A BRDF-BPDF database for the analysis of Earth target reflectances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breon, Francois-Marie; Maignan, Fabienne

2017-01-01

Land surface reflectance is not isotropic. It varies with the observation geometry that is defined by the sun, view zenith angles, and the relative azimuth. In addition, the reflectance is linearly polarized. The reflectance anisotropy is quantified by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), while its polarization properties are defined by the bidirectional polarization distribution function (BPDF). The POLDER radiometer that flew onboard the PARASOL microsatellite remains the only space instrument that measured numerous samples of the BRDF and BPDF of Earth targets. Here, we describe a database of representative BRDFs and BPDFs derived from the POLDER measurements. From the huge number of data acquired by the spaceborne instrument over a period of 7 years, we selected a set of targets with high-quality observations. The selection aimed for a large number of observations, free of significant cloud or aerosol contamination, acquired in diverse observation geometries with a focus on the backscatter direction that shows the specific hot spot signature. The targets are sorted according to the 16-class International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) land cover classification system, and the target selection aims at a spatial representativeness within the class. The database thus provides a set of high-quality BRDF and BPDF samples that can be used to assess the typical variability of natural surface reflectances or to evaluate models. It is available freely from the PANGAEA website (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.864090). In addition to the database, we provide a visualization and analysis tool based on the Interactive Data Language (IDL). It allows an interactive analysis of the measurements and a comparison against various BRDF and BPDF analytical models. The present paper describes the input data, the selection principles, the database format, and the analysis tool

Determining the influential depth for surface reflectance of sediment by BRDF measurements.

PubMed

Zhang, H; Voss, K; Reid, R

2003-10-20

We measure the Bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of ooid sand layers with three particle size distributions (0.5-1mm, 0.25-0.5mm and 0.125-0.25mm) and layer thicknesses on a reflecting mirror to determine the influential depth in the optical region at wavelengths of 658 nm (red), 570 nm (green) and 457 nm (blue). The hemispherical reflectance (albedo) was used as an indicator of BRDF changes between different layers. Measurements are carried out on both dry and water wetted grains. The results indicate that for both dry and wet and all size distributions, the influential depth is at most 2mm.

Do BRDF effects dominate seasonal changes in tower-based remote sensing imagery?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagol, J. R.; Morton, D. C.; Rubio, J.; Cook, B. D.; Rishmawi, K.

2014-12-01

In situ remote sensing complements data from airborne and space-based sensors, in particular for intensive study sites where optical imagery can be paired with detailed ground and tower measurements. The characteristics of tower-mounted imaging systems are quite different from the nadir viewing geometry of other remote sensing platforms. In particular, tower-mounted systems are quite sensitive to artifacts of seasonal and diurnal sun angle variations. Most systems are oriented in a fixed north or south direction (depending on latitude), placing them in the principal plane at solar noon. The strength of the BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) effect is strongest for images acquired at that time. Phenological metrics derived from tower based oblique angle imaging systems are particularly prone to BRDF effects, as shadowing within and between tree crowns varies seasonally. For sites in the northern hemisphere, the fraction of sunlit and shaded vegetation declines following the June solstice to leaf senescence in September. Correcting tower-based remote sensing imagery for artifacts of BRDF is critical to isolate real changes in canopy phenology and reflectance. Here, we used airborne lidar data from NASA Goddard's Lidar, Hyperspectral, and Thermal Airborne Imager (G-LiHT) to develop a 3D forest scene for Harvard Forest in the Discrete Anisotrophic Radiative Transfer (DART) model. Our objective was to model the contribution of changes in shadowing and illumination to observations of changes in greenness from the Phenocam image time series at the Harvard Forest site. Diurnal variability in canopy greenness from the Phenocam time series provides an independent evaluation of BRDF effects from changes in illumination and sun-sensor geometries. The overall goal of this work is to develop a look-up table solution to correct major components of BRDF for tower-mounted imaging systems such as Phenocam, based on characteristics of the forest structure (forest

Assessment of MODIS BRDF/Albedo Model Parameters (MCD43A1 Collection 6) for directional reflectance retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che, X.; Feng, M.; Sexton, J. O.; Channan, S.; Yang, Y.; Song, J.

2017-12-01

Reflection of solar radiation from Earth's surface is the basis for retrieving many higher-level terrestrial attributes such as vegetation indices and albedo. However, reflectance varies with the illumination and viewing geometry of observation (Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)) even with constant surface properties, and correcting for these artifacts increases precision of comparisons of images and time series acquired from satellites with different illumination and observation geometries. The operational MODIS processing inverts MODIS BRDF/Albedo Model Parameters (MCD43A1) to retrieve directional reflectance at any solar and view angles, and recently the MCD43A1 (Collection 6) was updated and distributed. We quantified the ability of MCD43A1 Collection 6 for retrieving directional reflectance compared to Collection 5 and tested whether changes in the land surface change over a 16-day composite period affect time series of directional reflectance. Correcting the Terra MODIS daily Surface Reflectance (MOD09GA) to the illumination and view geometries of coincidental Aqua MODIS daily Surface Reflectance (MYD09GA), MCD43A4 Collection 6 and Landsat-5 TM imagery show that the BRDF-corrected results using MCD43A1 Collection 6 hold a higher consistency with higher R2 (0.63 0.955), the slopes close to unity (0.718 0.955) and the lower RMSD (0.422 3.142) and MAE (0.282 1.735) reduced by about 10% than Collection 5. A simple parameter calibration to evaluate the variability of the roughness (R) and the volumetric (V) BRDF parameters for MCD43A1 Collection 6 shows that the assumption of stable land surface characteristic over 16-days composite period, used for BRDF parameters inversion, is plausible in spite of small improvement of directional reflectance and BRDF parameters time series. The larger fluctuations for the MCD43A1 Collection 6 do not have a discernable impact on the reflectance time series. All of these results shows that MCD43A1 Collection

The measurement and evaluation of bidirectional reflectance characteristics of Dunhuang radiometric calibration test site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chun-yan; Li, Xin; Wei, Wei; Zheng, Xiao-bing

2016-10-01

With the progress of quantitative remote sensing, the acquisition of surface BRDF becomes more and more important. In order to improve the accuracy of the surface BRDF measurements, a VNIR-SWIR Bidirectional Reflectance Automatic Measurement System, which was developed by Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HIPS), is introduced that allows in situ measurements of hyperspectral bidirectional reflectance data. Hyperspectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function data sets taken with the BRDF automatic measurement system nominally cover the spectral range between 390 and 2390 nm in 971 bands. In July 2007, September 2008, June 2011, we acquired a series of the BRDF data covered Dunhuang radiometric calibration test site in terms of the BRDF measurement system. We have not obtained such comprehensive and accurate data as they are, since 1990s when the site was built up. These data are applied to calibration for FY-2 and other satellites sensors. Field BRDF data of a Dunhuang site surface reveal a strong spectral variability. An anisotropy factor (ANIF), defined as the ratio between the directional reflectance and nadir reflectance over the hemisphere, is introduced as a surrogate measurement for the extent of spectral BRDF effects. The ANIF data show a very high correlation with the solar zenith angle due to multiple scattering effects over a desert site. Since surface geometry, multiple scattering, and BRDF effects are related, these findings may help to derive BRDF model parameters from the in-situ BRDF measurement remotely sensed hyperspectral data sets.

Monitoring Land Surface Albedo and Vegetation Dynamics Using High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Synthetic Time Series from Landsat and the MODIS BRDF/NBAR/Albedo Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Zhuosen; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Sun, Quingsong; Kim, Jihyun; Erb, Angela M.; Gao, Feng; Roman, Miguel O.; Yang, Yun; Petroy, Shelley; Taylor, Jeffrey R.;

Modelling the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of seawater polluted by an oil film.

PubMed

Otremba, Zbigniew; Piskozub, Jacek

2004-04-19

The Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of both clean seawaters and those polluted with oil film was determined using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer technique in which the spectrum of complex refractive index of Romashkino crude oil and the optical properties of case II water for chosen wavelengths was considered. The BRDF values were recorded for 1836 solid angular sectors of throughout the upper hemisphere. The visibility of areas polluted with oil observed from various directions and for various wavelengths is discussed.

Modeling of forest canopy BRDF using DIRSIG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengarajan, Rajagopalan; Schott, John R.

2016-05-01

The characterization and temporal analysis of multispectral and hyperspectral data to extract the biophysical information of the Earth's surface can be significantly improved by understanding its aniosotropic reflectance properties, which are best described by a Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF). The advancements in the field of remote sensing techniques and instrumentation have made hyperspectral BRDF measurements in the field possible using sophisticated goniometers. However, natural surfaces such as forest canopies impose limitations on both the data collection techniques, as well as, the range of illumination angles that can be collected from the field. These limitations can be mitigated by measuring BRDF in a virtual environment. This paper presents an approach to model the spectral BRDF of a forest canopy using the Digital Image and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) model. A synthetic forest canopy scene is constructed by modeling the 3D geometries of different tree species using OnyxTree software. The field collected spectra from the Harvard forest is used to represent the optical properties of the tree elements. The canopy radiative transfer is estimated using the DIRSIG model for specific view and illumination angles to generate BRDF measurements. A full hemispherical BRDF is generated by fitting the measured BRDF to a semi-empirical BRDF model. The results from fitting the model to the measurement indicates a root mean square error of less than 5% (2 reflectance units) relative to the forest's reflectance in the VIS-NIR-SWIR region. The process can be easily extended to generate a spectral BRDF library for various biomes.

Deriving Albedo from Coupled MERIS and MODIS Surface Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gao, Feng; Schaaf, Crystal; Jin, Yu-Fang; Lucht, Wolfgang; Strahler, Alan

2004-01-01

MERIS Level 2 surface reflectance products are now available to the scientific community. This paper demonstrates the production of MERIS-derived surface albedo and Nadir Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) adjusted reflectances by coupling the MERIS data with MODIS BRDF products. Initial efforts rely on the specification of surface anisotropy as provided by the global MODIS BRDF product for a first guess of the shape of the BRDF and then make use all of the coincidently available, partially atmospherically corrected, cloud cleared, MERIS observations to generate MERIS-derived BRDF and surface albedo quantities for each location. Comparisons between MODIS (aerosol-corrected) and MERIS (not-yet aerosol-corrected) surface values from April and May 2003 are also presented for case studies in Spain and California as well as preliminary comparisons with field data from the Devil's Rock Surfrad/BSRN site.

Simplifying BRDF input data for optical signature modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallberg, Tomas; Pohl, Anna; Fagerström, Jan

2017-05-01

Scene simulations of optical signature properties using signature codes normally requires input of various parameterized measurement data of surfaces and coatings in order to achieve realistic scene object features. Some of the most important parameters are used in the model of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and are normally determined by surface reflectance and scattering measurements. Reflectance measurements of the spectral Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR) at various incident angles can normally be performed in most spectroscopy labs, while measuring the BRDF is more complicated or may not be available at all in many optical labs. We will present a method in order to achieve the necessary BRDF data directly from DHR measurements for modeling software using the Sandford-Robertson BRDF model. The accuracy of the method is tested by modeling a test surface by comparing results from using estimated and measured BRDF data as input to the model. These results show that using this method gives no significant loss in modeling accuracy.

Bidirectional Reflectance Modeling of Non-homogeneous Plant Canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, J. M. (Principal Investigator)

1985-01-01

The objective of this research is to develop a 3-dimensional radiative transfer model for predicting the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) for heterogeneous vegetation canopies. The model (named BIGAR) considers the angular distribution of leaves, leaf area index, the location and size of individual subcanopies such as widely spaced rows or trees, spectral and directional properties of leaves, multiple scattering, solar position and sky condition, and characteristics of the soil. The model relates canopy biophysical attributes to down-looking radiation measurements for nadir and off-nadir viewing angles. Therefore, inversion of this model, which is difficult but practical should provide surface biophysical pattern; a fundamental goal of remote sensing. Such a model also will help to evaluate atmospheric limitations to satellite remote sensing by providing a good surface boundary condition for many different kinds of canopies. Furthermore, this model can relate estimates of nadir reflectance, which is approximated by most satellites, to hemispherical reflectance, which is necessary in the energy budget of vegetated surfaces.

Rational BRDF.

PubMed

Pacanowski, Romain; Salazar Celis, Oliver; Schlick, Christophe; Granier, Xavier; Poulin, Pierre; Cuyt, Annie

2012-11-01

Over the last two decades, much effort has been devoted to accurately measuring Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) of real-world materials and to use efficiently the resulting data for rendering. Because of their large size, it is difficult to use directly measured BRDFs for real-time applications, and fitting the most sophisticated analytical BRDF models is still a complex task. In this paper, we introduce Rational BRDF, a general-purpose and efficient representation for arbitrary BRDFs, based on Rational Functions (RFs). Using an adapted parametrization, we demonstrate how Rational BRDFs offer 1) a more compact and efficient representation using low-degree RFs, 2) an accurate fitting of measured materials with guaranteed control of the residual error, and 3) efficient importance sampling by applying the same fitting process to determine the inverse of the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) generated from the BRDF for use in Monte-Carlo rendering.

Establishing BRDF calibration capabilities through shortwave infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2017-09-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) of the laboratory and flight diffusers used in their pre-flight and on-orbit calibrations. This paper advances that initial work and presents a comparison of spectral Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR) of Spectralon*, a common material for laboratory and onorbit flight diffusers. A new measurement setup for BRDF measurements from 900 nm to 2500 nm located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is described. The GSFC setup employs an extended indium gallium arsenide detector, bandpass filters, and a supercontinuum light source. Comparisons of the GSFC BRDF measurements in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) with those made by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) are presented. The Spectralon sample used in this study was 2 inch diameter, 99% white pressed and sintered Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) target. The NASA/NIST BRDF comparison measurements were made at an incident angle of 0° and viewing angle of 45° . Additional BRDF data not compared to NIST were measured at additional incident and viewing angle geometries and are not presented here. The total combined uncertainty for the measurement of BRDF in the SWIR range made by the GSFC scatterometer is less than 1% (k = 1). This study is in support of the calibration of the Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suit (VIIRS) instruments of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and other current and future NASA remote sensing missions operating across the reflected solar wavelength region.

ESTABLISHING BRDF CALIBRATION CAPABILITIES THROUGH SHORTWAVE INFRARED

PubMed Central

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2017-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) of the laboratory and flight diffusers used in their pre-flight and on-orbit calibrations. This paper advances that initial work and presents a comparison of spectral Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR) of Spectralon*, a common material for laboratory and on-orbit flight diffusers. A new measurement setup for BRDF measurements from 900 nm to 2500 nm located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is described. The GSFC setup employs an extended indium gallium arsenide detector, bandpass filters, and a supercontinuum light source. Comparisons of the GSFC BRDF measurements in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) with those made by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) are presented. The Spectralon sample used in this study was 2 inch diameter, 99% white pressed and sintered Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) target. The NASA/NIST BRDF comparison measurements were made at an incident angle of 0° and viewing angle of 45°. Additional BRDF data not compared to NIST were measured at additional incident and viewing angle geometries and are not presented here. The total combined uncertainty for the measurement of BRDF in the SWIR range made by the GSFC scatterometer is less than 1% (k = 1). This study is in support of the calibration of the Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suit (VIIRS) instruments of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and other current and future NASA remote sensing missions operating across the reflected solar wavelength region. PMID:29167593

ESTABLISHING BRDF CALIBRATION CAPABILITIES THROUGH SHORTWAVE INFRARED.

PubMed

Georgiev, Georgi T; Butler, James J; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2017-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) of the laboratory and flight diffusers used in their pre-flight and on-orbit calibrations. This paper advances that initial work and presents a comparison of spectral Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR) of Spectralon, a common material for laboratory and on-orbit flight diffusers. A new measurement setup for BRDF measurements from 900 nm to 2500 nm located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is described. The GSFC setup employs an extended indium gallium arsenide detector, bandpass filters, and a supercontinuum light source. Comparisons of the GSFC BRDF measurements in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) with those made by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) are presented. The Spectralon sample used in this study was 2 inch diameter, 99% white pressed and sintered Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) target. The NASA/NIST BRDF comparison measurements were made at an incident angle of 0° and viewing angle of 45°. Additional BRDF data not compared to NIST were measured at additional incident and viewing angle geometries and are not presented here. The total combined uncertainty for the measurement of BRDF in the SWIR range made by the GSFC scatterometer is less than 1% ( k = 1). This study is in support of the calibration of the Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suit (VIIRS) instruments of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and other current and future NASA remote sensing missions operating across the reflected solar wavelength region.

Creation and Validation of Sintered PTFE BRDF Targets & Standards

PubMed Central

Durell, Christopher; Scharpf, Dan; McKee, Greg; L’Heureux, Michelle; Georgiev, Georgi; Obein, Gael; Cooksey, Catherine

2016-01-01

Sintered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is an extremely stable, near-perfect Lambertian reflecting diffuser and calibration standard material that has been used by national labs, space, aerospace and commercial sectors for over two decades. New uncertainty targets of 2 % on-orbit absolute validation in the Earth Observing Systems community have challenged the industry to improve is characterization and knowledge of almost every aspect of radiometric performance (space and ground). Assuming “near perfect” reflectance for angular dependent measurements is no longer going to suffice for many program needs. The total hemispherical spectral reflectance provides a good mark of general performance; but, without the angular characterization of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements, critical data is missing from many applications and uncertainty budgets. Therefore, traceable BRDF measurement capability is needed to characterize sintered PTFE’s angular response and provide a full uncertainty profile to users. This paper presents preliminary comparison measurements of the BRDF of sintered PTFE from several laboratories to better quantify the BRDF of sintered PTFE, assess the BRDF measurement comparability between laboratories, and improve estimates of measurement uncertainties under laboratory conditions. PMID:26900206

Creation and Validation of Sintered PTFE BRDF Targets & Standards.

