Abstract

Ocean-color applications require maximum uncertainties in blue-wavelength water-leaving radiances in oligotrophic ocean of approximately 5%. Water-leaving radiances from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite, however, exhibit temporal drift of the order of 15% as well as sensor changes in response versus scan and polarization sensitivity, which cannot be tracked by onboard calibrators. This paper introduces an instrument characterization approach that uses Earth-view data as a calibration source. The approach models the top of the atmosphere signal over ocean that the instrument is expected to measure, including its polarization, with water-leaving radiances coming from another well-calibrated global sensor. The cross calibration allows for significant improvement in derived MODIS–Terra ocean-color products, with largest changes in the blue wavelengths.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ocean color polarization correction

Gerhard Meister, Ewa J. Kwiatkowska, Bryan A. Franz, Frederick S. Patt, Gene C. Feldman, and Charles R. McClain
Appl. Opt. 44(26) 5524-5535 (2005)

Sources and assumptions for the vicarious calibration of ocean color satellite observations

Sean W. Bailey, Stanford B. Hooker, David Antoine, Bryan A. Franz, and P. Jeremy Werdell
Appl. Opt. 47(12) 2035-2045 (2008)

Sensor-independent approach to the vicarious calibration of satellite ocean color radiometry

Bryan A. Franz, Sean W. Bailey, P. Jeremy Werdell, and Charles R. McClain
Appl. Opt. 46(22) 5068-5082 (2007)

Point-spread function of the ocean color bands of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on Aqua

Gerhard Meister and Charles R. McClain
Appl. Opt. 49(32) 6276-6285 (2010)

Cross calibration of SeaWiFS and MODIS using on-orbit observations of the Moon

Robert E. Eplee, Jr., Jun-Qiang Sun, Gerhard Meister, Frederick S. Patt, Xiaoxiong Xiong, and Charles R. McClain
Appl. Opt. 50(2) 120-133 (2011)