Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers
Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors onboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft have been in orbit for over 24 and 22 years, respectively, providing continuous observations of the Earth’s surface. Among the instrument’s 36 bands, 16 of them are thermal emissive bands (TEBs) with...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Tiejun Chang Xiaoxiong Xiong Carlos Perez Diaz Aisheng Wu Hanzhi Lin |
| author_facet | Tiejun Chang Xiaoxiong Xiong Carlos Perez Diaz Aisheng Wu Hanzhi Lin |
| author_sort | Tiejun Chang |
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| description | Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors onboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft have been in orbit for over 24 and 22 years, respectively, providing continuous observations of the Earth’s surface. Among the instrument’s 36 bands, 16 of them are thermal emissive bands (TEBs) with wavelengths that range from 3.75 to 14.24 μm. Routine post-launch calibrations are performed using the sensor’s onboard blackbody and space view port, the moon, and vicarious targets that include the ocean, Dome Concordia (Dome C) in Antarctica, and quasi-deep convective clouds (DCC). The calibration consistency between the satellite measurements from the two instruments is essential in generating a multi-year data record for the long-term monitoring of the Earth’s Level 1B (L1B) data. This paper presents the Terra and Aqua MODIS TEB comparison for the upcoming Collection 7 (C7) L1B products using measurements over Dome C and the ocean, as well as the double difference via simultaneous nadir overpasses with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) sensor. The mission-long trending of the Terra and Aqua MODIS TEB is presented, and their cross-comparison is also presented and discussed. Results show that the calibration of the two MODIS sensors and their respective Earth measurements are generally consistent and within their design specifications. Due to the electronic crosstalk contamination, the PV LWIR bands show slightly larger drifts for both MODIS instruments across different Earth measurements. These drifts also have an impact on the Terra-to-Aqua calibration consistency. This thorough assessment serves as a robust record containing a summary of the MODIS calibration performance and the consistency between the two MODIS sensors over Earth view retrievals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b18389fe21545fcaddcf3bba6bab78a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-2b18389fe21545fcaddcf3bba6bab78a2025-01-24T13:47:39ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-01-0117218210.3390/rs17020182Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging SpectroradiometersTiejun Chang0Xiaoxiong Xiong1Carlos Perez Diaz2Aisheng Wu3Hanzhi Lin4Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, MD 20706, USASciences and Exploration Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAScience Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, MD 20706, USAScience Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, MD 20706, USAScience Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, MD 20706, USAModerate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors onboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft have been in orbit for over 24 and 22 years, respectively, providing continuous observations of the Earth’s surface. Among the instrument’s 36 bands, 16 of them are thermal emissive bands (TEBs) with wavelengths that range from 3.75 to 14.24 μm. Routine post-launch calibrations are performed using the sensor’s onboard blackbody and space view port, the moon, and vicarious targets that include the ocean, Dome Concordia (Dome C) in Antarctica, and quasi-deep convective clouds (DCC). The calibration consistency between the satellite measurements from the two instruments is essential in generating a multi-year data record for the long-term monitoring of the Earth’s Level 1B (L1B) data. This paper presents the Terra and Aqua MODIS TEB comparison for the upcoming Collection 7 (C7) L1B products using measurements over Dome C and the ocean, as well as the double difference via simultaneous nadir overpasses with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) sensor. The mission-long trending of the Terra and Aqua MODIS TEB is presented, and their cross-comparison is also presented and discussed. Results show that the calibration of the two MODIS sensors and their respective Earth measurements are generally consistent and within their design specifications. Due to the electronic crosstalk contamination, the PV LWIR bands show slightly larger drifts for both MODIS instruments across different Earth measurements. These drifts also have an impact on the Terra-to-Aqua calibration consistency. This thorough assessment serves as a robust record containing a summary of the MODIS calibration performance and the consistency between the two MODIS sensors over Earth view retrievals.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/182Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometerthermal emissive bandsCollection 6.1Collection 7Level 1Bintercomparison |
| spellingShingle | Tiejun Chang Xiaoxiong Xiong Carlos Perez Diaz Aisheng Wu Hanzhi Lin Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers Remote Sensing Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer thermal emissive bands Collection 6.1 Collection 7 Level 1B intercomparison |
| title | Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers |
| title_full | Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers |
| title_short | Assessment of Radiometric Calibration Consistency of Thermal Emissive Bands Between Terra and Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers |
| title_sort | assessment of radiometric calibration consistency of thermal emissive bands between terra and aqua moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometers |
| topic | Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer thermal emissive bands Collection 6.1 Collection 7 Level 1B intercomparison |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/182 |
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