PubMed

Durell, Christopher; Scharpf, Dan; McKee, Greg; L'Heureux, Michelle; Georgiev, Georgi; Obein, Gael; Cooksey, Catherine

2015-09-21

Sintered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is an extremely stable, near-perfect Lambertian reflecting diffuser and calibration standard material that has been used by national labs, space, aerospace and commercial sectors for over two decades. New uncertainty targets of 2 % on-orbit absolute validation in the Earth Observing Systems community have challenged the industry to improve is characterization and knowledge of almost every aspect of radiometric performance (space and ground). Assuming "near perfect" reflectance for angular dependent measurements is no longer going to suffice for many program needs. The total hemispherical spectral reflectance provides a good mark of general performance; but, without the angular characterization of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements, critical data is missing from many applications and uncertainty budgets. Therefore, traceable BRDF measurement capability is needed to characterize sintered PTFE's angular response and provide a full uncertainty profile to users. This paper presents preliminary comparison measurements of the BRDF of sintered PTFE from several laboratories to better quantify the BRDF of sintered PTFE, assess the BRDF measurement comparability between laboratories, and improve estimates of measurement uncertainties under laboratory conditions.

[Modeling polarimetric BRDF of leaves surfaces].

PubMed

Xie, Dong-Hui; Wang, Pei-Juan; Zhu, Qi-Jiang; Zhou, Hong-Min

2010-12-01

The purpose of the present paper is to model a physical polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (pBRDF), which can character not only the non-Lambertian but also the polarized features in order that the pBRDF can be applied to analyze the relationship between the degree of polarization and the physiological and biochemical parameters of leaves quantitatively later. Firstly, the bidirectional polarized reflectance distributions from several leaves surfaces were measured by the polarized goniometer developed by Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The samples of leaves include two pieces of zea mays L. leaves (young leaf and mature leaf) and a piece of E. palcherrima wild leaf. Non-Lambertian characteristics of directional reflectance from the surfaces of these three leaves are obvious. A Cook-Torrance model was modified by coupling the polarized Fresnel equations to simulate the bidirectional polarized reflectance properties of leaves surfaces. The three parameters in the modified pBRDF model, such as diffuse reflectivity, refractive index and roughness of leaf surface were inversed with genetic algorithm (GA). It was found that the pBRDF model can fit with the measured data well. In addition, these parameters in the model are related with both the physiological and biochemical properties and the polarized characteristics of leaves, therefore it is possible to build the relationships between them later.

Estimation of Nitrogen Vertical Distribution by Bi-Directional Canopy Reflectance in Winter Wheat

PubMed Central

Huang, Wenjiang; Yang, Qinying; Pu, Ruiliang; Yang, Shaoyuan

2014-01-01

Timely measurement of vertical foliage nitrogen distribution is critical for increasing crop yield and reducing environmental impact. In this study, a novel method with partial least square regression (PLSR) and vegetation indices was developed to determine optimal models for extracting vertical foliage nitrogen distribution of winter wheat by using bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data. The BRDF data were collected from ground-based hyperspectral reflectance measurements recorded at the Xiaotangshan Precision Agriculture Experimental Base in 2003, 2004 and 2007. The view zenith angles (1) at nadir, 40° and 50°; (2) at nadir, 30° and 40°; and (3) at nadir, 20° and 30° were selected as optical view angles to estimate foliage nitrogen density (FND) at an upper, middle and bottom layer, respectively. For each layer, three optimal PLSR analysis models with FND as a dependent variable and two vegetation indices (nitrogen reflectance index (NRI), normalized pigment chlorophyll index (NPCI) or a combination of NRI and NPCI) at corresponding angles as explanatory variables were established. The experimental results from an independent model verification demonstrated that the PLSR analysis models with the combination of NRI and NPCI as the explanatory variables were the most accurate in estimating FND for each layer. The coefficients of determination (R2) of this model between upper layer-, middle layer- and bottom layer-derived and laboratory-measured foliage nitrogen density were 0.7335, 0.7336, 0.6746, respectively. PMID:25353983

Estimation of nitrogen vertical distribution by bi-directional canopy reflectance in winter wheat.

PubMed

Huang, Wenjiang; Yang, Qinying; Pu, Ruiliang; Yang, Shaoyuan

2014-10-28

Timely measurement of vertical foliage nitrogen distribution is critical for increasing crop yield and reducing environmental impact. In this study, a novel method with partial least square regression (PLSR) and vegetation indices was developed to determine optimal models for extracting vertical foliage nitrogen distribution of winter wheat by using bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data. The BRDF data were collected from ground-based hyperspectral reflectance measurements recorded at the Xiaotangshan Precision Agriculture Experimental Base in 2003, 2004 and 2007. The view zenith angles (1) at nadir, 40° and 50°; (2) at nadir, 30° and 40°; and (3) at nadir, 20° and 30° were selected as optical view angles to estimate foliage nitrogen density (FND) at an upper, middle and bottom layer, respectively. For each layer, three optimal PLSR analysis models with FND as a dependent variable and two vegetation indices (nitrogen reflectance index (NRI), normalized pigment chlorophyll index (NPCI) or a combination of NRI and NPCI) at corresponding angles as explanatory variables were established. The experimental results from an independent model verification demonstrated that the PLSR analysis models with the combination of NRI and NPCI as the explanatory variables were the most accurate in estimating FND for each layer. The coefficients of determination (R2) of this model between upper layer-, middle layer- and bottom layer-derived and laboratory-measured foliage nitrogen density were 0.7335, 0.7336, 0.6746, respectively.

Comparison of cloud optical depth and cloud mask applying BRDF model-based background surface reflectance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H. W.; Yeom, J. M.; Woo, S. H.

2017-12-01

Over the thin cloud region, satellite can simultaneously detect the reflectance from thin clouds and land surface. Since the mixed reflectance is not the exact cloud information, the background surface reflectance should be eliminated to accurately distinguish thin cloud such as cirrus. In the previous research, Kim et al (2017) was developed the cloud masking algorithm using the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), which is one of significant instruments for Communication, Ocean, and Meteorology Satellite (COMS). Although GOCI has 8 spectral channels including visible and near infra-red spectral ranges, the cloud masking has quantitatively reasonable result when comparing with MODIS cloud mask (Collection 6 MYD35). Especially, we noticed that this cloud masking algorithm is more specialized in thin cloud detections through the validation with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data. Because this cloud masking method was concentrated on eliminating background surface effects from the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance. Applying the difference between TOA reflectance and the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model-based background surface reflectance, cloud areas both thick cloud and thin cloud can be discriminated without infra-red channels which were mostly used for detecting clouds. Moreover, when the cloud mask result was utilized as the input data when simulating BRDF model and the optimized BRDF model-based surface reflectance was used for the optimized cloud masking, the probability of detection (POD) has higher value than POD of the original cloud mask. In this study, we examine the correlation between cloud optical depth (COD) and its cloud mask result. Cloud optical depths mostly depend on the cloud thickness, the characteristic of contents, and the size of cloud contents. COD ranges from less than 0.1 for thin clouds to over 1000 for the huge cumulus due to scattering by droplets. With

Dynamic data driven bidirectional reflectance distribution function measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauyoks, Stephen E.; Freda, Sam; Marciniak, Michael A.

2014-09-01

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is a fitted distribution function that defines the scatter of light off of a surface. The BRDF is dependent on the directions of both the incident and scattered light. Because of the vastness of the measurement space of all possible incident and reflected directions, the calculation of BRDF is usually performed using a minimal amount of measured data. This may lead to poor fits and uncertainty in certain regions of incidence or reflection. A dynamic data driven application system (DDDAS) is a concept that uses an algorithm on collected data to influence the collection space of future data acquisition. The authors propose a DDD-BRDF algorithm that fits BRDF data as it is being acquired and uses on-the-fly fittings of various BRDF models to adjust the potential measurement space. In doing so, it is hoped to find the best model to fit a surface and the best global fit of the BRDF with a minimum amount of collection space.

Fixed Nadir Focus Concentrated Solar Power Applying Reflective Array Tracking Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, B.; DAMayanti, A. M.; Murdani, A.; Habibi, I. I. A.; Wakidah, R. N.

2018-04-01

The Sun is one of the most potential renewable energy develoPMent to be utilized, one of its utilization is for solar thermal concentrators, CSP (Concentrated Solar Power). In CSP energy conversion, the concentrator is as moving the object by tracking the sunlight to reach the focus point. This method need quite energy consumption, because the unit of the concentrators has considerable weight, and use large CSP, means the existence of the usage unit will appear to be wider and heavier. The addition of weight and width of the unit will increase the torque to drive the concentrator and hold the wind gusts. One method to reduce energy consumption is direct the sunlight by the reflective array to nadir through CSP with Reflective Fresnel Lens concentrator. The focus will be below the nadir direction, and the position of concentrator will be fixed position even the angle of the sun’s elevation changes from morning to afternoon. So, the energy concentrated maximally, because it has been protected from wind gusts. And then, the possibility of dAMage and changes in focus construction will not occur. The research study and simulation of the reflective array (mechanical method) will show the reflective angle movement. The distance between reflectors and their angle are controlled by mechatronics. From the simulation using fresnel 1m2, and efficiency of solar energy is 60.88%. In restriction, the intensity of sunlight at the tropical circles 1KW/peak, from 6 AM until 6 PM.

BRDF of Salt Pan Regolith Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Gatebe, Charles K.; Butler, James J.; King, Michael D.

2008-01-01

Laboratory Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) measurements of salt pan regolith samples are presented in this study in an effort to understand the role of spatial and spectral variability of the natural biome. The samples were obtained from Etosha Pan, Namibia (19.20 deg S, 15.93 deg E, alt. 1100 m). It is shown how the BRDF depends on the measurement geometry - incident and scatter angles and on the sample particle sizes. As a demonstration of the application of the results, airborne BRDF measurements acquires with NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) over the same general site where the regolith samples were collected are compared with the laboratory results. Good agreement between laboratory measured and field measured BRDF is reported.

[Modeling and Simulation of Spectral Polarimetric BRDF].

PubMed

Ling, Jin-jiang; Li, Gang; Zhang, Ren-bin; Tang, Qian; Ye, Qiu

2016-01-01

Under the conditions of the polarized light, The reflective surface of the object is affected by many factors, refractive index, surface roughness, and so the angle of incidence. For the rough surface in the different wavelengths of light exhibit different reflection characteristics of polarization, a spectral polarimetric BRDF based on Kirchhof theory is proposee. The spectral model of complex refraction index is combined with refraction index and extinction coefficient spectral model which were got by using the known complex refraction index at different value. Then get the spectral model of surface roughness derived from the classical surface roughness measuring method combined with the Fresnel reflection function. Take the spectral model of refraction index and roughness into the BRDF model, then the spectral polarimetirc BRDF model is proposed. Compare the simulation results of the refractive index varies with wavelength, roughness is constant, the refraction index and roughness both vary with wavelength and origin model with other papers, it shows that, the spectral polarimetric BRDF model can show the polarization characteristics of the surface accurately, and can provide a reliable basis for the application of polarization remote sensing, and other aspects of the classification of substances.

Bidirectional reflectance modeling of non-homogeneous plant canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, John M.

1986-01-01

The objective of this research is to develop a 3-dimensional radiative transfer model for predicting the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) for heterogeneous vegetation canopies. Leaf bidirectional reflectance and transmittance distribution functions were measured for corn and soybean leaves. The measurements clearly show that leaves are complex scatterers and considerable specular reflectance is possible. Because of the character of leaf reflectance, true leaf reflectance is larger than the nadir reflectances that are normally used to represent leaves. A 3-dimensional reflectance model, named BIGAR (Bidirectional General Array Model), was developed and compared with measurements from corn and soybean. The model is based on the concept that heterogeneous canopies can be described by a combination of many subcanopies, which contain all the foliage, and these subcanopy envelopes can be characterized by ellipsoids of various sizes and shapes. The model/measurement comparison results indicate that this relatively simple model captures the essential character of row crop BRDF's. Finally, two soil BDRF models were developed: one represents soil particles as rectangular blocks and the other represents soil particles as spheres. The sphere model was found to be superior.

A Harmonized Landsat-Sentinel-2 Surface Reflectance product: a resource for Agricultural Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masek, J. G.; Claverie, M.; Ju, J.; Vermote, E.; Justice, C. O.

2015-12-01

The combination of Landsat and Sentinel-2 data offers a unique opportunity to observe globally the land every 2-3 days at medium (<30m) spatial resolution. The Harmonized Landsat-Sentinel-2 (HLS) project is a NASA initiative aiming to produce surface reflectance data from Landsat and Sentinel-2 missions and to deliver them to the community in a combined, seamless form. The HLS will be beneficial for global agricultural monitoring applications that require medium spatial resolution and weekly or more frequent observations. In particular, the provided opportunity to track crop phenology at the scale of individual fields will support detailed mapping of crop type and type-specific vegetation conditions. To create a compatible set of radiometric measurements, the HLS product relies on rigorous pre- and post-launch cross-calibration (Landsat-8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI) activities. The processing chain includes the following components: atmospheric correction, cloud/shadow masking, nadir BRDF-adjustment, spectral-adjustment, regridding, and temporal composite. The atmospheric correction and cloud masking is based on the OLI atmospheric correction developed at NASA-GSFC and has been adapted to the MSI data. The BRDF-adjustment is based on a disaggregation technique using MODIS-based BRDF coefficients. The technique has been evaluated using the multi-angular acquisition from the SPOT 4 and 5 (Take5) experiments. The spectral-adjustment relies on a linear regression that has been calibrated and evaluated using synthetic data and surface reflectance processed from a large number of hyperspectral EO-1 Hyperion scenes. Finally, significant effort is placed on product validation and evaluation. The delivered data set will include surface reflectance products at different levels: Using the native gridding, i.e. UTM, 30m for Landsat-8, and UTM, 10-20m for Sentinel-2 Using a common global gridding (Sinusoidal, 30m) Temporal composite (Sinusoidal, 30m, 5-day) During the first year of

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of the Ocean: Effects of Wave Representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eide, H.; Stamnes, K.; Ottaviani, M.

2004-12-01

The specular reflection of the Sun off the ocean, or sun glint, is of major concern for ocean remote sensing. Typically, data from in and around the sunglint region are discarded because of the unknown contribution to the measured radiances or because of sensor saturation. On the other hand, accurate knowledge of the sunglint properties enables retrievals of atmospheric parameters. The challenge of the ocean retrieval problem is to get the ``water leaving radiance'', Lw, by subtracting the Rayleigh scattering, aerosol scattering, water vapor, ozone, and sun glint from the measured radiances at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). Thus, the task is to correct for both the atmospheric contribution and for surface effects. Two simplifying assumptions that are frequently employed in ocean remote sensing are that the ocean BRDF is isotropic and that one can de-couple the radiative properties of the atmosphere from those of the surface. Our previous studies have shown that neglecting the inherit coupling between the atmosphere and surface can lead to large errors in the retrievals. In order to do retrievals over bright, as well as darker surfaces, it is necessary to account for this coupling between the surface and the atmosphere. In the present study we use models for the reflection of light off the ocean surface to calculate the ocean BRDF. The differences between the various models are investigated as is the effect of using different types of wave statistics (e.g. Cox Munk). We present results from calculations where we vary the wind speed and direction as well as other parameters affecting the ocean surface. The error introduced in ocean retrievals by assuming an isotropic BRDF is assessed, and methods for improved treatment of sunglint are suggested.

Efficient polarimetric BRDF model.

PubMed

Renhorn, Ingmar G E; Hallberg, Tomas; Boreman, Glenn D

2015-11-30

The purpose of the present manuscript is to present a polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model suitable for hyperspectral and polarimetric signature modelling. The model is based on a further development of a previously published four-parameter model that has been generalized in order to account for different types of surface structures (generalized Gaussian distribution). A generalization of the Lambertian diffuse model is presented. The pBRDF-functions are normalized using numerical integration. Using directional-hemispherical reflectance (DHR) measurements, three of the four basic parameters can be determined for any wavelength. This simplifies considerably the development of multispectral polarimetric BRDF applications. The scattering parameter has to be determined from at least one BRDF measurement. The model deals with linear polarized radiation; and in similarity with e.g. the facet model depolarization is not included. The model is very general and can inherently model extreme surfaces such as mirrors and Lambertian surfaces. The complex mixture of sources is described by the sum of two basic models, a generalized Gaussian/Fresnel model and a generalized Lambertian model. Although the physics inspired model has some ad hoc features, the predictive power of the model is impressive over a wide range of angles and scattering magnitudes. The model has been applied successfully to painted surfaces, both dull and glossy and also on metallic bead blasted surfaces. The simple and efficient model should be attractive for polarimetric simulations and polarimetric remote sensing.

Utility of BRDF Models for Estimating Optimal View Angles in Classification of Remotely Sensed Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valdez, P. F.; Donohoe, G. W.

