Julia Barsi

Abstract

Two new remote sensing instruments were used for the first time this past summer, both with novel thermal imaging capabilities. NASA's Landsat ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper+), the latest in the series of Earth imaging satellites, has both higher radiometric and spatial resolution than ever before. RIT's MISI (Modular Imaging Spectrometer Instrument) is an airborne sensor with a unique thermal spectrometer. The images from both will be used for a wide variety of applications. The purpose of this research is three-fold; to ensure MISI thermal imagery is calibrated by developing a laboratory calibration process, to develop techniques to remove the effects of the atmosphere being imaged, and to ensure that Landsat thermal imagery is calibrated by using the calibrated MISI imagery. Although we failed to successfully calibrate MISI in the lab, using ground truth the instrument was empirically calibrated to within O.5K. Two different atmospheric correction techniques, a multiple-altitude technique and a multi-band technique, were used on the calibrated imagery and found to successfully predict ground temperature to within 1.4K and O.8K, respectively. To verify the Landsat calibration, MISI images were projected to space-reaching radiance to compare with Landsat. Although over the three collects this summer, we did find a consistent difference between MISI and Landsat (RMS ofO.6K) more data must be taken before we are convinced that Landsat's calibration coefficients need updating. This being the inaugural flight seasons for both instruments makes much of this data very preliminary but the tools are in place for future flight seasons.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Infrared imaging--Evaluation; Landsat satellites--Calibration; Artificial satellites in remote sensing--Calibration; Infrared detectors--Calibration; Imaging systems--Image quality--Evaluation

Publication Date

3-1-2000

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science (COS)

Advisor

Schott, John

Advisor/Committee Member

Vodacek, Anthony

Advisor/Committee Member

Brown, Scott

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: TA1570 .B37 1997

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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