Validation of Mid and Thermal Infrared Remotely Sensed Data In-Flight Using Automated Validation Sites at Lake Tahoe CA/NV, USA and Salton Sea CA, USA

Simon J. Hook, JPL, simon.j.hook@jpl.nasa.gov (Presenter)

In December 1999 NASA’s first Earth Observation System platform (Terra) was launched into earth orbit. Five instruments are mounted on the platform and these are being used to produce a set of standard data products for the scientific community. Two of the instruments: the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) produce standard products that utilize data acquired in the mid and thermal infrared part of the spectrum (3-14 um). Such products include radiance at sensor, radiance at surface, surface temperature and surface emissivity. These products are being used for a wide variety of applications and it is essential that they are validated to ensure the instruments and the standard product algorithms are functioning correctly.

We have established two sites where all the measurements necessary to validate mid and thermal infrared data and products are made on a near continuous basis. The sites are located at Lake Tahoe, CA/NV, USA and Salton Sea, CA USA. L. Tahoe is ideally suited for validation of mid and thermal infrared data for several reasons including its size, homogeneity, elevation, accessibility and composition. In order to use L. Tahoe for validation, 4 buoys have been deployed. Each buoy includes a custom-built highly accurate (<100mK) radiometer measuring the surface skin temperature and several bulk temperature probes that trail behind the buoy. Each buoy includes a logging system with dial-up cellular access. Each buoy also has a full meteorological station measuring wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and net radiation. All the measurements are made every 2 minutes on a continuous basis and downloaded daily via a cellular modem. The buoy measurements are supplemented with a variety of atmospheric measurements made on-shore. Similar measurements are made at the Salton Sea site. Results from the validation of the mid and thermal infrared data from the ASTER, MODIS (Terra and Aqua) will be presented. These same systems will also be used to validate data from VIIRS on NPP scheduled for launch in late 2011.

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  Other   (Tue 11:30 AM)

Associated Project(s): 

• Hook, Simon: Improving the VIIRS Land Surface Temperature Product for use as an Earth System Data Record ...details
• Hook, Simon: In Flight Validation of ASTER and MODIS Mid and Thermal Infrared Data and Products and ASTER Product Refinement for Earth Science ...details
• Hook, Simon: In Flight Validation of VIIRS Mid and Thermal Infrared Data and Products for Earth Science ...details
• Hook, Simon: In-Flight Validation of ASTER, MODIS and VIIRS Mid and Thermal Infrared Data and Products for Earth Science ...details

Poster Location ID: 209