1997-01-01

Statistical classification of remotely sensed images attempts to discriminate between surface cover types on the basis of the spectral response recorded by a sensor. It is well known that surfaces reflect incident radiation as a function of wavelength producing a spectral signature specific to the material under investigation. Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors sample the spectral response over tens and even hundreds of wavelength bands to capture the variation of spectral response with wavelength. Classification algorithms then exploit these differences in spectral response to distinguish between materials of interest. Sensors of this type, however, collect detailed spectral information from one direction (usually nadir); consequently, do not consider the directional nature of reflectance potentially detectable at different sensor view angles. Improvements in sensor technology have resulted in remote sensing platforms capable of detecting reflected energy across wavelengths (spectral signatures) and from multiple view angles (angular signatures) in the fore and aft directions. Sensors of this type include: the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), the multiangle imaging spectroradiometer (MISR), and the airborne solid-state array spectroradiometer (ASAS). A goal of this paper, then, is to explore the utility of Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) models in the selection of optimal view angles for the classification of remotely sensed images by employing a strategy of searching for the maximum difference between surface BRDFs. After a brief discussion of directional reflect ante in Section 2, attention is directed to the Beard-Maxwell BRDF model and its use in predicting the bidirectional reflectance of a surface. The selection of optimal viewing angles is addressed in Section 3, followed by conclusions and future work in Section 4.

Laser Pulse Bidirectional Reflectance from CALIPSO Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Xiaomei; Hu, Yongxiang; Yang, Yuekui; Liu, Zhaoyan; Vaughan, Mark; Lucker, Patricia; Trepte, Charles

2017-01-01

In this Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) study, we present a simple way of determining laser pulse bidirectional reflectance over snow/ice surface using the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) 532 nanometer polarization channels' measurements. The saturated laser pulse returns from snow and ice surfaces are recovered based on surface tail information. The method overview and initial assessment of the method performance will be presented. The retrieved snow surface bidirectional reflectance is compared with reflectance from both CALIOP cloud cover regions and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Earth Observing System (EOS)) (MODIS) Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) / Albedo model parameters. The comparisons show that the snow surface bidirectional reflectance over Antarctica for saturation region are generally reliable with a mean value of about 0.90 plus or minus 0.10, while the mean surface reflectance from cloud cover region is about 0.84 plus or minus 0.13 and the calculated MODIS reflectance at 555 nanometers from the BRDF / Albedo model with near nadir illumination and viewing angles is about 0.96 plus or minus 0.04. The comparisons here demonstrate that the snow surface reflectance underneath the cloud with cloud optical depth of about 1 is significantly lower than that for a clear sky condition.

MODIS tasselled cap: land cover characteristics expressed through transformed MODIS data

Treesearch

S. E. Lobser; W. B. Cohen

2007-01-01

The tasselled cap concept is extended to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR, MOD43) data. The transformation is based on a rigid rotation of principal component axes (PCAs) derived from a global sample spanning one full year of NBAR 16-day composites. To provide a standard for MODIS tasselled cap axes, we...

Comparison of microfacet BRDF model to modified Beckmann-Kirchhoff BRDF model for rough and smooth surfaces.

PubMed

Butler, Samuel D; Nauyoks, Stephen E; Marciniak, Michael A

2015-11-02

A popular class of BRDF models is the microfacet models, where geometric optics is assumed. In contrast, more complex physical optics models may more accurately predict the BRDF, but the calculation is more resource intensive. These seemingly disparate approaches are compared in detail for the rough and smooth surface approximations of the modified Beckmann-Kirchhoff BRDF model, assuming Gaussian surface statistics. An approximation relating standard Fresnel reflection with the semi-rough surface polarization term, Q, is presented for unpolarized light. For rough surfaces, the angular dependence of direction cosine space is shown to be identical to the angular dependence in the microfacet distribution function. For polished surfaces, the same comparison shows a breakdown in the microfacet models. Similarities and differences between microfacet BRDF models and the modified Beckmann-Kirchhoff model are identified. The rationale for the original Beckmann-Kirchhoff F(bk)(2) geometric term relative to both microfacet models and generalized Harvey-Shack model is presented. A modification to the geometric F(bk)(2) term in original Beckmann-Kirchhoff BRDF theory is proposed.

[Study of hyperspectral polarized reflectance of vegetation canopy at nadir viewing direction].

PubMed

Lŭ, Yun-Feng

2013-04-01

In the present study, corn canopy is the objective. Firstly the polarization of corn canopy was analyzed based on polarization reflection mechanism; then, the polarization of canopy was measured in different growth period at nadir before heading. The result proved the theoretical derivation that the light reflected from corn canopy is polarized, and found that in the total reflection the polarization light accounts for up to 10%. This shows that polarization measurement provides auxiliary information for remote sensing, but also illustrates that the use of the polarization information retrieval of atmospheric parameters should be considered when the surface polarization affects on it.

Impacts of the Angular Dependence of the Solar Diffuser BRDF Degradation Factor on the SNPP VIIRS Reflective Solar Band On-Orbit Radiometric Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lei, Ning; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2016-01-01

Using an onboard sunlit solar diffuser (SD) as the primary radiance source, the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite regularly performs radiometric calibration of its reflective solar bands (RSBs). The SD bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) value decreases over time. A numerical degradation factor is used to quantify the degradation and is determined by an onboard SD stability monitor (SDSM), which observes the sun and the sunlit SD at almost the same time. We had shown previously that the BRDF degradation factor was angle-dependent. Consequently, due to that the SDSM and the RSB view the SD at very different angles relative to both the solar and the SD surface normal vectors, directly applying the BRDF degradation factor determined by the SDSM to the VIIRS RSB calibration can result in large systematic errors. We develop a phenomenological model to calculate the BRDF degradation factor for the RSB SD view from the degradation factor for the SDSM SD view. Using the yearly undulations observed in the VIIRS detector gains for the M1-M4 bands calculated with the SD BRDF degradation factor for the SDSM SD view and the difference between the VIIRS detector gains calculated from the SD and the lunar observations, we obtain the model parameter values and thus establish the relation between the BRDF degradation factors for the RSB and the SDSM SD view directions.

Temperature dependent BRDF facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Airola, Marc B.; Brown, Andrea M.; Hahn, Daniel V.; Thomas, Michael E.; Congdon, Elizabeth A.; Mehoke, Douglas S.

2014-09-01

Applications involving space based instrumentation and aerodynamically heated surfaces often require knowledge of the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of an exposed surface at high temperature. Addressing this need, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) developed a BRDF facility that features a multiple-port vacuum chamber, multiple laser sources covering the spectral range from the longwave infrared to the ultraviolet, imaging pyrometry and laser heated samples. Laser heating eliminates stray light that would otherwise be seen from a furnace and requires minimal sample support structure, allowing low thermal conduction loss to be obtained, which is especially important at high temperatures. The goal is to measure the BRDF of ceramic-coated surfaces at temperatures in excess of 1000°C in a low background environment. Most ceramic samples are near blackbody in the longwave infrared, thus pyrometry using a LWIR camera can be very effective and accurate.

Real reproduction and evaluation of color based on BRDF method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Feng; Yang, Weiping; Yang, Jia; Li, Hongning; Luo, Yanlin; Long, Hongli

2013-12-01

It is difficult to reproduce the original color of targets really in different illuminating environment using the traditional methods. So a function which can reconstruct the characteristics of reflection about every point on the surface of target is required urgently to improve the authenticity of color reproduction, which known as the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function(BRDF). A method of color reproduction based on the BRDF measurement is introduced in this paper. Radiometry is combined with the colorimetric theories to measure the irradiance and radiance of GretagMacbeth 24 ColorChecker by using PR-715 Radiation Spectrophotometer of PHOTO RESEARCH, Inc, USA. The BRDF and BRF (Bidirectional Reflectance Factor) values of every color piece corresponding to the reference area are calculated according to irradiance and radiance, thus color tristimulus values of 24 ColorChecker are reconstructed. The results reconstructed by BRDF method are compared with values calculated by the reflectance using PR-715, at last, the chromaticity coordinates in color space and color difference between each other are analyzed. The experimental result shows average color difference and sample standard deviation between the method proposed in this paper and traditional reconstruction method depended on reflectance are 2.567 and 1.3049 respectively. The conclusion indicates that the method of color reproduction based on BRDF has the more obvious advantages to describe the color information of object than the reflectance in hemisphere space through the theoretical and experimental analysis. This method proposed in this paper is effective and feasible during the research of reproducing the chromaticity.

Potential Long-Term Records of Surface Albedo at Fine Spatiotemporal Resolution from Landsat/Sentinle-2A Surface Reflectance and MODIS/VIIRS BRDF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Schaaf, C.; Shuai, Y.; Liu, Y.; Sun, Q.; Erb, A.; Wang, Z.

2016-12-01

The land surface albedo products at fine spatial resolutions are generated by coupling surface reflectance (SR) from Landsat (30 m) or Sentinel-2A (20 m) with concurrent surface anisotropy information (the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function - BRDF) at coarser spatial resolutions from sequential multi-angular observations by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) or its successor, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). We assess the comparability of four types of fine-resolution albedo products (black-sky and white-sky albedos over the shortwave broad band) generated by coupling, (1) Landsat-8 Optical Land Imager (OLI) SR with MODIS BRDF; (2) OLI SR with VIIRS BRDF; (3) Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) SR with MODIS BRDF; and (4) MSI SR with VIIRS BRDF. We evaluate the accuracy of these four types of fine-resolution albedo products using ground tower measurements of surface albedo over six SURFace RADiation Network (SURFRAD) sites in the United States. For comparison with the ground measurements, we estimate the actual (blue-sky) albedo values at the six sites by using the satellite-based retrievals of black-sky and white-sky albedos and taking into account the proportion of direct and diffuse solar radiation from the ground measurements at the sites. The coupling of the OLI and MSI SR with MODIS BRDF has already been shown to provide accurate fine-resolution albedo values. With demonstration of a high agreement in BRDF products from MODIS and VIIRS, we expect to see consistency between all four types of fine-resolution albedo products. This assurance of consistency between the couplings of both OLI and MSI with both MODIS and VIIRS guarantees the production of long-term records of surface albedo at fine spatial resolutions and an increased temporal resolution. Such products will be critical in studying land surface changes and associated surface energy balance over the dynamic and heterogeneous landscapes

Monitoring land surface albedo and vegetation dynamics using high spatial and temporal resolution synthetic time series from Landsat and the MODIS BRDF/NBAR/albedo product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhuosen; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Sun, Qingsong; Kim, JiHyun; Erb, Angela M.; Gao, Feng; Román, Miguel O.; Yang, Yun; Petroy, Shelley; Taylor, Jeffrey R.; Masek, Jeffrey G.; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Papuga, Shirley A.

2017-07-01

bias within the range of ±0.006. These synthetic time series provide much greater spatial detail than the 500 m gridded MODIS data, especially over more heterogeneous surfaces, which improves the efforts to characterize and monitor the spatial variation across species and communities. The mean of the difference between maximum and minimum synthetic time series of albedo within the MODIS pixels over a subset of satellite data of Harvard Forest (16 km by 14 km) was as high as 0.2 during the snow-covered period and reduced to around 0.1 during the snow-free period. Similarly, we have used STARFM to also couple MODIS Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectances (NBAR) values with Landsat 5 reflectances to generate daily synthetic times series of NBAR and thus Enhanced Vegetation Index (NBAR-EVI) at a 30 m resolution. While normally STARFM is used with directional reflectances, the use of the view angle corrected daily MODIS NBAR values will provide more consistent time series. These synthetic times series of EVI are shown to capture seasonal vegetation dynamics with finer spatial and temporal details, especially over heterogeneous land surfaces.

Harmonized Landsat/Sentinel-2 Reflectance Products for Land Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masek, J. G.; Ju, J.; Claverie, M.; Vermote, E.; Dungan, J. L.; Roger, J. C.; Skakun, S.; Justice, C. O.

2017-12-01

Many land applications require more frequent observations than can be obtained from a single "Landsat class" sensor. Agricultural monitoring, inland water quality assessment, stand-scale phenology, and numerous other applications all require near-daily imagery at better than 1ha resolution. Thus the land science community has begun expressing a desire for a "30-meter MODIS" global monitoring capability. One cost-effective way to achieve this goal is via merging data from multiple, international observatories into a single virtual constellation. The Harmonized Landsat/Sentinel-2 (HLS) project has been working to generate a seamless surface reflectance product by combining observations from USGS/NASA Landsat-8 and ESA Sentinel-2. Harmonization in this context requires a series of radiometric and geometric transforms to create a single surface reflectance time series agnostic to sensor origin. Radiometric corrections include a common atmospheric correction using the Landsat-8 LaSRC/6S approach, a simple BRDF adjustment to constant solar and nadir view angle, and spectral bandpass adjustments to fit the Landsat-8 OLI reference. Data are then resampled to a consistent 30m UTM grid, using the Sentinel-2 global tile system. Cloud and shadow masking are also implemented. Quality assurance (QA) involves comparison of the output 30m HLS products with near-simultaneous MODIS nadir-adjusted observations. Prototoype HLS products have been processed for 7% of the global land area using the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) compute environment at NASA Ames, and can be downloaded from the HLS web site (https://hls.gsfc.nasa.gov). A wall-to-wall North America data set is being prepared for 2018.This talk will review the objectives and status of the HLS project, and illustrate applications of high-density optical time series data for agriculture and ecology. We also discuss lessons learned from HLS in the general context of implementing virtual constellations.

Polarized BRDF measurement of the type E235B low carbon structural steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yanlei; Yu, Kun; Zhang, Kaihua; Liu, Yufang

2018-01-01

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) offers complete description of the spectral and spatial characteristics of opaque materials. The polarized BRDF contains more information, especially for the painted objects and target recognition. In this letter, we measured the in plane polarized spectral BRDF for the steel E235B in the wavelength range of 450-600 nm. The reliability of our results is verified by comparing the experimental data of polytetrafluoroethylene with the reference data. The measuring results indicates that the wavelength of incident light has a positive effect on the BRDF near the specular direction, and has a negative influence for other direction. BRDF increases slowly with reflected zenith angle and decreases rapidly with peak occurs at specular direction, which may be attributed to the shadowing effect. In addition, the results presents that the polarization of incident light has a slight influence on the BRDF of the sample.

Polarized BRDF for coatings based on three-component assumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hong; Zhu, Jingping; Wang, Kai; Xu, Rong

2017-02-01

A pBRDF(polarized bidirectional reflection distribution function) model for coatings is given based on three-component reflection assumption in order to improve the polarized scattering simulation capability for space objects. In this model, the specular reflection is given based on microfacet theory, the multiple reflection and volume scattering are given separately according to experimental results. The polarization of specular reflection is considered from Fresnel's law, and both multiple reflection and volume scattering are assumed depolarized. Simulation and measurement results of two satellite coating samples SR107 and S781 are given to validate that the pBRDF modeling accuracy can be significantly improved by the three-component model given in this paper.

Harmonized Landsat/Sentinel-2 Reflectance Products for Land Monitoring (Invited)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masek, Jeffrey G.; Dungan, Jennifer L.; Ju, Junchang; Roger, Jean-Claude; Claverie, Martin P.; Skakun, Sergii; Vermote, Eric; Justice, Christopher Owen

2017-01-01

Many land applications require more frequent observations than can be obtained from a single 'Landsat class'� sensor. Agricultural monitoring, inland water quality assessment, stand-scale phenology, and numerous other applications all require near-daily imagery at better than 1ha resolution. Thus the land science community has begun expressing a desire for a '30-meter MODIS' global monitoring capability. One cost-effective way to achieve this goal is via merging data from multiple, international observatories into a single virtual constellation. The Harmonized Landsat/Sentinel-2 (HLS) project has been working to generate a seamless surface reflectance product by combining observations from USGS/NASA Landsat-8 and ESA Sentinel-2. Harmonization in this context requires a series of radiometric and geometric transforms to create a single surface reflectance time series agnostic to sensor origin. Radiometric corrections include a common atmospheric correction using the Landsat-8 LaSRC/6S approach, a simple BRDF adjustment to constant solar and nadir view angle, and spectral bandpass adjustments to fit the Landsat-8 OLI reference. Data are then resampled to a consistent 30m UTM grid, using the Sentinel-2 global tile system. Cloud and shadow masking are also implemented. Quality assurance (QA) involves comparison of the output 30m HLS products with near-simultaneous MODIS nadir-adjusted observations. Prototoype HLS products have been processed for approximately 7% of the global land area using the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) compute environment at NASA Ames, and can be downloaded from the HLS web site (https://hls.gsfc.nasa.gov). A wall-to-wall North America data set is being prepared for 2018. This talk will review the objectives and status of the HLS project, and illustrate applications of high-density optical time series data for agriculture and ecology. We also discuss lessons learned from HLS in the general context of implementing virtual constellations.

Effects of Surface BRDF on the OMI Cloud and NO2 Retrievals: A New Approach Based on Geometry-Dependent Lambertian Equivalent Reflectivity (GLER) Derived from MODIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vasilkov, Alexander; Qin, Wenhan; Krotkov, Nickolay; Lamsal, Lok; Spurr, Robert; Haffner, David; Joiner, Joanna; Yang, Eun-Su; Marchenko, Sergey

2017-01-01

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) cloud and NO2 algorithms use a monthly gridded surface reflectivity climatology that does not depend upon the observation geometry. In reality, reflection of incoming direct and diffuse solar light from land or ocean surfaces is sensitive to the sun sensor geometry. This dependence is described by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). To account for the BRDF, we propose to use a new concept of geometry-dependent Lambertian equivalent reflectivity (GLER). Implementation within the existing OMI cloud and NO2 retrieval infrastructure requires changes only to the input surface reflectivity database. GLER is calculated using a vector radiative transfer model with high spatial resolution BRDF information from MODIS over land and the Cox Munk slope distribution over ocean with a contribution from water-leaving radiance. We compare GLER and climatological LER at 466 nm, which is used in the OMI O2-O2cloud algorithm to derive effective cloud fractions. A detailed comparison of the cloud fractions and pressures derived with climatological and GLERs is carried out. GLER and corresponding retrieved cloud products are then used as input to the OMI NO2 algorithm. We find that replacing the climatological OMI-based LERs with GLERs can increase NO2 vertical columns by up to 50 % in highly polluted areas; the differences include both BRDF effects and biases between the MODIS and OMI-based surface reflectance data sets. Only minor changes to NO2 columns (within 5 %) are found over unpolluted and overcast areas.

