On-orbit performance of the MODIS SWIR bands

Amit Angal; Aisheng Wu; Xiaoxiong Xiong; Xu Geng; Daniel O. Link; Hongda Chen

doi:10.1117/12.2069308

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19 November 2014 On-orbit performance of the MODIS SWIR bands

Amit Angal, Aisheng Wu, Xiaoxiong Xiong, Xu Geng, Daniel O. Link, Hongda Chen

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Proceedings Volume 9264, Earth Observing Missions and Sensors: Development, Implementation, and Characterization III; 92641Q (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2069308
Event: SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing, 2014, Beijing, China

Abstract

The 36 MODIS spectral bands, with wavelengths ranging from 0.41 μm to 14.2 μm, are distributed on four focal plane assemblies: visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), short- and mid-wave infrared (SMIR), and long-wave infrared (LWIR). The MODIS reflective solar bands (RSB) are calibrated onorbit using a solar diffuser (SD), with its reflectance degradation monitored using a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM). The Terra MODIS SD degradation at 0.936 μm, as measured by the SDSM, is 2.4% after 14 years on-orbit. The Aqua MODIS SD degradation at 0.936 μm is 0.6% after 12 years on-orbit. The SWIR bands with spectral wavelengths centered at 1.24 μm (band 5), 1.37 μm (band 26), 1.64 μm (band 6), and 2.13 μm (band 7), are beyond the SDSM wavelength coverage (0.412 μm to 0.936 μm). Consequently, the gain of the SWIR bands is computed without factoring in the possible degradation of the SD. A technique to monitor the long-term stability of the MODIS SWIR bands is developed using pseudo-invariant desert targets. Results indicate a long-term drift of up to 1.5% of band 5 of Terra MODIS. The long-term stability of other Terra MODIS SWIR bands is seen to be within 0.5%. Similar results for Aqua MODIS indicate no observable drift, with changes within 0.5%. An implementation strategy to account for this correction in the MODIS Level 1 B (L1B) is also discussed.

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Amit Angal, Aisheng Wu, Xiaoxiong Xiong, Xu Geng, Daniel O. Link, and Hongda Chen "On-orbit performance of the MODIS SWIR bands", Proc. SPIE 9264, Earth Observing Missions and Sensors: Development, Implementation, and Characterization III, 92641Q (19 November 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2069308

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