Investigation of techniques for correction ERTS data for solar and atmospheric effects

Abstract

Significant findings during this report period are: (1) The feasibility of using techniques for obtaining and using atmospheric parameter to transform ERTS data into absolute target reflectance was demonstrated. (2) Ground-truth instrumentation must have a dynamic range of 100,000 for obtaining the full set of atmospheric parameters encountered in the field. (3) Atmospheric transmittance for January through May 1973 varied from 13 to 18 percent in the ERTS bands. (4) Energy scattered to the spacecraft from the atmosphere for the March overflight was equivalent to that produced by a target having a reflectance of 11% in band 4, 5% in band 5, 3% in band 6, and 1% in band 7. (5) This atmospheric radiance varies as a function of sun zenith angle (scatter angle) and is predicted to change by 30% for sun angles at the latitude of the Michigan test site. (6) If not removed from spacecraft measurements before computing reflectance of surface targets, this radiance is a major source of error