BRDF Calibration of Sintered PTFE in the SWIR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.

2009-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region often require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of laboratory-based diffusers used in their pre-flight calibrations and ground-based support of on-orbit remote sensing instruments. The Diffuser Calibration Facility at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is a secondary diffuser calibration standard after NEST for over two decades, providing numerous NASA projects with BRDF data in the UV, Visible and the NIR spectral regions. Currently the Diffuser Calibration Facility extended the covered spectral range from 900 nm up to 1.7 microns. The measurements were made using the existing scatterometer by replacing the Si photodiode based receiver with an InGaAs-based one. The BRDF data was recorded at normal incidence and scatter zenith angles from 10 to 60 deg. Tunable coherent light source was setup. Broadband light source application is under development. Gray-scale sintered PTFE samples were used at these first trials, illuminated with P and S polarized incident light. The results are discussed and compared to empirically generated BRDF data from simple model based on 8 deg directional/hemispherical measurements.

Optical roughness BRDF model for reverse Monte Carlo simulation of real material thermal radiation transfer.

PubMed

Su, Peiran; Eri, Qitai; Wang, Qiang

2014-04-10

Optical roughness was introduced into the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model to simulate the reflectance characteristics of thermal radiation. The optical roughness BRDF model stemmed from the influence of surface roughness and wavelength on the ray reflectance calculation. This model was adopted to simulate real metal emissivity. The reverse Monte Carlo method was used to display the distribution of reflectance rays. The numerical simulations showed that the optical roughness BRDF model can calculate the wavelength effect on emissivity and simulate the real metal emissivity variance with incidence angles.

Four-parameter model for polarization-resolved rough-surface BRDF.

PubMed

Renhorn, Ingmar G E; Hallberg, Tomas; Bergström, David; Boreman, Glenn D

2011-01-17

A modeling procedure is demonstrated, which allows representation of polarization-resolved BRDF data using only four parameters: the real and imaginary parts of an effective refractive index with an added parameter taking grazing incidence absorption into account and an angular-scattering parameter determined from the BRDF measurement of a chosen angle of incidence, preferably close to normal incidence. These parameters allow accurate predictions of s- and p-polarized BRDF for a painted rough surface, over three decades of variation in BRDF magnitude. To characterize any particular surface of interest, the measurements required to determine these four parameters are the directional hemispherical reflectance (DHR) for s- and p-polarized input radiation and the BRDF at a selected angle of incidence. The DHR data describes the angular and polarization dependence, as well as providing the overall normalization constraint. The resulting model conserves energy and fulfills the reciprocity criteria.

PolarBRDF: A general purpose Python package for visualization and quantitative analysis of multi-angular remote sensing measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Manoj K.; Gautam, Ritesh; Gatebe, Charles K.; Poudyal, Rajesh

2016-11-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a fundamental concept for characterizing the reflectance property of a surface, and helps in the analysis of remote sensing data from satellite, airborne and surface platforms. Multi-angular remote sensing measurements are required for the development and evaluation of BRDF models for improved characterization of surface properties. However, multi-angular data and the associated BRDF models are typically multidimensional involving multi-angular and multi-wavelength information. Effective visualization of such complex multidimensional measurements for different wavelength combinations is presently somewhat lacking in the literature, and could serve as a potentially useful research and teaching tool in aiding both interpretation and analysis of BRDF measurements. This article describes a newly developed software package in Python (PolarBRDF) to help visualize and analyze multi-angular data in polar and False Color Composite (FCC) forms. PolarBRDF also includes functionalities for computing important multi-angular reflectance/albedo parameters including spectral albedo, principal plane reflectance and spectral reflectance slope. Application of PolarBRDF is demonstrated using various case studies obtained from airborne multi-angular remote sensing measurements using NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). Our visualization program also provides functionalities for untangling complex surface/atmosphere features embedded in pixel-based remote sensing measurements, such as the FCC imagery generation of BRDF measurements of grasslands in the presence of wildfire smoke and clouds. Furthermore, PolarBRDF also provides quantitative information of the angular distribution of scattered surface/atmosphere radiation, in the form of relevant BRDF variables such as sunglint, hotspot and scattering statistics.

PolarBRDF: A general purpose Python package for visualization and quantitative analysis of multi-angular remote sensing measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poudyal, R.; Singh, M.; Gautam, R.; Gatebe, C. K.

2016-12-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a fundamental concept for characterizing the reflectance property of a surface, and helps in the analysis of remote sensing data from satellite, airborne and surface platforms. Multi-angular remote sensing measurements are required for the development and evaluation of BRDF models for improved characterization of surface properties. However, multi-angular data and the associated BRDF models are typically multidimensional involving multi-angular and multi-wavelength information. Effective visualization of such complex multidimensional measurements for different wavelength combinations is presently somewhat lacking in the literature, and could serve as a potentially useful research and teaching tool in aiding both interpretation and analysis of BRDF measurements. This article describes a newly developed software package in Python (PolarBRDF) to help visualize and analyze multi-angular data in polar and False Color Composite (FCC) forms. PolarBRDF also includes functionalities for computing important multi-angular reflectance/albedo parameters including spectral albedo, principal plane reflectance and spectral reflectance slope. Application of PolarBRDF is demonstrated using various case studies obtained from airborne multi-angular remote sensing measurements using NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR)- http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Our visualization program also provides functionalities for untangling complex surface/atmosphere features embedded in pixel-based remote sensing measurements, such as the FCC imagery generation of BRDF measurements of grasslands in the presence of wildfire smoke and clouds. Furthermore, PolarBRDF also provides quantitative information of the angular distribution of scattered surface/atmosphere radiation, in the form of relevant BRDF variables such as sunglint, hotspot and scattering statistics.

[Crop geometry identification based on inversion of semiempirical BRDF models].

PubMed

Huang, Wen-jiang; Wang, Jin-di; Mu, Xi-han; Wang, Ji-hua; Liu, Liang-yun; Liu, Qiang; Niu, Zheng

2007-10-01

Investigations have been made on identification of erective and horizontal varieties by bidirectional canopy reflected spectrum and semi-empirical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models. The qualitative effect of leaf area index (LAI) and average leaf angle (ALA) on crop canopy reflected spectrum was studied. The structure parameter sensitive index (SPEI) based on the weight for the volumetric kernel (fvol), the weight for the geometric kernel (fgeo), and the weight for constant corresponding to isotropic reflectance (fiso), was defined in the present study for crop geometry identification. However, the weights associated with the kernels of semi-empirical BRDF model do not have a direct relationship with measurable biophysical parameters. Therefore, efforts have focused on trying to find the relation between these semi-empirical BRDF kernel weights and various vegetation structures. SPEI was proved to be more sensitive to identify crop geometry structures than structural scattering index (SSI) and normalized difference f-index (NDFI), SPEI could be used to distinguish erective and horizontal geometry varieties. So, it is feasible to identify horizontal and erective varieties of wheat by bidirectional canopy reflected spectrum.

Spectralon solar diffuser BRDF variation for NPP, JPSS J1 and J2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murgai, Vijay; Johnson, Lindsay; Klein, Staci

2017-09-01

The Visible/Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key sensor on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite as well as the upcoming Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). VIIRS collects Earth radiometric and imagery data in 22 spectral bands from 0.4 to 12.5 μm. Radiometric calibration of the reflective bands in the 0.4 to 2.5 μm wavelength range is performed by measuring the sunlight reflectance from Spectralon®. Reflected sun light is directly proportional to the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of the Spectralon. This paper presents the BRDF measurements of the Spectralon for JPSS J2 in the 0.4 - 1.63 μm wavelength using PASCAL (Polarization And Scatter Characterization Analysis of Lambertian materials) with an uncertainty better than 1.2%. PASCAL makes absolute measurements of the BRDF in an analogous fashion to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Spectral Tri-function Automated Reflectance Reflectometer (STARR) facility. Unique additional features of this instrument include the ability to vary the sample elevation and roll / clock the sample about its normal, allowing measurement of BRDF in the as used geometry. Comparison of BRDF in the as used configuration for NPP, J1, and J2 shows variation of up to 3%. The sign of the change from panel to panel depends on the angle of incidence and view angle. The results demonstrate lot to lot variability in Spectralon and emphasize the necessity of characterizing each panel. A pattern in the BRDF variation is also presented.

Comparison of BRDF-Predicted and Observed Light Curves of GEO Satellites

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-18

to validate the BRDF models . 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was partially funded by a Phase II SBIR (FA9453-14-C-029) from the AFRL Space...Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function ( BRDF ) models . These BRDF models have generally come from researchers in computer graphics and machine...characterization, there is a lack of research on the validation of BRDFs with regards to real data. In this paper, we compared telescope data provided by the

Monitoring land surface albedo and vegetation dynamics using high spatial and temporal resolution synthetic time series from Landsat and the MODIS BRDF/NBAR/albedo product

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Zhuosen; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Sun, Qingson; Kim, JiHyun; Erb, Angela M.; Gao, Feng; Roman, Miguel O.; Yang, Yun; Petroy, Shelley; Taylor, Jeffrey; Masek, Jeffrey G.; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Papuga, Shirley A.

2017-01-01

.013 and a bias within the range of ±0.006. These synthetic time series provide much greater spatial detail than the 500 m gridded MODIS data, especially over more heterogeneous surfaces, which improves the efforts to characterize and monitor the spatial variation across species and communities. The mean of the difference between maximum and minimum synthetic time series of albedo within the MODIS pixels over a subset of satellite data of Harvard Forest (16 km by 14 km) was as high as 0.2 during the snow-covered period and reduced to around 0.1 during the snow-free period. Similarly, we have used STARFM to also couple MODIS Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectances (NBAR) values with Landsat 5 reflectances to generate daily synthetic times series of NBAR and thus Enhanced Vegetation Index (NBAR-EVI) at a 30 m resolution. While normally STARFM is used with directional reflectances, the use of the view angle corrected daily MODIS NBAR values will provide more consistent time series. These synthetic times series of EVI are shown to capture seasonal vegetation dynamics with finer spatial and temporal details, especially over heterogeneous land surfaces.

BRDF invariant stereo using light transport constancy.

PubMed

Wang, Liang; Yang, Ruigang; Davis, James E

2007-09-01

Nearly all existing methods for stereo reconstruction assume that scene reflectance is Lambertian and make use of brightness constancy as a matching invariant. We introduce a new invariant for stereo reconstruction called light transport constancy (LTC), which allows completely arbitrary scene reflectance (bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs)). This invariant can be used to formulate a rank constraint on multiview stereo matching when the scene is observed by several lighting configurations in which only the lighting intensity varies. In addition, we show that this multiview constraint can be used with as few as two cameras and two lighting configurations. Unlike previous methods for BRDF invariant stereo, LTC does not require precisely configured or calibrated light sources or calibration objects in the scene. Importantly, the new constraint can be used to provide BRDF invariance to any existing stereo method whenever appropriate lighting variation is available.

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function /BRDF/ measurements of stray light suppression coatings for the Space Telescope /ST/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griner, D. B.

1979-01-01

The paper considers the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of black coatings used on stray light suppression systems for the Space Telescope (ST). The ST stray light suppression requirement is to reduce earth, moon, and sun light in the focal plane to a level equivalent to one 23 Mv star per square arcsecond, an attenuation of 14 orders of magnitude. It is impractical to verify the performance of a proposed baffle system design by full scale tests because of the large size of the ST, so that a computer analysis is used to select the design. Accurate computer analysis requires a knowledge of the diffuse scatter at all angles from the surface of the coatings, for all angles of incident light. During the early phases of the ST program a BRDF scanner was built at the Marshall Space Flight Center to study the scatter from black materials; the measurement system is described and the results of measurements on samples proposed for use on the ST are presented.

Research of BRDF effects on remote sensing imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nina, Peng; Kun, Wang; Tao, Li; Yang, Pan

2011-08-01

The gray distribution and contrast of the optical satellite remote sensing imagery in the same kind of ground surface acquired by sensor is quite different, it depends not only on the satellite's observation and the sun incidence orientation but also the structural and optical properties of the surface. Therefore, the objectives of this research are to analyze the different BRDF characters of soil, vegetation, water and urban surface and also their BRDF effects on the quality of satellite image through 6S radiative transfer model. Furthermore, the causation of CCD blooming and spilling by ground reflectance is discussed by using QUICKBIRD image data and the corresponding ground image data. The general conclusion of BRDF effects on remote sensing imagery is proposed.

Advances in remote sensing of forest background reflectance with MODIS BRDF data across Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisek, Jan; Alikas, Krista; Lukeš, Petr; Lundin, Lars; Kobler, Johannes; Santos-Reis, Margarida; Chen, Jing

2017-04-01

Spatial and temporal patterns of forest background (understory) reflectance are crucial for retrieving biophysical parameters of forest canopies (overstory) and subsequently for ecosystem modeling. However, systematic reflectance data covering different site types are almost missing. This presentation will focus on the validation of background reflectance retrievals using MODIS bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data against in-situ understory reflectance measurements covering a diverse set of long-term ecological research (LTER) sites distributed along a wide latitudinal and elevational gradient across Europe: protected coniferous blueberry forest in Sweden, karst forest system in Austria, floodplain broadleaf forest and coniferous forest in the Czech Republic, and Mediterranean agro-sylvo-pastoral woodlands in Portugal. The multi-angle remote sensing data-based methodology was originally developed for the forest background signal retrieval in a boreal region. Here its performance will be tested across diverse forest conditions and moments during the growing season, which is a necessary step before conducting extensive mapping over forested areas. The results can be also used as an input for improved modeling of local carbon and energy fluxes.

Spectralon BRDF and DHR Measurements in Support of Satellite Instruments Operating Through Shortwave Infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Thome, Kurt; Cooksey, Catherine; Ding, Leibo

2016-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) of the laboratory and flight diffusers used in their pre-flight and on-orbit calibrations. This paper advances that initial work and presents a comparison of spectral Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR) of Spectralon*, a common material for laboratory and onorbit flight diffusers. A new measurement setup for BRDF measurements from 900 nm to 2500 nm located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is described. The GSFC setup employs an extended indium gallium arsenide detector, bandpass filters, and a supercontinuum light source. Comparisons of the GSFC BRDF measurements in the ShortWave InfraRed (SWIR) with those made by the NIST Spectral Trifunction Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) are presented. The Spectralon sample used in this study was 2 inch diameter, 99% white pressed and sintered Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) target. The NASA/NIST BRDF comparison measurements were made at an incident angle of 0 deg and viewing angle of 45 deg. Additional BRDF data not compared to NIST were measured at additional incident and viewing angle geometries and are not presented here The total combined uncertainty for the measurement of BRDF in the SWIR range made by the GSFC scatterometer is less than 1% (k=1). This study is in support of the calibration of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Radiation Budget Instrument (RBI) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) of and other current and future NASA remote sensing missions operating across the reflected solar wavelength region.

A BRDF study on the visual appearance properties of titanium in the heating process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yanlei; Yu, Kun; Li, Longfei; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Zilong; Liu, Yufang

2018-04-01

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) offers complete description of the spectral and spatial characteristics of opaque materials, i.e. the visual appearance properties of materials. In this letter, the visual appearance properties of titanium in the heating process are investigated by BRDF. The reliability of our results is verified by comparing the experimental data of polytetrafluoroethylene with the reference data. The in-plane spectral BRDF in visible region of heated commercial pure Ti at different incident and reflected zenith angles are measured. The experimental result indicates that the change tendency of BRDF vs. wavelength is not influenced by incident and reflected zenith angle, which implying that the colours of Ti may be pigment colouration rather than the structural colouration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) testing are performed, and no titanium oxides are detected. The testing results imply that the colours may be generated by intermediate products during heated process. The powder samples are prepared, and the same colours as that of flake samples indirectly prove the validity of our conclusion. In addition, the spectral BRDF of optically smooth samples are measured, the results verify the reliability of our conclusion.

The effect of weave orientation on the BRDF of tarp samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiev, Georgi; Butler, James J.

2003-10-01

The results of bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements of four tarp samples obtained from NASA"s Stennis Space Center (SSC) are presented. The measurements were performed in the Diffuser Calibration Facility (DCaF) at NASA"s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The samples are of similar material structure but different reflectance. The experimental data were obtained with a Xe arc lamp/monochromator light source as well as laser light sources in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectral regions. The BRDF data were recorded at four incident zenith angles and at five incident azimuth angles. The dependence of the measured BRDF on weave orientation was analyzed and presented. 8 degree irectional/hemispherical reflectance data were also measured for each tarp sample, and those results are also reported. All results are NIST traceable through calibrated standard plates. The specular and diffuse scatter data obtained from these studies are used by NASA"s SSC in their field-based, vicarious calibration of satellite and airborne remote sensing instruments.

