A multistage database of field measurements and synoptic remotely sensed data to support model validation and testing in Earth observation

This paper presents a novel database of ground and remotely sensed data from the United Kingdom, which is uniquely suited to scaling-up multispectral measurements from a single plot to the scale of satellite sensor observations. Multiple aircraft and satellite sensors were involved, and most of the data were acquired on a single day in June 2006, providing a synoptic view which, at its largest extent, covered most of southern England and Wales. Three airborne imaging spectrometers were involved (Specim AISA Eagle, Itres CASI-2 and -3) and three satellite sensors (UK-DMC, PROBA/CHRIS, and SPOT HRG), complemented with airborne LiDAR, multispectral survey cameras, and ground measurements (land cover, LAI, reflectance factors, and atmospheric measurements). In this paper the NCAVEO Field Campaign (NFC) database is described and an example of its use to produce a high spatial resolution leaf area index map for the validation of medium-resolution products (MODIS, VEGETATION, and MERIS) is presented.