Improved Atmospheric Characterization for Hyperspectral Exploitation

Airborne hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the LWIR has shown utility in material detection and identification. This research seeks to determine the most effective methods to perform model-based atmospheric compensation of LWIR HSI data by comparing results obtained from different atmospheric profiles. The standard model for mid-latitude summer (MLS) and radiosonde data are compared to the National Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS) numerical weather predictions and the Extreme and Percentile Environmental Reference Tables (ExPERT). The two latter atmospheric profiles are generated using the Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) software. MLS has been a standard starting point for model-based atmospheric compensation codes, but this study tests the effectiveness of starting with a more accurate model of the atmosphere. The results suggest improvements can be obtained using NOMADS and ExPERT when compared to MLS and radiosonde approaches