Integrating Chlorophyll fapar and Nadir Photochemical Reflectance Index from EO-1/Hyperion to Predict Cornfield Daily Gross Primary Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Qingyuan; Middleton, Elizabeth M.; Cheng, Yen-Ben; Huemmrich, K. Fred; Cook, Bruce D.; Corp, Lawrence A.; Kustas, William P.; Russ, Andrew L.; Prueger, John H.; Yao, Tian

2016-01-01

The concept of light use efficiency (Epsilon) and the concept of fraction of photosynthetically active ration (PAR) absorbed for vegetation photosynthesis (PSN), i.e., fAPAR (sub PSN), have been widely utilized to estimate vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP). It has been demonstrated that the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) is empirically related to e. An experimental US Department of Agriculture (USDA) cornfield in Maryland was selected as our study field. We explored the potential of integrating fAPAR(sub chl) (defined as the fraction of PAR absorbed by chlorophyll) and nadir PRI (PRI(sub nadir)) to predict cornfield daily GPP. We acquired nadir or near-nadir EO-1/Hyperion satellite images that covered the cornfield and took nadir in-situ field spectral measurements. Those data were used to derive the PRI(sub nadir) and fAPAR (sub chl). The fAPAR (sub chl) is retrieved with the advanced radiative transfer model PROSAIL2 and the Metropolis approach, a type of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation procedure. We define chlorophyll light use efficiency Epsilon (sub chl) as the ratio of vegetation GPP as measured by eddy covariance techniques to PAR absorbed by chlorophyll (Epsilon(sub chl) = GPP/APAR (sub chl). Daily Epsilon (sub chl) retrieved with the EO-1 Hyperion images was regressed with a linear equation of PRI (sub nadir) Epsilon (sub chl) = Alpha × PRI (sub nadir) + Beta). The satellite Epsilon(sub chl- PRI (sub nadir) linear relationship for the cornfield was implemented to develop an integrated daily GPP model [GPP = (Alpha × PRI(sub nadir) + Beta) × fAPAR (sub chl) × PAR], which was evaluated with fAPAR (sub chl) and PRI (sub nadir) retrieved from field measurements. Daily GPP estimated with this fAPAR (sub chl-) PRI (nadir) integration model was strongly correlated with the observed tower in-situ daily GPP (R(sup 2) = 0.93); with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.71 g C mol-(sup -1) PPFD and coefficient of variation (CV) of 16

Sequential fitting-and-separating reflectance components for analytical bidirectional reflectance distribution function estimation.

PubMed

Lee, Yu; Yu, Chanki; Lee, Sang Wook

2018-01-10

We present a sequential fitting-and-separating algorithm for surface reflectance components that separates individual dominant reflectance components and simultaneously estimates the corresponding bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters from the separated reflectance values. We tackle the estimation of a Lafortune BRDF model, which combines a nonLambertian diffuse reflection and multiple specular reflectance components with a different specular lobe. Our proposed method infers the appropriate number of BRDF lobes and their parameters by separating and estimating each of the reflectance components using an interval analysis-based branch-and-bound method in conjunction with iterative K-ordered scale estimation. The focus of this paper is the estimation of the Lafortune BRDF model. Nevertheless, our proposed method can be applied to other analytical BRDF models such as the Cook-Torrance and Ward models. Experiments were carried out to validate the proposed method using isotropic materials from the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MERL-MIT) BRDF database, and the results show that our method is superior to a conventional minimization algorithm.

Assessment of BRDF effect of Kunlun Mountain glacier on Tibetan Plateau as a potential pseudo-invariant calibration site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ling; Hu, Xiuqing; Chen, Lin

2017-09-01

Calibration is a critical step to ensure data quality and to meet the requirement of quantitative remote sensing in a broad range of scientific applications. One of the least expensive and increasingly popular methods of on-orbit calibration is the use of pseudo invariant calibration sites (PICS). A spatial homogenous and temporally stable area of 34 km2 in size around the center of Kunlun Mountain (KLM) over Tibetan Plateau (TP) was identified by our previous study. The spatial and temporal coefficient of variation (CV) this region was better than 4% for the reflective solar bands. In this study, the BRDF impacts of KLM glacier on MODIS observed TOA reflectance in band 1 (659 nm) are examined. The BRDF impact of KLM glacier with respect to the view zenith angle is studied through using the observations at a fixed solar zenith angle, and the effect with respect to the sun zenith angle is studied based on the observations collected at the same view angle. Then, the two widely used BRDF models are applied to our test data to simulate the variations of TOA reflectance due to the changes in viewing geometry. The first one is Ross-Li model, which has been used to produce the MODIS global BRDF albedo data product. The second one is snow surface BRDF model, which has been used to characterize the bidirectional reflectance of Antarctic snow. Finally, the accuracy and effectiveness of these two different BRDF models are tested through comparing the model of simulated TOA reflectance with the observed one. The results show that variations of the reflectances at a fixed solar zenith angle are close to the lambertian pattern, while those at a fixed sensor zenith angle are strongly anisotropic. A decrease in solar zenith angle from 50º to 20º causes an increase in reflectance by the level of approximated 50%. The snow surface BRDF model performs much better than the Ross-Li BRDF model to re-produce the Bi-Directional Reflectance of KLM glacier. The RMSE of snow surface BRDF

Robust categorization of microfacet BRDF models to enable flexible application-specific BRDF adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Samuel D.; Marciniak, Michael A.

2014-09-01

Since the development of the Torrance-Sparrow bidirectional re ectance distribution function (BRDF) model in 1967, several BRDF models have been created. Previous attempts to categorize BRDF models have relied upon somewhat vague descriptors, such as empirical, semi-empirical, and experimental. Our approach is to instead categorize BRDF models based on functional form: microfacet normal distribution, geometric attenua- tion, directional-volumetric and Fresnel terms, and cross section conversion factor. Several popular microfacet models are compared to a standardized notation for a microfacet BRDF model. A library of microfacet model components is developed, allowing for creation of unique microfacet models driven by experimentally measured BRDFs.

[Estimating Winter Wheat Nitrogen Vertical Distribution Based on Bidirectional Canopy Reflected Spectrum].

PubMed

Yang, Shao-yuan; Huang, Wen-jiang; Liang, Dong; Uang, Lin-sheng; Yang, Gui-jun; Zhang, Gui-jan; Cai, Shu-Hong

2015-07-01

The vertical distribution of crop nitrogen is increased with plant height, timely and non-damaging measurement of crop nitrogen vertical distribution is critical for the crop production and quality, improving fertilizer utilization and reducing environmental impact. The objective of this study was to discuss the method of estimating winter wheat nitrogen vertical distribution by exploring bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data using partial least square (PLS) algorithm. The canopy reflectance at nadir, +/-50 degrees and +/- 60 degrees; at nadir, +/- 30 degrees and +/- 40 degrees; and at nadir, +/- 20 degrees and +/- 30 degrees were selected to estimate foliage nitrogen density (FND) at upper layer, middle layer and bottom layer, respectively. Three PLS analysis models with FND as the dependent variable and vegetation indices at corresponding angles as the explicative variables were. established. The impact of soil reflectance and the canopy non-photosynthetic materials, was minimized by seven kinds of modifying vegetation indices with the ratio R700/R670. The estimated accuracy is significant raised at upper layer, middle layer and bottom layer in modeling experiment. Independent model verification selected the best three vegetation indices for further research. The research result showed that the modified Green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) shows better performance than other vegetation indices at each layer, which means modified GNDVI could be used in estimating winter wheat nitrogen vertical distribution

Modeling and validation of spectral BRDF on material surface of space target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Qingyu; Zhi, Xiyang; Zhang, Huili; Zhang, Wei

2014-11-01

The modeling and the validation methods of the spectral BRDF on the material surface of space target were presented. First, the microscopic characteristics of the space targets' material surface were analyzed based on fiber-optic spectrometer using to measure the direction reflectivity of the typical materials surface. To determine the material surface of space target is isotropic, atomic force microscopy was used to measure the material surface structure of space target and obtain Gaussian distribution model of microscopic surface element height. Then, the spectral BRDF model based on that the characteristics of the material surface were isotropic and the surface micro-facet with the Gaussian distribution which we obtained was constructed. The model characterizes smooth and rough surface well for describing the material surface of the space target appropriately. Finally, a spectral BRDF measurement platform in a laboratory was set up, which contains tungsten halogen lamp lighting system, fiber optic spectrometer detection system and measuring mechanical systems with controlling the entire experimental measurement and collecting measurement data by computers automatically. Yellow thermal control material and solar cell were measured with the spectral BRDF, which showed the relationship between the reflection angle and BRDF values at three wavelengths in 380nm, 550nm, 780nm, and the difference between theoretical model values and the measured data was evaluated by relative RMS error. Data analysis shows that the relative RMS error is less than 6%, which verified the correctness of the spectral BRDF model.

A novel image-based BRDF measurement system and its application to human skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bintz, Jeffrey R.; Mendenhall, Michael J.; Marciniak, Michael A.; Butler, Samuel D.; Lloyd, James Tommy

2016-09-01

Human skin detection is an important first step in search and rescue (SAR) scenarios. Previous research performed human skin detection through an application specific camera system that ex- ploits the spectral properties of human skin at two visible and two near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. The current theory assumes human skin is diffuse; however, it is observed that human skin exhibits specular and diffuse reflectance properties. This paper presents a novel image-based bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurement system, and applies it to the collection of human skin BRDF. The system uses a grid projecting laser and a novel signal processing chain to extract the surface normal from each grid location. Human skin BRDF measurements are shown for a variety of melanin content and hair coverage at the four spectral channels needed for human skin detection. The NIR results represent a novel contribution to the existing body of human skin BRDF measurements.

Metrological issues related to BRDF measurements around the specular direction in the particular case of glossy surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obein, Gaël.; Audenaert, Jan; Ged, Guillaume; Leloup, Frédéric B.

2015-03-01

Among the complete bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), visual gloss is principally related to physical reflection characteristics located around the specular reflection direction. This particular part of the BRDF is usually referred to as the specular peak. A good starting point for the physical description of gloss could be to measure the reflection properties around this specular peak. Unfortunately, such a characterization is not trivial, since for glossy surfaces the width of the specular peak can become very narrow (typically a full width at half maximum inferior to 0.5° is encountered). In result, new BRDF measurement devices with a very small solid angle of detection are being introduced. Yet, differences in the optical design of BRDF measurement instruments engender different measurement results for the same specimen, complicating direct comparison of the measurement results. This issue is addressed in this paper. By way of example, BRDF measurement results of two samples, one being matte and the other one glossy, obtained by use of two high level goniospectrophotometers with a different optical design, are described. Important discrepancies in the results of the glossy sample are discussed. Finally, luminance maps obtained from renderings with the acquired BRDF data are presented, exemplifying the large visual differences that might be obtained. This stresses the metrological aspects that must be known for using BRDF data. Indeed, the comprehension of parameters affecting the measurement results is an inevitable step towards progress in the metrology of surface gloss, and thus towards a better metrology of appearance in general.

Improvements to Lunar BRDF-Corrected Nighttime Satellite Imagery: Uses and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Tony A.; Molthan, Andrew L.; Schultz, Lori A.; Roman, Miguel O.; Wanik, David W.

2016-01-01

Observations made by the VIIRS day/night band (DNB) provide daily, nighttime measurements to monitor Earth surface processes.However, these observations are impacted by variations in reflected solar radiation on the moon's surface. As the moon transitions from new to full phase, increasing radiance is reflected to the Earth's surface and contributes additional reflected moonlight from clouds and land surface, in addition to emissions from other light sources observed by the DNB. The introduction of a bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) algorithm serves to remove these lunar variations and normalize observed radiances. Provided by the Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center, a 1 km gridded lunar BRDF-corrected DNB product and VIIRS cloud mask can be used for a multitude of nighttime applications without influence from the moon. Such applications include the detection of power outages following severe weather events using pre-and post-event DNB imagery, as well as the identification of boat features to curtail illegal fishing practices. This presentation will provide context on the importance of the lunar BRDF correction algorithm and explore the aforementioned uses of this improved DNB product for applied science applications.

Improvements to Lunar BRDF-Corrected Nighttime Satellite Imagery: Uses and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, T.; Molthan, A.; Schultz, L. A.; Roman, M. O.; Wanik, D. W.

2016-12-01

Observations made by the VIIRS day/night band (DNB) provide daily, nighttime measurements to monitor Earth surface processes. However, these observations are impacted by variations in reflected solar radiation on the moon's surface. As the moon transitions from new to full phase, increasing radiance is reflected to the Earth's surface and contributes additional reflected moonlight from clouds and land surface, in addition to emissions from other light sources observed by the DNB. The introduction of a bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) algorithm serves to remove these lunar variations and normalize observed radiances. Provided by the Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center, a 1 km gridded lunar BRDF-corrected DNB product and VIIRS cloud mask can be used for a multitude of nighttime applications without influence from the moon. Such applications include the detection of power outages following severe weather events using pre- and post-event DNB imagery, as well as the identification of boat features to curtail illegal fishing practices. This presentation will provide context on the importance of the lunar BRDF correction algorithm and explore the aforementioned uses of this improved DNB product for applied science applications.

Algorithm applying a modified BRDF function in Λ-ridge concentrator of solar radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plachta, Kamil

2015-05-01

This paper presents an algorithm that uses the modified BRDF function. It allows the calculation of the parameters of Λ-ridge concentrator system. The concentrator directs reflected solar radiation on photovoltaic surface, increasing its efficiency. The efficiency of the concentrator depends on the surface characteristics of the material which it is made of, the angle of the photovoltaic panel and the resolution of the tracking system. It shows a method of modeling the surface by using the BRDF function and describes its basic parameters, e.g. roughness and the components of the reflected stream. A cost calculation of chosen models with presented in this article BRDF function modification has been made. The author's own simulation program allows to choose the appropriate material for construction of a Λ-ridge concentrator, generate micro surface of the material, and simulate the shape and components of the reflected stream.

Monitoring NEON terrestrial sites phenology with daily MODIS BRDF/albedo product and landsat data

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and albedo products (MCD43) have already been in production for more than a decade. The standard product makes use of a linear “kernel-driven” RossThick-LiSparse Reciprocal (RTLSR) BRDF m...

New BRDF Model for Desert and Gobi Using Equivalent Mirror Plane Method, Establishment and Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Rong, Z.

2017-12-01

The surface Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a key parameter that affects the vicarious calibration accuracy of visible channel remote sensing instrument. In the past 30 years, many studies have been made and a variety of models have been established. Among them, the Ross-li model was highly approved and widely used. Unfortunately, the model doesn't suitable for desert and Gobi quite well because of the scattering kernel it contained, needs the factors such as plant height and plant spacing. A new BRDF model for surface without vegetation, which is mainly used in remote sensing vicarious calibration, is established. That was called Equivalent Mirror Plane (EMP) BRDF. It is used to characterize the bidirectional reflectance of the near Lambertian surface. The accuracy of the EMP BRDF model is validated by the directional reflectance data measured on the Dunhuang Gobi and compared to the Ross-li model. Results show that the regression accuracy of the new model is 0.828, which is similar to the Ross-li model (0.825). Because of the simple form (contains only four polynomials) and simple principle (derived by the Fresnel reflection principle, don't include any vegetation parameters), it is more suitable for near Lambertian surface, such as Gobi, desert, Lunar and reference panel. Results also showed that the new model could also maintain a high accuracy and stability in sparse observation, which is very important for the retrieval requirements of daily updating BRDF remote sensing products.

Satellite and in situ monitoring data used for modeling of forest vegetation reflectance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoran, M. A.; Savastru, R. S.; Savastru, D. M.; Miclos, S. I.; Tautan, M. N.; Baschir, L.

2010-10-01

As climatic variability and anthropogenic stressors are growing up continuously, must be defined the proper criteria for forest vegetation assessment. In order to characterize current and future state of forest vegetation satellite imagery is a very useful tool. Vegetation can be distinguished using remote sensing data from most other (mainly inorganic) materials by virtue of its notable absorption in the red and blue segments of the visible spectrum, its higher green reflectance and, especially, its very strong reflectance in the near-IR. Vegetation reflectance has variations with sun zenith angle, view zenith angle, and terrain slope angle. To provide corrections of these effects, for visible and near-infrared light, was used a developed a simple physical model of vegetation reflectance, by assuming homogeneous and closed vegetation canopy with randomly oriented leaves. A simple physical model of forest vegetation reflectance was applied and validated for Cernica forested area, near Bucharest town through two ASTER satellite data , acquired within minutes from one another ,a nadir and off-nadir for band 3 lying in the near infra red, most radiance differences between the two scenes can be attributed to the BRDF effect. Other satellite data MODIS, Landsat TM and ETM as well as, IKONOS have been used for different NDVI and classification analysis.

Surface Albedo/BRDF Parameters (Terra/Aqua MODIS)

DOE Data Explorer

Trishchenko, Alexander

2008-01-15

Spatially and temporally complete surface spectral albedo/BRDF products over the ARM SGP area were generated using data from two Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on Terra and Aqua satellites. A landcover-based fitting (LBF) algorithm is developed to derive the BRDF model parameters and albedo product (Luo et al., 2004a). The approach employs a landcover map and multi-day clearsky composites of directional surface reflectance. The landcover map is derived from the Landsat TM 30-meter data set (Trishchenko et al., 2004a), and the surface reflectances are from MODIS 500m-resolution 8-day composite products (MOD09/MYD09). The MOD09/MYD09 data are re-arranged into 10-day intervals for compatibility with other satellite products, such as those from the NOVA/AVHRR and SPOT/VGT sensors. The LBF method increases the success rate of the BRDF fitting process and enables more accurate monitoring of surface temporal changes during periods of rapid spring vegetation green-up and autumn leaf-fall, as well as changes due to agricultural practices and snowcover variations (Luo et al., 2004b, Trishchenko et al., 2004b). Albedo/BRDF products for MODIS on Terra and MODIS on Aqua, as well as for Terra/Aqua combined dataset, are generated at 500m spatial resolution and every 10-day since March 2000 (Terra) and July 2002 (Aqua and combined), respectively. The purpose for the latter product is to obtain a more comprehensive dataset that takes advantages of multi-sensor observations (Trishchenko et al., 2002). To fill data gaps due to cloud presence, various interpolation procedures are applied based on a multi-year observation database and referring to results from other locations with similar landcover property. Special seasonal smoothing procedure is also applied to further remove outliers and artifacts in data series.

