Thomas G. Chrien

Imaging spectroscopy and the airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS)

Abstract Imaging spectroscopy is of growing interest as a new approach to Earth remote sensing. The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) was the first imaging sensor to measure the solar reflected spectrum from 400 nm to 2500 nm at 10 nm intervals. The calibration accuracy and signal-to-noise of AVIRIS remain unique. The AVIRIS system as well as the science research and applications have evolved significantly in recent years. The initial design and upgraded characteristics of the AVIRIS system are described in terms of the sensor, calibration, data system, and flight operation. This update on the characteristics of AVIRIS provides the context for the science research and applications that use AVIRIS data acquired in the past several years. Recent science research and applications are reviewed spanning investigations of atmospheric correction, ecology and vegetation, geology and soils, inland and coastal waters, the atmosphere, snow and ice hydrology, biomass burning, environmental hazards, satellite simulation and calibration, commercial applications, spectral algorithms, human infrastructure, as well as spectral modeling.

The airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS)

Abstract The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) is a facility consisting of a flight system, a ground data system, a calibration facility, and a full-time operations team. The facility was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA also provides funding for operations and maintenance. The flight system is a whisk-broom imager that acquires data in 224 narrow, contiguous spectral bands covering the solar reflected portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is flown aboard the NASA high altitude ER-2 research aircraft. The ground data system is a facility dedicated to the processing and distribution of data acquired by AVIRIS. It operates year round at JPL. The calibration facility consists of a calibration laboratory at JPL and a suite of field instruments and procedures for performing inflight calibration of AVIRIS. A small team of engineers, technicians and scientists supports a yearly operations schedule that includes 6 months of flight operations, 6 months of routine ground maintenance of the flight system, and year-round data processing and distribution. Details of the AVIRIS system, its performance history, and future plans are described.

Design of pushbroom imaging spectrometers for optimum recovery of spectroscopic and spatial information

A modulation transfer function-based optimization method is described that generates optimal spectral and spatial uniformity of response from compact pushbroom imaging spectrometer designs. Such uniformity is essential for extracting accurate spectroscopic information from a pushbroom imaging spectrometer for Earth-observing remote sensing applications. Two simple and compact spectrometer design examples are described that satisfy stringent uniformity specifications.

On-orbit radiometric and spectral calibration characteristics of EO-1 Hyperion derived with an underflight of AVIRIS and in situ measurements at Salar de Arizaro, Argentina

A calibration experiment was orchestrated on February 7, 2001 at the Salar de Arizaro, Argentina to assess the on-orbit radiometric and spectral calibration of Hyperion. At this high-altitude homogeneous dry salt lakebed, Hyperion, Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectroradiometer (AVIRIS) and in situ measurements were acquired. At a designated calibration target on Salar de Arizaro, the radiance spectra measured by Hyperion and AVIRIS were compared. In the spectral range from 430-900 nm [visible near-infrared (VNIR)], the ratio of Hyperion over AVIRIS was 0.89, and in the 900-2390-nm [shortwave infrared (SWIR)] spectral range the ratio was 0.79. A comparison of the Hyperion radiance spectrum with a radiative-transfer-code-predicted spectrum for the calibration target showed similar results. These results in conjunction with prelaunch laboratory measurements, on-orbit lunar measurements, other on-orbit calibration experiment results, as well as comparison with Landsat-7, lead to an update of Hyperion radiometric calibration in December 2001. The compromise update was to increase the Hyperion radiometric calibration coefficients by 8% in the VNIR and 18% in the SWIR spectrometers. In addition to radiometric accuracy, the on-orbit radiometric precision of Hyperion was assessed at Salar de Arizaro. Noise-equivalent delta radiance was calculated from Hyperion dark signal data and found to be five to ten times higher in comparison to AVIRIS. Also, from a homogeneous portion of Salar de Arizaro the Hyperion SNR was estimated at 140 in the VNIR and 60 in the 2200-nm region of the SWIR spectral range. Cross-track radiometric response was assessed with the AVIRIS dataset that spanned the full Hyperion swath. Within the accuracy of the registration of the datasets, the Hyperion cross-track response was shown to be uniform. Hyperion spectral calibration was assessed with a spectral fitting algorithm using the high spectral resolution radiative transfer modeled spectra for Salar de Arizaro.

