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Calibrating a System of Satellite Instruments

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Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change

Abstract

Satellite instrument calibration is the essential and fundamental process to convert the Earth view sensor response in voltage and counts to radiance and reflectance. Calibration accuracy directly affects the quality of the satellite Level 1b data used for numerical weather prediction and climate change detection. Therefore, ideally all calibration should be made traceable to the International System of Units (SI). However, since each satellite instrument is calibrated separately with different methodologies and at different times in history, there is often disagreement between satellite measurements which could cause errors in both weather and climate applications. This chapter provides an overview of the fundamentals of satellite instrument calibration and reviews some of the challenges in establishing consistent satellite measurements across a system of satellites. Examples are used to demonstrate the progress made in inter-satellite calibration in recent years to support climate change detection studies and to contribute to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Drs. Pubu Ciren, Likun Wang, and Bob Iacovazzi for providing part of the data used in this chapter. We also thank Dr. Lawrence Flynn of NOAA/NESDIS/STAR and Dr. Shucai Guan of NOAA/NCEP/NCO for a critical review of the manuscript with constructive comments and suggestions. The manuscript contents are solely the opinions of the author and do not constitute a statement of policy, decision, or position on behalf of NOAA or the US government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Satellite Meteorology and Climatology Division (SMCD), Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR), NOAA/NESDIS, Maryland, USA

    Changyong Cao

  2. IMSG Inc., Rockville, MD, USA

    Ruiyue Chen

  3. Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Sirish Uprety

Authors
  1. Changyong Cao
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  2. Ruiyue Chen
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  3. Sirish Uprety
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Changyong Cao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Environmental Science and Technology, George Mason University, Fairfax, 22030, USA

    John Qu

  2. Administration, NOAA/NESDIS, Center for Satellite Application and Res, National Oceanic & Atmospheric, Auth Road 5200, Camp Springs, 20746, Maryland, USA

    Alfred Powell

  3. , Climate and Water Programme, World Meteorological Organization, 7bis, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland

    M.V.K. Sivakumar

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Cao, C., Chen, R., Uprety, S. (2013). Calibrating a System of Satellite Instruments. In: Qu, J., Powell, A., Sivakumar, M. (eds) Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5872-8_2

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