Assessment of VIIRS daily BRDF/Albedo product using in situ measurement of SURFRAD sites and MODIS V006 daily BRDF/Albedo product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Wang, Z.; Sun, Q.; Schaaf, C.; Roman, M. O.

2014-12-01

Surface albedo is defined as the ratio of upwelling to downwelling radiative flux. It's important for understanding the global energy budget. Remote sensing albedo products provide global time continuous coverage to help capture global energy variability and change. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi-NPP satellite, launched on October 28, 2011, is aiming to provide continues data record with the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), which has been providing Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)/Albedo product since 2000. By utilizing the same approach that was used for the most recently V006 daily MODIS BRDF/Albedo product, VIIRS has the ability to keep providing products for research and operational users. Validating albedo product of VIIRS using in situmeasured albedo can assure the quality for land surface climate and biosphere models, and comparing with MODIS product can assure time continues of BRDF/albedo product. The daily BRDF/Albedo product still uses 16-day period multispectral, cloud-cleared, atmospherically-corrected surface reflectances to fit the Ross-Thick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal semi-empirical BRDF model. But the multiday observations are also weighted based on proximity to the production date in order to emphasis on that individual day. Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) was established in 1993 through the support of NOAA's Office of Global Programs. In situ albedo was driven from downwelling and upwelling radiative flux measured from the towers. Fraction of diffuse sky light was calculated using the direct and diffuse solar recorded in the data. It was further used to translate VIIRS, MODIS black sky and white sky albedos into actual albedo at local solar noon. Results show that VIIRS, MODIS and in situ albedo agree well at SURFARD spatially representative sites. While the VIIRS surface reflectance, snow, and cloud algorithms are still undergoing revision, the result shows that

The effects of mineral aerosol deposits on the BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) of sea ice for the calibration of satellite remote sensing products: an experimental and modelling study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamare, Maxim; Hedley, John; King, Martin

2016-04-01

Knowledge of the albedo in the cryosphere is essential to monitor a range of climatic processes that have an impact on a global scale. Optical Earth Observation satellites are ideal for the synoptic observation of expansive and inaccessible areas, providing large datasets used to derive essential products, such as albedo. The application of remote sensing to investigate climate processes requires the combination of data from different sensors. However, although there is significant value in the analysis of data from individual sensors, global observing systems require accurate knowledge of sensor-to-sensor biases. Therefore, the inter-calibration of sensors used for climate studies is essential to avoid inconsistencies, which may mask climate effects. CEOS (Committee on Earth Observing Satellites) has established a number of natural Earth targets to serve as international reference standards, amongst which sea ice has great potential. The reflectance of natural surfaces is not isotropic and reflectance varies with the illumination and viewing geometries, consequently impacting satellite observations. Furthermore, variations in the physical properties (sea ice type, thickness) and the light absorbing impurities deposited in the sea ice have a strong impact on reflectance. Thus, the characterisation of the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of sea ice is a fundamental step toward the inter-calibration of optical satellite sensors. This study provides a characterisation of the effects of mineral aerosol and black carbon deposits on the BRDF of three different sea ice types. BRDF measurements were performed on bare sea ice grown in an experimental ice tank, using a state-of-the-art laboratory goniometer. The sea ice was "poisoned" with concentrations of mineral dust and black carbon varying between 100 and 5 000 ng g-1 deposited uniformly in a 5 cm surface layer. Using measurements from the experimental facility, novel information about sea ice

Simulated BRDF based on measured surface topography of metal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Haiyue; Haist, Tobias; Gronle, Marc; Osten, Wolfgang

2017-06-01

The radiative reflective properties of a calibration standard rough surface were simulated by ray tracing and the Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The simulation results have been used to compute the reflectance distribution functions (BRDF) of metal surfaces and have been compared with experimental measurements. The experimental and simulated results are in good agreement.

Laboratory and Airborne BRDF Analysis of Vegetation Leaves and Soil Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Gatebe, Charles K.; Butler, James J.; King, Michael D.

2008-01-01

Laboratory-based Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) analysis of vegetation leaves, soil, and leaf litter samples is presented. The leaf litter and soil samples, numbered 1 and 2, were obtained from a site located in the savanna biome of South Africa (Skukuza: 25.0degS, 31.5degE). A third soil sample, number 3, was obtained from Etosha Pan, Namibia (19.20degS, 15.93degE, alt. 1100 m). In addition, BRDF of local fresh and dry leaves from tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and acacia tree (Acacia greggii) were studied. It is shown how the BRDF depends on the incident and scatter angles, sample size (i.e. crushed versus whole leaf,) soil samples fraction size, sample status (i.e. fresh versus dry leaves), vegetation species (poplar versus acacia), and vegetation s biochemical composition. As a demonstration of the application of the results of this study, airborne BRDF measurements acquired with NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) over the same general site where the soil and leaf litter samples were obtained are compared to the laboratory results. Good agreement between laboratory and airborne measured BRDF is reported.

Retrieval of seasonal dynamics of forest understory reflectance from semiarid to boreal forests using MODIS BRDF data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisek, Jan; Chen, Jing M.; Kobayashi, Hideki; Rautiainen, Miina; Schaepman, Michael E.; Karnieli, Arnon; Sprinstin, Michael; Ryu, Youngryel; Nikopensius, Maris; Raabe, Kairi

2016-03-01

Spatial and temporal patterns of forest background (understory) reflectance are crucial for retrieving biophysical parameters of forest canopies (overstory) and subsequently for ecosystem modeling. In this communication, we retrieved seasonal courses of understory normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from multiangular Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer bidirectional reflectance distribution function (MODIS BRDF)/albedo data. We compared satellite-based seasonal courses of understory NDVI to understory NDVI values measured in different types of forests distributed along a wide latitudinal gradient (65.12°N-31.35°N). Our results indicated that the retrieval method performs well particularly over open forests of different types. We also demonstrated the limitations of the method for closed canopies, where the understory signal retrieval is much attenuated.

Monte Carlo simulation of spectral reflectance and BRDF of the bubble layer in the upper ocean.

PubMed

Ma, Lanxin; Wang, Fuqiang; Wang, Chengan; Wang, Chengchao; Tan, Jianyu

2015-09-21

The presence of bubbles can significantly change the radiative properties of seawater and these changes will affect remote sensing and underwater target detection. In this work, the spectral reflectance and bidirectional reflectance characteristics of the bubble layer in the upper ocean are investigated using the Monte Carlo method. The Hall-Novarini (HN) bubble population model, which considers the effect of wind speed and depth on the bubble size distribution, is used. The scattering coefficients and the scattering phase functions of bubbles in seawater are calculated using Mie theory, and the inherent optical properties of seawater for wavelengths between 300 nm and 800 nm are related to chlorophyll concentration (Chl). The effects of bubble coating, Chl, and bubble number density on the spectral reflectance of the bubble layer are studied. The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the bubble layer for both normal and oblique incidence is also investigated. The results show that bubble populations in clear waters under high wind speed conditions significantly influence the reflection characteristics of the bubble layer. Furthermore, the contribution of bubble populations to the reflection characteristics is mainly due to the strong backscattering of bubbles that are coated with an organic film.

Determination of Optimum Viewing Angles for the Angular Normalization of Land Surface Temperature over Vegetated Surface

PubMed Central

Ren, Huazhong; Yan, Guangjian; Liu, Rongyuan; Li, Zhao-Liang; Qin, Qiming; Nerry, Françoise; Liu, Qiang

2015-01-01

Multi-angular observation of land surface thermal radiation is considered to be a promising method of performing the angular normalization of land surface temperature (LST) retrieved from remote sensing data. This paper focuses on an investigation of the minimum requirements of viewing angles to perform such normalizations on LST. The normally kernel-driven bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is first extended to the thermal infrared (TIR) domain as TIR-BRDF model, and its uncertainty is shown to be less than 0.3 K when used to fit the hemispheric directional thermal radiation. A local optimum three-angle combination is found and verified using the TIR-BRDF model based on two patterns: the single-point pattern and the linear-array pattern. The TIR-BRDF is applied to an airborne multi-angular dataset to retrieve LST at nadir (Te-nadir) from different viewing directions, and the results show that this model can obtain reliable Te-nadir from 3 to 4 directional observations with large angle intervals, thus corresponding to large temperature angular variations. The Te-nadir is generally larger than temperature of the slant direction, with a difference of approximately 0.5~2.0 K for vegetated pixels and up to several Kelvins for non-vegetated pixels. The findings of this paper will facilitate the future development of multi-angular thermal infrared sensors. PMID:25825975

Determination of optimum viewing angles for the angular normalization of land surface temperature over vegetated surface.

PubMed

Ren, Huazhong; Yan, Guangjian; Liu, Rongyuan; Li, Zhao-Liang; Qin, Qiming; Nerry, Françoise; Liu, Qiang

2015-03-27

Multi-angular observation of land surface thermal radiation is considered to be a promising method of performing the angular normalization of land surface temperature (LST) retrieved from remote sensing data. This paper focuses on an investigation of the minimum requirements of viewing angles to perform such normalizations on LST. The normally kernel-driven bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is first extended to the thermal infrared (TIR) domain as TIR-BRDF model, and its uncertainty is shown to be less than 0.3 K when used to fit the hemispheric directional thermal radiation. A local optimum three-angle combination is found and verified using the TIR-BRDF model based on two patterns: the single-point pattern and the linear-array pattern. The TIR-BRDF is applied to an airborne multi-angular dataset to retrieve LST at nadir (Te-nadir) from different viewing directions, and the results show that this model can obtain reliable Te-nadir from 3 to 4 directional observations with large angle intervals, thus corresponding to large temperature angular variations. The Te-nadir is generally larger than temperature of the slant direction, with a difference of approximately 0.5~2.0 K for vegetated pixels and up to several Kelvins for non-vegetated pixels. The findings of this paper will facilitate the future development of multi-angular thermal infrared sensors.

Satellite aerosol retrieval using dark target algorithm by coupling BRDF effect over AERONET site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Leiku; Xue, Yong; Guang, Jie; Li, Chi

2012-11-01

For most satellite aerosol retrieval algorithms even for multi-angle instrument, the simple forward model (FM) based on Lambertian surface assumption is employed to simulate top of the atmosphere (TOA) spectral reflectance, which does not fully consider the surface bi-directional reflectance functions (BRDF) effect. The approximating forward model largely simplifies the radiative transfer model, reduces the size of the look-up tables, and creates faster algorithm. At the same time, it creates systematic biases in the aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval. AOD product from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) data based on the dark target algorithm is considered as one of accurate satellite aerosol products at present. Though it performs well at a global scale, uncertainties are still found on regional in a lot of studies. The Lambertian surface assumpiton employed in the retrieving algorithm may be one of the uncertain factors. In this study, we first use radiative transfer simulations over dark target to assess the uncertainty to what extent is introduced from the Lambertian surface assumption. The result shows that the uncertainties of AOD retrieval could reach up to ±0.3. Then the Lambertian FM (L_FM) and the BRDF FM (BRDF_FM) are respectively employed in AOD retrieval using dark target algorithm from MODARNSS (MODIS/Terra and MODIS/Aqua Atmosphere Aeronet Subsetting Product) data over Beijing AERONET site. The validation shows that accuracy in AOD retrieval has been improved by employing the BRDF_FM accounting for the surface BRDF effect, the regression slope of scatter plots with retrieved AOD against AEROENET AOD increases from 0.7163 (for L_FM) to 0.7776 (for BRDF_FM) and the intercept decreases from 0.0778 (for L_FM) to 0.0627 (for BRDF_FM).

BOREAS RSS-20 POLDER C-130 Measurements of Surface BRDF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leroy, Marc; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Remote Sensing Science (RSS)-20 data set contains measurements of surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) made by the polarization and Directionality of Earth reflectances (POLDER) instrument over several surface types (pine, spruce, fen) of the BOREAS southern study area (SSA) during the 1994 intensive field campaigns (IFCs). Single-point BRDF values were acquired either from the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) C-130 aircraft or from a NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) helicopter. A related data set collected from the helicopter platform is available as is POLDER imagery acquired from the C-130. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884) or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Evaluation of directional normalization methods for Landsat TM/ETM+ over primary Amazonian lowland forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van doninck, Jasper; Tuomisto, Hanna

2017-06-01

Biodiversity mapping in extensive tropical forest areas poses a major challenge for the interpretation of Landsat images, because floristically clearly distinct forest types may show little difference in reflectance. In such cases, the effects of the bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF) can be sufficiently strong to cause erroneous image interpretation and classification. Since the opening of the Landsat archive in 2008, several BRDF normalization methods for Landsat have been developed. The simplest of these consist of an empirical view angle normalization, whereas more complex approaches apply the semi-empirical Ross-Li BRDF model and the MODIS MCD43-series of products to normalize directional Landsat reflectance to standard view and solar angles. Here we quantify the effect of surface anisotropy on Landsat TM/ETM+ images over old-growth Amazonian forests, and evaluate five angular normalization approaches. Even for the narrow swath of the Landsat sensors, we observed directional effects in all spectral bands. Those normalization methods that are based on removing the surface reflectance gradient as observed in each image were adequate to normalize TM/ETM+ imagery to nadir viewing, but were less suitable for multitemporal analysis when the solar vector varied strongly among images. Approaches based on the MODIS BRDF model parameters successfully reduced directional effects in the visible bands, but removed only half of the systematic errors in the infrared bands. The best results were obtained when the semi-empirical BRDF model was calibrated using pairs of Landsat observation. This method produces a single set of BRDF parameters, which can then be used to operationally normalize Landsat TM/ETM+ imagery over Amazonian forests to nadir viewing and a standard solar configuration.

Simulating the directional, spectral and textural properties of a large-scale scene at high resolution using a MODIS BRDF product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengarajan, Rajagopalan; Goodenough, Adam A.; Schott, John R.

2016-10-01

Many remote sensing applications rely on simulated scenes to perform complex interaction and sensitivity studies that are not possible with real-world scenes. These applications include the development and validation of new and existing algorithms, understanding of the sensor's performance prior to launch, and trade studies to determine ideal sensor configurations. The accuracy of these applications is dependent on the realism of the modeled scenes and sensors. The Digital Image and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) tool has been used extensively to model the complex spectral and spatial texture variation expected in large city-scale scenes and natural biomes. In the past, material properties that were used to represent targets in the simulated scenes were often assumed to be Lambertian in the absence of hand-measured directional data. However, this assumption presents a limitation for new algorithms that need to recognize the anisotropic behavior of targets. We have developed a new method to model and simulate large-scale high-resolution terrestrial scenes by combining bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, high spatial resolution data, and hyperspectral data. The high spatial resolution data is used to separate materials and add textural variations to the scene, and the directional hemispherical reflectance from the hyperspectral data is used to adjust the magnitude of the MODIS BRDF. In this method, the shape of the BRDF is preserved since it changes very slowly, but its magnitude is varied based on the high resolution texture and hyperspectral data. In addition to the MODIS derived BRDF, target/class specific BRDF values or functions can also be applied to features of specific interest. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the techniques and the methodology used to model a forest region at a high resolution. The simulated scenes using this method for varying

Seven-parameter statistical model for BRDF in the UV band.

PubMed

Bai, Lu; Wu, Zhensen; Zou, Xiren; Cao, Yunhua

2012-05-21

A new semi-empirical seven-parameter BRDF model is developed in the UV band using experimentally measured data. The model is based on the five-parameter model of Wu and the fourteen-parameter model of Renhorn and Boreman. Surface scatter, bulk scatter and retro-reflection scatter are considered. An optimizing modeling method, the artificial immune network genetic algorithm, is used to fit the BRDF measurement data over a wide range of incident angles. The calculation time and accuracy of the five- and seven-parameter models are compared. After fixing the seven parameters, the model can well describe scattering data in the UV band.

BRDF-dependent accuracy of array-projection-based 3D sensors.

PubMed

Heist, Stefan; Kühmstedt, Peter; Tünnermann, Andreas; Notni, Gunther

2017-03-10

In order to perform high-speed three-dimensional (3D) shape measurements with structured light systems, high-speed projectors are required. One possibility is an array projector, which allows pattern projection at several tens of kilohertz by switching on and off the LEDs of various slide projectors. The different projection centers require a separate analysis, as the intensity received by the cameras depends on the projection direction and the object's bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). In this contribution, we investigate the BRDF-dependent errors of array-projection-based 3D sensors and propose an error compensation process.

Investigating Bidirectional Reflectance in the Los Angeles Megacity Using CLARS Multiangle and Hyperspectral Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Z. C.; Natraj, V.; Pongetti, T.; Shia, R. L.; Sander, S. P.; Yung, Y. L.

