Technical Note Simulation of radiances for future AVHRR platforms with the AVIRIS spectral radiometer

Abstract

The spectral waveband and spatial resolution of two new satellite imaging channels is simulated through the use of airborne multi-spectral radiometer observations. Numerical integration of multiple radiances obtained by the NASA AVIRIS instrument is used to represent the 1.6μm channel of the AVHRR-K scanning radiometer and the 0-85μm channel which may be included on AVHRR-N. Pixel averaging of the high spatial resolution AVIRIS scans is used to study the impact of the satellite field of view. The AVIRIS instrument allows specific wavelengths to be identified which most effectively separate cloud and land types. In addition, near-infrared channel ratios are shown to discriminate scene type populations. Spectral coherence scattergrams are also tested as a method of improving the distinction between pixel types.