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Atmospheric Correction for Satellite Ocean Color RadiometryThis tutorial is an introduction to atmospheric correction in general and also documentation of the atmospheric correction algorithms currently implemented by the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) for processing ocean color data from satellite-borne sensors such as MODIS and VIIRS. The intended audience is graduate students or others who are encountering this topic for the first time. The tutorial is in two parts. Part I discusses the generic atmospheric correction problem. The magnitude and nature of the problem are first illustrated with numerical results generated by a coupled ocean-atmosphere radiative transfer model. That code allow the various contributions (Rayleigh and aerosol path radiance, surface reflectance, water-leaving radiance, etc.) to the topof- the-atmosphere (TOA) radiance to be separated out. Particular attention is then paid to the definition, calculation, and interpretation of the so-called "exact normalized water-leaving radiance" and its equivalent reflectance. Part I ends with chapters on the calculation of direct and diffuse atmospheric transmittances, and on how vicarious calibration is performed. Part II then describes one by one the particular algorithms currently used by the OBPG to effect the various steps of the atmospheric correction process, viz. the corrections for absorption and scattering by gases and aerosols, Sun and sky reflectance by the sea surface and whitecaps, and finally corrections for sensor out-of-band response and polarization effects. One goal of the tutorial-guided by teaching needs- is to distill the results of dozens of papers published over several decades of research in atmospheric correction for ocean color remote sensing.
Document ID
20160011399
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Mobley, Curtis D.
(Sequoia Scientific, Inc. Bellevue, WA, United States)
Werdell, Jeremy
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Franz, Bryan
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Ahmad, Ziauddin
(JHT, Inc. Orlando, FL, United States)
Bailey, Sean
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
September 21, 2016
Publication Date
June 1, 2016
Subject Category
Oceanography
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN35509
NASA/TM-2016-217551
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX14AQ49G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG14HZ03C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
MODIS
ocean color
obpg
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