2017-12-01

The surface reflectance is a key ingredient in the remote sensing of surface and atmospheric properties from space. The determination of atmospheric composition, including greenhouse gas (GHG) and aerosol concentrations, from reflected sunlight requires accurate knowledge of the contribution from the underlying surface. Over megacity areas, such as the Los Angeles (LA) basin, which are major sources of GHGs and anthropogenic aerosols, the quantification of surface reflectance is challenging due to the associated complex land use types. In this study, we investigate the bidirectional reflectance in the Los Angeles megacity area using multiangle and hyperspectral radiance measurements from the California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CLARS). The CLARS facility is located near the top of Mt. Wilson, at an altitude of 1670 m a.s.l., overlooking the LA megacity area with an FTS operating since 2011 to continuously monitor the GHGs and near-surface aerosols in the basin. The CLARS-FTS offers continuous high-resolution spectral measurements in the visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared spectral regions. The CLARS measurements mimic the off-nadir viewing of a low-Earth orbiting instrument, such as GOSAT and OCO-2, but with daily viewing capability. Eight surface targets with different land use types, including urban parks, industrial and residential areas, are selected in this study. The surface reflectance for specific solar incident and viewing angles is calculated by dividing, for non-absorbing spectral channels on clear days (such that gas and aerosol extinction can be ignored), the observed radiance reflected from surface targets by the observed irradiance. The non-linear Rahman-Pinty-Verstraete (RPV) model is used to model the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) by fitting the multiangle and hyperspectral measurements. By evaluating the retrieved RPV parameters, we find that the RPV model provides a good representation of the

Spectral and geometrical variation of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of diffuse reflectance standards.

PubMed

Ferrero, Alejandro; Rabal, Ana María; Campos, Joaquín; Pons, Alicia; Hernanz, María Luisa

2012-12-20

A study on the variation of the spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of four diffuse reflectance standards (matte ceramic, BaSO(4), Spectralon, and white Russian opal glass) is accomplished through this work. Spectral BRDF measurements were carried out and, using principal components analysis, its spectral and geometrical variation respect to a reference geometry was assessed from the experimental data. Several descriptors were defined in order to compare the spectral BRDF variation of the four materials.

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function effects in ladar-based reflection tomography.

PubMed

Jin, Xuemin; Levine, Robert Y

2009-07-20

Light reflection from a surface is described by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). In this paper, BRDF effects in reflection tomography are studied using modeled range-resolved reflection from well-characterized geometrical surfaces. It is demonstrated that BRDF effects can cause a darkening at the interior boundary of the reconstructed surface analogous to the well-known beam hardening artifact in x-ray transmission computed tomography (CT). This artifact arises from reduced reflection at glancing incidence angles to the surface. It is shown that a purely Lambertian surface without shadowed components is perfectly reconstructed from range-resolved measurements. This result is relevant to newly fabricated carbon nanotube materials. Shadowing is shown to cause crossed streak artifacts similar to limited-angle effects in CT reconstruction. In tomographic reconstruction, these effects can overwhelm highly diffuse components in proximity to specularly reflecting elements. Diffuse components can be recovered by specialized processing, such as reducing glints via thresholded measurements.

Harmonizing Landsat and Sentinel-2 Reflectances for Better Land Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masek, Jeffrey; Vermote, Eric; Franch, Belen; Roger, Jean-Claude; Skakun, Sergii; Claverie, Martin; Dungan, Jennifer

2016-01-01

When combined, Landsat and ESA Sentinel-2 observations can provide 2-4 day coverage for the global land area. A collaboration among NASA GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center), University of Maryland, and NASA Ames has developed a processing chain to create seamless, "harmonized" reflectance products using standardized atmospheric correction, BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) adjustment, spectral bandpass adjustment, and gridding algorithms. These products point the way to a "30-m MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)" capability for agricultural and ecosystem monitoring by leveraging international sensors.

Comparison of BRDF-Predicted and Observed Light Curves of GEO Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceniceros, A.; Dao, P.; Gaylor, D.; Rast, R.; Anderson, J.; Pinon, E., III

Although the amount of light received by sensors on the ground from Resident Space Objects (RSOs) in geostationary orbit (GEO) is small, information can still be extracted in the form of light curves (temporal brightness or apparent magnitude). Previous research has shown promising results in determining RSO characteristics such as shape, size, reflectivity, and attitude by processing simulated light curve data with various estimation algorithms. These simulated light curves have been produced using one of several existing analytic Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) models. These BRDF models have generally come from researchers in computer graphics and machine vision and have not been shown to be realistic for telescope observations of RSOs in GEO. While BRDFs have been used for SSA analysis and characterization, there is a lack of research on the validation of BRDFs with regards to real data. In this paper, we compared telescope data provided by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) with predicted light curves from the Ashikhmin-Premoze BRDF and two additional popular illumination models, Ashikhmin-Shirley and Cook-Torrance. We computed predicted light curves based on two line mean elements (TLEs), shape model, attitude profile, observing ground station location, observation time and BRDF. The predicted light curves were then compared with AFRL telescope data. The selected BRDFS provided accurate apparent magnitude trends and behavior, but uncertainties due to lack of attitude information and deficiencies in our satellite model prevented us from obtaining a better match to the real data. The current findings present a foundation for ample future research.

BRDF measurements of sunshield and baffle materials for the IRAS telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, S. M.

1982-01-01

Measurements of the far-infrared bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDF) of four samples of Martin Black coating and one sample of gold coated aluminum from the telescope to be flown on the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) are presented. At incidence angles near 35 deg Martin Black is a diffuse reflector at wavelengths as long as 36 microns. The gold coated aluminum sample from the IRAS sunshield has a visible grain which causes a strong diffraction enhancement of the BRDF at large nonspecular angles. This enhancement from the sunshield will increase the stray light level inside the telescope.

Variables separation of the spectral BRDF for better understanding color variation in special effect pigment coatings.

PubMed

Ferrero, Alejandro; Rabal, Ana María; Campos, Joaquín; Pons, Alicia; Hernanz, María Luisa

2012-06-01

A type of representation of the spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is proposed that distinctly separates the spectral variable (wavelength) from the geometrical variables (spherical coordinates of the irradiation and viewing directions). Principal components analysis (PCA) is used in order to decompose the spectral BRDF in decorrelated spectral components, and the weight that they have at every geometrical configuration of irradiation/viewing is established. This method was applied to the spectral BRDF measurement of a special effect pigment sample, and four principal components with relevant variance were identified. These four components are enough to reproduce the great diversity of spectral reflectances observed at different geometrical configurations. Since this representation is able to separate spectral and geometrical variables, it facilitates the interpretation of the color variation of special effect pigments coatings versus the geometrical configuration of irradiation/viewing.

Airborne Spectral BRDF of Various Surface Types (Ocean, Vegetation, Snow, Desert, Wetlands, Cloud Decks, Smoke Layers) for Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, Charles K.; King, Michael D.

2016-01-01

In this paper we describe measurements of the bidirectional reflectance-distribution function (BRDF) acquired over a 30-year period (1984-2014) by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). Our BRDF database encompasses various natural surfaces that are representative of many land cover or ecosystem types found throughout the world. CAR's unique measurement geometry allows a comparison of measurements acquired from different satellite instruments with various geometrical configurations, none of which are capable of obtaining such a complete and nearly instantaneous BRDF. This database is therefore of great value in validating many satellite sensors and assessing corrections of reflectances for angular effects. These data can also be used to evaluate the ability of analytical models to reproduce the observed directional signatures, to develop BRDF models that are suitable for sub-kilometer-scale satellite observations over both homogeneous and heterogeneous landscape types, and to test future spaceborne sensors. All of these BRDF data are publicly available and accessible in hierarchical data format (http:car.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

Leonardo-BRDF: A New Generation Satellite Constellation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esper, Jaime; Neeck, Steven; Wiscombe, Warren; Ryschkewitsch, Michael; Andary, J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Instantaneous net radiation flux at the top of the atmosphere is one of the primary drivers of climate and global change. Since the dawn of the satellite era, great efforts and expense have gone into measuring this flux from single satellites and even (for a several-year period) from a constellation of three satellites called ERBE. However, the reflected solar flux is an angular and spectral integral over the so-called "BRDF" or Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function, which is the angular distribution of reflected solar radiation for each solar zenith angle and each wavelength. Previous radiation flux satellites could not measure instantaneous BRDF, so scientists have had to fall back on models or composites. Because their range of observed solar zenith angles was very limited due to sunsynchronous orbits, the resultant flux maps are too inaccurate to see the dynamics of radiation flux or to reliably correlate it with specific phenomena (hurricanes, biomass fires, urban pollution, dust outbreaks, etc.). Accuracy only becomes acceptable after monthly averaging, but this washes out almost all cause-and-effect information, further exacerbated by the lack of spectral resolution. Leonardo-BRDF is a satellite system designed to measure the instantaneous spectral BRDF using a formation of highly coordinated satellites, all pointing at the same Earth targets at the same time. It will allow scientists for the first time to assess the radiative forcing of climate due to specific phenomena, which is bound to be important in the ongoing debate about global warming and what is causing it. The formation is composed of two satellite types having, as instrument payloads, single highly-integrated miniature imaging spectrometers or radiometers. Two nearby "keystone" satellites anchor the formation and fly in static orbits. They employ wide field of view imaging spectrometers that are extremely light and compact. The keystone satellites are identical and can operate in

Retrieval of seasonal dynamics of forest understory reflectance over a set of boreal, sub-boreal and temperate forests using MODIS BRDF data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisek, J.; Lang, M.; Kuusk, J.; Kobayashi, H.; Suzuki, R.; Rautiainen, M.; Schaepman, M. E.; Nikopensius, M.; Raabe, K.

2013-12-01

Since ground vegetation (understory) has an essential contribution to the whole-stand reflectance signal in many boreal, sub-boreal and temperate forests, its reflectance spectra are urgently needed in various forest reflectance modelling efforts. However, systematic reflectance data covering different site types are almost missing. Measurement of understory reflectance is a real challenge because of extremely high variability of irradiance at the forest floor, weak signal in some parts of the spectrum and its variable nature. Understory consists of several sub-layers (tree regeneration, shrub, grasses or dwarf shrub, mosses or lichens, litter, bare soil), it has spatially-temporally variable species composition and ground coverage. Additional problems are introduced by patchiness of ground vegetation, ground surface roughness and understory-overstory relations. Due to this variability, remote sensing might be the only technology to provide consistent data at the required spatially extensive scales. Here we follow on our previous effort at mapping understory reflectance dynamics using multi-angle remote sensing observations (Pisek et al. (2012). Retrieval of seasonal dynamics of forest understory reflectance in a Northern European boreal forest from MODIS BRDF data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 117, 464-468). This presentation will focus on the validation of this approach against an extended collection of different types of forest sites with available in-situ understory reflectance measurements distributed along a wide latitudinal gradient: a sparse black spruce forest in Alaska (Poker range; 65.12 N), a northern European boreal forest (Hyytiala; 61.85 N), hemiboreal needleleaf and deciduous stands in Estonia (Jarvselja; 58.27 N), a temperate deciduous forest in Switzerland (Laegeren; 47.48 N), and a dense black spruce forest in Canada (Sudbury; 47.16 N). Our results are pertinent to the ultimate goal of production of circumpolar maps of seasonal dynamics of

Long-term calibration monitoring of Spectralon diffusers BRDF in the air-ultraviolet.

PubMed

Georgiev, Georgi T; Butler, James J

2007-11-10

Long-term calibration monitoring of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of Spectralon diffusers in the air-ultraviolet is presented. Four Spectralon diffusers were monitored in this study. Three of the diffusers, designated as H1, H2, and H3, were used in the prelaunch radiance calibration of the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/2 (SBUV/2) satellite instruments on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 14 and 16. A fourth diffuser, designated as the 400 diffuser, was used in the prelaunch calibration of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) instrument scheduled for initial flight in 2009 on the National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project. The BRDF data of this study were obtained between 1994 and 2005 using the scatterometer located in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Diffuser Calibration Laboratory. The diffusers were measured at 13 wavelengths between 230 and 425 nm at the incident and scatter angles used in the prelaunch calibrations of SBUV/2 and OMPS. Spectral features in the BRDF of Spectralon are also discussed. The comparison shows how the air-ultraviolet BRDF of these Spectralon samples changed over time under clean room deployment conditions.

Polarized BRDF measurement of steel E235B in the near-infrared region: Based on a self-designed instrument with absolute measuring method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yanlei; Yu, Kun; Liu, Zilong; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Yufang

2018-06-01

The spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution (BRDF) offers a complete description of the optical properties of the opaque material. Numerous studies on BRDF have been conducted for its important role in scientific research and industrial production. However, most of these studies focus on the visible region and unpolarized BRDF, and the spectral polarized BRDF in the near-infrared region is rarely reported. In this letter, we propose an absolute method to measure the spectral BRDF in the near-infrared region, and the detailed derivation is presented. A self-designed instrument is set up for the absolute measurement of BRDF. The reliability of this method is verified by comparing the experimental data of the three metal (aluminum, silver and gold) mirrors with the reference data. The in-plane polarized BRDF of steel E235B are measured, and the influence of incident angle and roughness on the BRDF are discussed. The degree of linear polarization (DOLP) are determined based on the polarized BRDF. The results indicate that both the roughness and incident angle have distinct influence on the BRDF and DOLP.

Modeling of polarimetric BRDF characteristics of painted surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ying; Wang, Zeying; Zhao, Huijie

2014-11-01

In this paper a pBRDF (polarimetric Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) model of painted surfaces coupled with atmospheric polarization characteristics is built and the method of simulating polarimetric radiation reaching the imaging system is advanced. Firstly, the composition of the radiation reaching the sensor is analyzed. Then, the pBRDF model of painted surfaces is developed according to the microfacet theory presented by G. Priest and the downwelled skylight polarization is modeled based on the vector radiative transfer model RT3. Furthermore, the modeled polarization state of reflected light from the surfaces was achieved through integrating the directional polarimetric information of the whole hemisphere, adding the modeled polarimetric factors of incident diffused skylight. Finally, the polarimetric radiance reaching the sensor is summed up with the assumption that the target-sensor path is assumed to be negligible since it is relatively short in the current imaging geometry. The modeled results are related to the solar-sensor geometry, atmospheric conditions and the features of the painted surfaces. This result can be used to simulate the imaging under different weather conditions and further work for the validation experiments of the model need to be done.

Spectral BRDF-based determination of proper measurement geometries to characterize color shift of special effect coatings.

PubMed

Ferrero, Alejandro; Rabal, Ana; Campos, Joaquín; Martínez-Verdú, Francisco; Chorro, Elísabet; Perales, Esther; Pons, Alicia; Hernanz, María Luisa

2013-02-01

A reduced set of measurement geometries allows the spectral reflectance of special effect coatings to be predicted for any other geometry. A physical model based on flake-related parameters has been used to determine nonredundant measurement geometries for the complete description of the spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The analysis of experimental spectral BRDF was carried out by means of principal component analysis. From this analysis, a set of nine measurement geometries was proposed to characterize special effect coatings. It was shown that, for two different special effect coatings, these geometries provide a good prediction of their complete color shift.

Directional statistics-based reflectance model for isotropic bidirectional reflectance distribution functions.

PubMed

Nishino, Ko; Lombardi, Stephen

2011-01-01

We introduce a novel parametric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model that can accurately encode a wide variety of real-world isotropic BRDFs with a small number of parameters. The key observation we make is that a BRDF may be viewed as a statistical distribution on a unit hemisphere. We derive a novel directional statistics distribution, which we refer to as the hemispherical exponential power distribution, and model real-world isotropic BRDFs as mixtures of it. We derive a canonical probabilistic method for estimating the parameters, including the number of components, of this novel directional statistics BRDF model. We show that the model captures the full spectrum of real-world isotropic BRDFs with high accuracy, but a small footprint. We also demonstrate the advantages of the novel BRDF model by showing its use for reflection component separation and for exploring the space of isotropic BRDFs.

Radiation physics and modelling for off-nadir satellite-sensing of non-Lambertian surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerstl, S. A.; Simmer, C.

1986-01-01

The primary objective of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the physics of satellite remote-sensing when off-nadir observations are considered. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and modeling of atmospheric effects and the radiative transfer of non-Lambertian surface reflectance characteristics from ground-level to satellite locations. The relative importance of spectral, spatial, angular, and temporal reflectance characteristics for satellite-sensed identification of vegetation types in the visible and near-infrared wavelength regions is evaluated. The highest identification value is attributed to angular reflectance signatures. Using radiative transfer calculations to evaluate the atmospheric effects on angular reflectance distributions of vegetation surfaces, atmosphere-invariant angular reflectance features such as the 'hot spot' and the 'persistent valley' are identified. A new atmospheric correction formalism for complete angular reflectance distributions is described. A sample calculation demonstrates that a highly non-Lambertian measured surface reflectance distribution can be retrieved from simulated satellite data in the visible and near infrared to within about 20 percent accuracy for almost all view directions up to 60 deg off-nadir. Thus the high value of angular surface reflectance characteristics (the 'angular signature') for satellite-sensed feature identification is confirmed, which provides a scientific basis for future off-nadir satellite observations.

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function of Spectralon white reflectance standard illuminated by incoherent unpolarized and plane-polarized light.

PubMed

Bhandari, Anak; Hamre, Børge; Frette, Øvynd; Zhao, Lu; Stamnes, Jakob J; Kildemo, Morten

2011-06-01

A Lambert surface would appear equally bright from all observation directions regardless of the illumination direction. However, the reflection from a randomly scattering object generally has directional variation, which can be described in terms of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). We measured the BRDF of a Spectralon white reflectance standard for incoherent illumination at 405 and 680 nm with unpolarized and plane-polarized light from different directions of incidence. Our measurements show deviations of the BRDF for the Spectralon white reflectance standard from that of a Lambertian reflector that depend both on the angle of incidence and the polarization states of the incident light and detected light. The non-Lambertian reflection characteristics were found to increase more toward the direction of specular reflection as the angle of incidence gets larger.

