Calibration of NOAA16 AVHRR over a desert site using MODIS data

This paper presents a new approach to AVHRR-sensors cross-calibration in the visible to shortwave-infrared spectral domain using an a-priori, well calibrated sensor (MODIS). The approach has been tested over a stable Sahara desert site and was initially applied to compare the absolute calibration coefficients of three different bands of the Terra and Aqua MODIS instruments. The observed agreement was better than 1% for bands 1 (0.67 μm), 2 (0.87 μm) and 7 (2.13 μm). The approach was then applied to cross-calibrate the AVHRR sensor onboard NOAA16. The absolute calibration coefficients derived for bands 1 and 2, using the Terra MODIS as a reference, were compared to the vicarious coefficients derived using the ocean and clouds method [Vermote E.F. and Kaufman Y.J. (1995). Absolute calibration of AVHRR visible and near-infrared channels using ocean and cloud views, International Journal of Remote Sensing, 16, 13, 2317–2340.]. The coefficients were consistent within less than 1%.