Calibration of advanced very high resolution radiometer infrared channels: a new approach to nonlinear correction

Abstract

A detailed reanalysis of the calibration procedures for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) based on thermal-vacuum test data was performed as part of the National Air and Space Adminsitration/NOAA AVHRR Pathfinder Project. This was motivated by the finding that the AVHRR instruments on several NOAA platforms have been routinely operated outside the range of thermal-vacuum test results, and thus one could not interpolate nonlinear corrections directly from earlier methods. These new calibration procedures permit calculation of nonlinear temperature corrections for any AVHRR operating temperature based on a second-order polynomial regresssion with a total calibration accuracy relative to an external calibration standard of less than two digital counts (±0.2°C). -from Authors