Quick atmospheric correction code: algorithm description and recent upgrades

Abstract. The quick atmospheric correction (QUAC) code performs atmospheric correction on multi- and hyperspectral imagery spanning all or part of the visible and near infrared–short wave infrared spectral range, ∼400−2500  nm. It utilizes an in-scene approach, requiring only approximate specification of sensor band locations (i.e., central wavelengths) and their radiometric calibration; no additional metadata is required. Because QUAC does not involve first principles radiative-transfer calculations, it is significantly faster than physics-based methods; however, it is also more approximate. We present a detailed description of the QUAC algorithm, highlighting recent accuracy improvements. Example results for several multi-and hyperspectral data sets are presented, and comparisons are made to more rigorous correction approaches.

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