Evaluation of VIIRS ocean color data using measurements from the AERONET-OC sites

As an integral part of the VIIRS sensor calibration and validation efforts, our group has been continuously monitoring the validity of the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)’s Ocean Color (OC) and atmospheric data stream through time series in-situ data acquired at the observatory sites which are part of the AERONET – OC network. This paper addresses the preliminary evaluations of the VIIRS sensor’s performance for retrieving OC data of typical coastal water environments, by carrying out time-series, as well as qualitative and quantitative match-up comparisons analysis between in-situ and satellite retrieved OC data. Initial time-series match-up comparisons carried out for almost a year period (January to December, 2012) show that VIIRS data exhibits strong temporal and statistical agreements with AERONET-OC data demonstrating a potential for enhanced coastal water monitoring from space. VIIRS data processing schemes which apply different vicarious calibration gains are compared and analyzed based on AERONET-OC data as well as OC retrievals of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Aqua satellite. The underlying cause of the discrepancies observed in VIIRS retrieved normalized water-leaving radiances is also investigated.

[1]  Menghua Wang,et al.  Retrieval of water-leaving radiance and aerosol optical thickness over the oceans with SeaWiFS: a preliminary algorithm. , 1994, Applied optics.

[2]  Menghua Wang,et al.  Calibration of ocean color scanners: how much error is acceptable in the near infrared? , 2002 .

[3]  B. Franz,et al.  Sensor-independent approach to the vicarious calibration of satellite ocean color radiometry. , 2007, Applied optics.

[4]  R. Arnone,et al.  Long Island Sound Coastal Observatory: assessment of above-water radiometric measurement uncertainties using collocated multi and hyperspectral systems. , 2011, Applied optics.

[5]  Hui Feng,et al.  AERONET-OC: A Network for the Validation of Ocean Color Primary Products , 2009 .

[6]  Menghua Wang,et al.  Estimation of ocean contribution at the MODIS near‐infrared wavelengths along the east coast of the U.S.: Two case studies , 2005 .

[7]  Ziauddin Ahmad,et al.  New aerosol models for the retrieval of aerosol optical thickness and normalized water-leaving radiances from the SeaWiFS and MODIS sensors over coastal regions and open oceans. , 2010, Applied optics.

[8]  B. Franz,et al.  On-orbit vicarious calibration of ocean color sensors using an ocean surface reflectance model. , 2007, Applied optics.

[9]  Davide D'Alimonte,et al.  Validation of satellite ocean color primary products at optically complex coastal sites: Northern Adriatic Sea, Northern Baltic Proper and Gulf of Finland , 2009 .

[10]  Robert A. Arnone,et al.  Evaluation of atmospheric correction procedures for ocean color data processing using hyper- and multi-spectral radiometric measurements from the Long Island Sound Coastal Observatory , 2012, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[11]  K. Voss,et al.  Validation of atmospheric correction over the oceans , 1997 .

[12]  R. Arnone,et al.  Deriving inherent optical properties from water color: a multiband quasi-analytical algorithm for optically deep waters. , 2002, Applied optics.

[13]  Stanford B. Hooker,et al.  An autonomous above-water system for the validation of ocean color radiance data , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[14]  James W. Brown,et al.  Above-water radiometry in shallow coastal waters. , 2004, Applied optics.

[15]  P Jeremy Werdell,et al.  Estimation of near-infrared water-leaving reflectance for satellite ocean color data processing. , 2010, Optics express.

[16]  Bryan A. Franz,et al.  Corrections to the Calibration of MODIS Aqua Ocean Color Bands Derived From SeaWiFS Data , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[17]  D. Clark,et al.  MOBY, a Radiometric Buoy for Performance Monitoring and Vicarious Calibration of Satellite Ocean Color Sensors: Measurement and Data Analysis Protocols , 2003 .

[18]  Howard R. Gordon,et al.  In-Orbit Calibration Strategy for Ocean Color Sensors , 1998 .

[19]  S. Maritorena,et al.  Atmospheric correction of satellite ocean color imagery: the black pixel assumption. , 2000, Applied optics.

[20]  G. Zibordi,et al.  Remote sensing of ocean colour: Accuracy assessment of an approximate atmospheric correction method , 2003 .