it can provide a uniform source in the observing view-field of the instrument. Using bidirectional reflectance distribution function measurement instrument, bidirectional reflectance distribution function of aluminium diffuser is measured by the relative measurement method. Experimental results show that in a wavelength range of 180–880 nm and an observing view range from -70° to +70°, the bidirectional reflectance distribution function declines from middle to both sides and approximates the cosine distribution, showing that the aluminium diffuser has a good Lambert feature. The spectral calibration of the space-borne instrument is also presented with the system: high calibration accuracy is reached by the calibration system, with the maximum deviation being 0.022 nm, which meets the requirements for the accuracy better than 0.05 nm. The aluminium diffuser measured in laboratory can be chosen for the spectral calibration system.

Spatial and temporal dust source variability in northern China identified using advanced remote sensing analysis

ABSTRACTThe aim of this research is to provide a detailed characterization of spatial patterns and temporal trends in the regional and local dust source areas within the desert of the Alashan Prefecture (Inner Mongolia, China). This problem was approached through multi‐scale remote sensing analysis of vegetation changes. The primary requirements for this regional analysis are high spatial and spectral resolution data, accurate spectral calibration and good temporal resolution with a suitable temporal baseline. Landsat analysis and field validation along with the low spatial resolution classifications from MODIS and AVHRR are combined to provide a reliable characterization of the different potential dust‐producing sources. The representation of intra‐annual and inter‐annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) trend to assess land cover discrimination for mapping potential dust source using MODIS and AVHRR at larger scale is enhanced by Landsat Spectral Mixing Analysis (SMA). The combined methodology is to determine the extent to which Landsat can distinguish important soils types in order to better understand how soil reflectance behaves at seasonal and inter‐annual timescales. As a final result mapping soil surface properties using SMA is representative of responses of different land and soil cover previously identified by NDVI trend. The results could be used in dust emission models even if they are not reflecting aggregate formation, soil stability or particle coatings showing to be critical for accurately represent dust source over different regional and local emitting areas. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.