Inter-calibration of meteorological satellite sensors in the visible and near-infrared Original Research Article

A simple technique for the inter-calibration of meteorological satellite sensors in the visible and near-infrared is described. The technique is based on using inter-relationships established using model simulations of the radiation measured at the top of the atmosphere by the reference and candidate sensors to transfer the calibration of the former to the latter, using a radiometrically stable desert calibration site as a calibration transfer platform. The application of the technique is illustrated with examples of the inter-calibration of the visible and near-infrared channels of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), the GOES Imager, the Along-Track Scanning Radiometer-2 (ATSR-2), and the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).