The Airborne Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (AirMISR): instrument description and first results

An Airborne Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (AirMISR) instrument has been developed to assist in validation of the Earth Observing System (EOS) MISR experiment. Unlike the EOS MISR, which contains nine individual cameras pointed at discrete look angles, AirMISR utilizes a single camera in a pivoting gimbal mount. The AirMISR camera has been fabricated from MISR brassboard and engineering model components and, thus, has similar radiometric and spectral response as the MISR cameras. This paper provides a description of the AirMISR instrument and summarizes the results of engineering flights conducted during 1997.

Spectral and radiometric calibration of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer

The laboratory spectral and radiometric calibration of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) used in the radiometric calibration of all AVIRIS science data collected in 1987 is described. The instrumentation and procedures used in the calibration are discussed and the calibration accuracy achieved in the laboratory as determined by measurement and calculation is compared with the calibration requirements. Instrument performance factors affecting radiometry are described. The paper concludes with a discussion of future plans.

IN-FLIGHT RADIOMETRIC CALIBRATION OF THE AIRBORNE VISIBLE/INFRARED IMAGING SPECTROMETER (AVIRIS)

A reflectance-based method was used to provide an analysis of the in-flight radiometric performance of AVIRIS. Field spectral reflectance measurements of the surface and extinction measurements of the atmosphere using solar radiation were used as input to atmospheric radiative transfer calculations. Five separate codes were used in the analysis. Four include multiple scattering, and the computed radiances from these for flight conditions were in good agreement. Code-generated radiances were compared with AVIRIS-predicted radiances based on two laboratory calibrations (pre- and post-season of flight) for a uniform highly reflecting natural dry lake target. For one spectrometer (C), the pre- and post-season calibration factors were found to give identical results, and to be in agreement with the atmospheric models that include multiple scattering. This positive result validates the field and laboratory calibration technique. Results for the other spectrometers (A, B and D) were widely at variance with the models no matter which calibration factors were used. Potential causes of these discrepancies are discussed.

Comparison of laboratory calibrations of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) at the beginning and end of the first flight season

Spectral and radiometric calibrations of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) were performed in the laboratory in June and November, 1987, at the beginning and end of the first flight season. This paper describes those calibrations and the changes in instrument characteristics that occurred during the flight season as a result of factors such as detachment of the optical fibers to two of the four AVIRIS spectrometers, degradation in the optical alignment of the spectrometers due to thermally-induced and mechanical warpage, and breakage of a thermal blocking filter in one of the spectrometers. These factors caused loss of signal in three spectrometers, loss of spectral resolution in two spectrometers, and added uncertainty in the radiometry of AVIRIS. Results from in-flight assessment of the laboratory calibrations are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of improvements made to the instrument since the end of the first flight season and plans for the future. Improvements include (1) a new thermal control system for stabilizing spectrometer temperatures, (2) kinematic mounting of the spectrometers to the instrument rack, and (3) new epoxy for attaching the optical fibers inside their mounting tubes.

Improvements to the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) calibration system

As a continuing effort to increase the calibration accuracy of the AVIRIS data a number of recent improvements have been implemented and are in the process of being tested during the 1994 flight season. These include the following innovations: A direct observation of a laboratory radiance standard is now used to double check the wide field-or-view calibration via an integrating sphere source. Launch site field calibration of the AVIRIS sensor is now being planned to augment the laboratory and inflight calibration. Modification to a dry air conditioning unit has been made to enable ground calibration at flight operating temperatures. One hundred lines of dark imagery has been added to the end of each flight line to assist in the analysis and removal of residual coherent noise. The intensity of the onboard calibration lamp has been modified to improve response in the blue end of the spectrum. Novel spectral filters have been installed in the onboard calibration source.<<ETX>>

AVIRIS foreoptics, fiber optics and on-board calibrator

The foreoptics, fiber optic system and calibration source of the Airborne Visible/ Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) are described. The foreoptics, based on a modified Kennedy scanner, is coupled by optical fibers to the four spectrometers. The optical fibers allowed convenient positioning of the spectrometers in the limited space and enabled simple compensation of the scanners thermal defocus (at the -23°C operating temperature) by active control of the fiber focal plane position. A challenging requirement for the fiber optic system was the transmission of the spectral range 1.85 to 2.45 microns at .45 numerical aperture. This was solved with custom fluoride glass fibers from Verre Fluore. The on-board calibration source is also coupled to the spectrometers by the fibers and provides two radiometric levels and a reference spectrum to check the spectrometers alignment. Results on performance of the assembled subsystems are presented.