Signature Variations Due To Atmospheric And Topographic Effects On Satellite MSS Data Over Rugged Terrain

A model for the radiance applicable to remote sensing of mountainous terrain is described. T his radiance model includes the r adiation arising from adjacent terrain outside t he instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of the sensor. The atmosphere is treated as the optically t hin, horizontally uniform slab layer bounded by non-homogeneous Lambertian surface. The results from the r adiance equation show that the sky irradiance component on the target due to multiple reflections by adjacent terrain is of no significance. It is also shown that the path radiance reflected by the background is important in the poorly illuminated region.