[Crop geometry identification based on inversion of semiempirical BRDF models].

PubMed

Zhao, Chun-jiang; Huang, Wen-jiang; Mu, Xu-han; Wang, Jin-diz; Wang, Ji-hua

2009-09-01

With the rapid development of remote sensing technology, the application of remote sensing has extended from single view angle to multi-view angles. It was studied for the qualitative and quantitative effect of average leaf angle (ALA) on crop canopy reflected spectrum. Effect of ALA on canopy reflected spectrum can not be ignored with inversion of leaf area index (LAI) and monitoring of crop growth condition by remote sensing technology. Investigations of the effect of erective and horizontal varieties were conducted by bidirectional canopy reflected spectrum and semiempirical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models. The sensitive analysis was done based on the weight for the volumetric kernel (fvol), the weight for the geometric kernel (fgeo), and the weight for constant corresponding to isotropic reflectance (fiso) at red band (680 nm) and near infrared band (800 nm). By combining the weights of the red and near-infrared bands, the semiempirical models can obtain structural information by retrieving biophysical parameters from the physical BRDF model and a number of bidirectional observations. So, it will allow an on-site and non-sampling mode of crop ALA identification, which is useful for using remote sensing for crop growth monitoring and for improving the LAI inversion accuracy, and it will help the farmers in guiding the fertilizer and irrigation management in the farmland without a priori knowledge.

Hemispherical reflectance model for passive images in an outdoor environment.

PubMed

Kim, Charles C; Thai, Bea; Yamaoka, Neil; Aboutalib, Omar

2015-05-01

We present a hemispherical reflectance model for simulating passive images in an outdoor environment where illumination is provided by natural sources such as the sun and the clouds. While the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) accurately produces radiance from any objects after the illumination, using the BRDF in calculating radiance requires double integration. Replacing the BRDF by hemispherical reflectance under the natural sources transforms the double integration into a multiplication. This reduces both storage space and computation time. We present the formalism for the radiance of the scene using hemispherical reflectance instead of BRDF. This enables us to generate passive images in an outdoor environment taking advantage of the computational and storage efficiencies. We show some examples for illustration.

Retrieval of BRDF/Albedo by the Angular and Spectral Kernel Driven Model with Global Soil and Leaf Optical Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Wen, J.; Xiao, Q.; You, D.

2016-12-01

Operational algorithms for land surface BRDF/Albedo products are mainly developed from kernel-driven model, combining atmospherically corrected, multidate, multiband surface reflectance to extract BRDF parameters. The Angular and Spectral Kernel Driven model (ASK model), which incorporates the component spectra as a priori knowledge, provides a potential way to make full use of the multi-sensor data with multispectral information and accumulated observations. However, the ASK model is still not feasible for global BRDF/Albedo inversions due to the lack of sufficient field measurements of component spectra at the large scale. This research outlines a parameterization scheme on the component spectra for global scale BRDF/Albedo inversions in the frame of ASK. The parameter γ(λ) can be derived from the ratio of the leaf reflectance and soil reflectance, supported by globally distributed soil spectral library, ANGERS and LOPEX leaf optical properties database. To consider the intrinsic variability in both the land cover and spectral dimension, the mean and standard deviation of γ(λ) for 28 soil units and 4 leaf types in seven MODIS bands were calculated, with a world soil map used for global BRDF/Albedo products retrieval. Compared to the retrievals from BRF datasets simulated by the PROSAIL model, ASK model shows an acceptable accuracy on the parameterization strategy, with the RMSE 0.007 higher at most than inversion by true component spectra. The results indicate that the classification on ratio contributed to capture the spectral characteristics in BBRDF/Albedo retrieval, whereas the ratio range should be controlled within 8% in each band. Ground-based measurements in Heihe river basin were used to validate the accuracy of the improved ASK model, and the generated broadband albedo products shows good agreement with in situ data, which suggests that the improvement of the component spectra on the ASK model has potential for global scale BRDF/Albedo inversions.

A laparoscopy-based method for BRDF estimation from in vivo human liver.

PubMed

Nunes, A L P; Maciel, A; Cavazzola, L T; Walter, M

2017-01-01

While improved visual realism is known to enhance training effectiveness in virtual surgery simulators, the advances on realistic rendering for these simulators is slower than similar simulations for man-made scenes. One of the main reasons for this is that in vivo data is hard to gather and process. In this paper, we propose the analysis of videolaparoscopy data to compute the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of living organs as an input to physically based rendering algorithms. From the interplay between light and organic matter recorded in video images, we propose the definition of a process capable of establishing the BRDF for inside-the-body organic surfaces. We present a case study around the liver with patient-specific rendering under global illumination. Results show that despite the limited range of motion allowed within the body, the computed BRDF presents a high-coverage of the sampled regions and produces plausible renderings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient-specific bronchoscopy visualization through BRDF estimation and disocclusion correction.

PubMed

Chung, Adrian J; Deligianni, Fani; Shah, Pallav; Wells, Athol; Yang, Guang-Zhong

2006-04-01

This paper presents an image-based method for virtual bronchoscope with photo-realistic rendering. The technique is based on recovering bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters in an environment where the choice of viewing positions, directions, and illumination conditions are restricted. Video images of bronchoscopy examinations are combined with patient-specific three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography data through two-dimensional (2-D)/3-D registration and shading model parameters are then recovered by exploiting the restricted lighting configurations imposed by the bronchoscope. With the proposed technique, the recovered BRDF is used to predict the expected shading intensity, allowing a texture map independent of lighting conditions to be extracted from each video frame. To correct for disocclusion artefacts, statistical texture synthesis was used to recreate the missing areas. New views not present in the original bronchoscopy video are rendered by evaluating the BRDF with different viewing and illumination parameters. This allows free navigation of the acquired 3-D model with enhanced photo-realism. To assess the practical value of the proposed technique, a detailed visual scoring that involves both real and rendered bronchoscope images is conducted.

Geometrical considerations in analyzing isotropic or anisotropic surface reflections.

PubMed

Simonot, Lionel; Obein, Gael

2007-05-10

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) represents the evolution of the reflectance with the directions of incidence and observation. Today BRDF measurements are increasingly applied and have become important to the study of the appearance of surfaces. The representation and the analysis of BRDF data are discussed, and the distortions caused by the traditional representation of the BRDF in a Fourier plane are pointed out and illustrated for two theoretical cases: an isotropic surface and a brushed surface. These considerations will help characterize either the specular peak width of an isotropic rough surface or the main directions of the light scattered by an anisotropic rough surface without misinterpretations. Finally, what is believed to be a new space is suggested for the representation of the BRDF, which avoids the geometrical deformations and in numerous cases is more convenient for BRDF analysis.

Evaluation of MODIS and VIIRS Albedo Products Using Ground and Airborne Measurements and Development of Ceos/Wgcv/Lpv Albedo Ecv Protocols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Roman, M. O.; Schaaf, C.; Sun, Q.; Liu, Y.; Saenz, E. J.; Gatebe, C. K.

2014-12-01

Surface albedo, defined as the ratio of the hemispheric reflected solar radiation flux to the incident flux upon the surface, is one of the essential climate variables and quantifies the radiation interaction between the atmosphere and the land surface. An absolute accuracy of 0.02-0.05 for global surface albedo is required by climate models. The MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) standard BRDF/albedo product makes use of a linear "kernel-driven" RossThick-LiSparse Reciprocal (RTLSR) BRDF model to describe the reflectance anisotropy. The surface albedo is calculated by integrating the BRDF over the above ground hemisphere. While MODIS Terra was launched in Dec 1999 and MODIS Aqua in 2002, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi-NPP satellite was launched more recently on October 28, 2011. Thus a long term record of BRDF, albedo and Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) products from VIIRS can be generated through MODIS heritage algorithms. Several investigations have evaluated the MODIS albedo products during the growing season, as well as during dormant and snow covered periods. The Land Product Validation (LPV) sub-group of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Calibration and Validation (WGCV) aims to address the challenges associated with the validation of global land products. The validation of global surface radiation/albedo products is one of the LPV subgroup activities. In this research, a reference dataset covering various land surface types and vegetation structure is assembled to assess the accuracy of satellite albedo products. This dataset includes in situ data (Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN), FLUXNET and Long Term Ecological Research network (LTER) etc.) and airborne measurements (e.g. Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR)). Spatially representative analysis is applied to each site to establish whether the ground measurements can adequately represent moderate spatial

Comparison of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A reflectance and normalized difference vegetation index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.; Roy, D. P.; Yan, L.; Li, Z.; Huang, H.

2017-12-01

The moderate spatial resolution satellite data from the polar-orbiting Landsat-8 (launched 2013) and Sentinel-2A (launched 2015) sensors provide 10 m to 30 m multi-spectral global coverage with a better than 5-day revisit. Although a national laboratory traceable cross-calibration comparison of the Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) was undertaken pre-launch, there are a number of other sensor differences, notably due to spectral, spatial and angular differences. To examine these in a comprehensive way, Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A data for approximately 20° × 10° of southern Africa acquired in the summer (January to March) and winter (July to September) of 2016 were compared. Only Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A observations acquired within one-day apart were considered. The sensor data were registered and then each orbit projected into 30 m fixed global Web Enabled Landsat Data (GWELD) tiles defined in the MODIS sinusoidal equal area projection. Only corresponding sensor observations of each 30 m tile pixel that were flagged as cloud and snow-free, unsaturated, and that had no significant change in their one day separation, were compared. Both the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A data were atmospherically corrected using the Landsat Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC) and were also corrected to nadir BRDF adjusted reflectance (NBAR). Top of atmosphere and surface reflectance for the spectrally corresponding visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared OLI and MSI bands, and derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), were compared and their differences quantified using regression analyses. The resulting statistical transformations may be used to improve the consistency between the Landsat-8 OLI and Sentinel-2A MSI data. The importance and sensitivity of the results to correct filtering, atmospheric correction and adjustment to NBAR is demonstrated.

A geometrical optics polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function for dielectric and metallic surfaces.

PubMed

Hyde, M W; Schmidt, J D; Havrilla, M J

2009-11-23

A polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (pBRDF), based on geometrical optics, is presented. The pBRDF incorporates a visibility (shadowing/masking) function and a Lambertian (diffuse) component which distinguishes it from other geometrical optics pBRDFs in literature. It is shown that these additions keep the pBRDF bounded (and thus a more realistic physical model) as the angle of incidence or observation approaches grazing and better able to model the behavior of light scattered from rough, reflective surfaces. In this paper, the theoretical development of the pBRDF is shown and discussed. Simulation results of a rough, perfect reflecting surface obtained using an exact, electromagnetic solution and experimental Mueller matrix results of two, rough metallic samples are presented to validate the pBRDF.

Daily MODIS 500 m Reflectance Anisotropy Direct Broadcast (DB) Products for Monitoring Vegetation Phenology Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuai, Yanmin; Schaaf, Crystal; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Strahler, Alan; Roy, David; Morisette, Jeffrey; Wang, Zhuosen; Nightingale, Joanne; Nickeson, Jaime; Richardson, Andrew D.;

Handheld directional reflectometer: an angular imaging device to measure BRDF and HDR in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattison, Phillip R.; Dombrowski, Mark S.; Lorenz, James M.; Davis, Keith J.; Mann, Harley C.; Johnson, Philip; Foos, Bryan

1998-10-01

Many applications require quantitative measurements of surface light scattering, including quality control on production lines, inspection of painted surfaces, inspection of field repairs, etc. Instruments for measuring surface scattering typically fall into two main categories, namely bidirectional reflectometers, which measure the angular distribution of scattering, and hemispherical directional reflectometers, which measure the total scattering into the hemisphere above the surface. Measurement of the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) gives the greatest insight into how light is scattered from a surface. Measurements of BRDF, however, are typically very lengthy measurements taken by moving a source and detector to map the scattering. Since BRDF has four angular degrees of freedom, such measurements can require hours to days to complete. Instruments for measuring BRDF are also typically laboratory devices, although a field- portable bi-directional reflectometer does exist. Hemispherical directional reflectance (HDR) is a much easier measurement to make, although care must be taken to use the proper methodology when measuring at wavelengths beyond 10 micrometer, since integrating spheres (typically used to make such measurements) are very energy inefficient and lose their integrating properties at very long wavelengths. A few field- portable hemispherical directional reflectometers do exist, but typically measure HDR only at near-normal angles. Boeing Defense and Space Group and Surface Optics Corporation, under a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory, have developed a new hand-held instrument capable of measuring both BRDF and HDR using a unique, patented angular imaging technique. A combination of an hemi-ellipsoidal mirror and an additional lens translate the angular scatter from a surface into a two-dimensional spatial distribution, which is recorded by an imaging array. This configuration fully maps the scattering from a half

Flight Dynamics Analysis for Leonardo-BRDF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.; Mailhe, Laurie; Bauer, Frank H. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Leonardo-BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) is a new NASA mission concept proposed to allow the investigation of radiative transfer and its effect on the Earth's climate and atmospheric phenomenon. Enabled by the recent developments in small-satellite and formation flying technology, the mission is envisioned to be composed of an array of spacecraft in carefully designed orbits. The different perspectives provided by a distributed array of spacecraft offer a unique advantage to study the Earth's albedo. This paper presents the flight dynamics analysis performed in the context of the Leonardo-BRDF science requirements. First, the albedo integral is investigated and the effect of viewing geometry on science return is studied. The method used in this paper, based on Gauss quadrature, provides the optimal formation geometry to ensure that the value of the integral is accurately approximated. An orbit design approach is presented to achieve specific relative orbit geometries while simultaneously satisfying orbit dynamics constraints to reduce formation-keeping fuel expenditure. The relative geometry afforded by the design is discussed in terms of mission requirements. An optimal Lambert initialization scheme is presented with the required Delta-V to distribute all spacecraft from a common parking orbit into their appropriate orbits in the formation. Finally, formation-keeping strategies are developed and the associated Delta-V's are calculated to maintain the formation in the presence of perturbations.

Laboratory-Based BRDF Calibration of Radiometric Tarps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.

2007-01-01

The current study provides the remote sensing community with important high accuracy laboratory-based BRDF calibration of radiometric tarps. The results illustrate the dependence of tarps' weft and warp threads orientation on BRDF. The study was done at incident angles of 0deg, 10deg, and 30deg; scatter zenith angles from 0deg to 60deg, and scatter azimuth angles of 0deg, 45deg, 90deg, 135deg, and 180deg. The wavelengths were 485nm, 550nm, 633nm and 800nm. The dependence is well defined at all measurement geometries and wavelengths. It can be as high as 8% at 0deg incident angle and 2% at 30deg incident angle. The fitted BRDF data show a very small discrepancy from the measured ones. New data on the forward and backscatter properties of radiometric tarps is reported. The backward scatter is well pronounced for the white samples. The black sample has well pronounced forward scatter. The BRDF characterization of radiometric tarps can be successfully extended to other structured surface fabric samples. The results are NIST traceable.

Assessment of Biases in MODIS Surface Reflectance Due to Lambertian Approximation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yujie; Lyapustin, Alexei I.; Privette, Jeffrey L.; Cook, Robert B.; SanthanaVannan, Suresh K.; Vermote, Eric F.; Schaaf, Crystal

2010-01-01

Using MODIS data and the AERONET-based Surface Reflectance Validation Network (ASRVN), this work studies errors of MODIS atmospheric correction caused by the Lambertian approximation. On one hand, this approximation greatly simplifies the radiative transfer model, reduces the size of the look-up tables, and makes operational algorithm faster. On the other hand, uncompensated atmospheric scattering caused by Lambertian model systematically biases the results. For example, for a typical bowl-shaped bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), the derived reflectance is underestimated at high solar or view zenith angles, where BRDF is high, and is overestimated at low zenith angles where BRDF is low. The magnitude of biases grows with the amount of scattering in the atmosphere, i.e., at shorter wavelengths and at higher aerosol concentration. The slope of regression of Lambertian surface reflectance vs. ASRVN bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) is about 0.85 in the red and 0.6 in the green bands. This error propagates into the MODIS BRDF/albedo algorithm, slightly reducing the magnitude of overall reflectance and anisotropy of BRDF. This results in a small negative bias of spectral surface albedo. An assessment for the GSFC (Greenbelt, USA) validation site shows the albedo reduction by 0.004 in the near infrared, 0.005 in the red, and 0.008 in the green MODIS bands.

Modified Hitschfeld-Bordan Equations for Attenuation-Corrected Radar Rain Reflectivity: Application to Nonuniform Beamfilling at Off-Nadir Incidence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meneghini, Robert; Liao, Liang

2013-01-01

As shown by Takahashi et al., multiple path attenuation estimates over the field of view of an airborne or spaceborne weather radar are feasible for off-nadir incidence angles. This follows from the fact that the surface reference technique, which provides path attenuation estimates, can be applied to each radar range gate that intersects the surface. This study builds on this result by showing that three of the modified Hitschfeld-Bordan estimates for the attenuation-corrected radar reflectivity factor can be generalized to the case where multiple path attenuation estimates are available, thereby providing a correction to the effects of nonuniform beamfilling. A simple simulation is presented showing some strengths and weaknesses of the approach.

Experimental analysis of bidirectional reflectance distribution function cross section conversion term in direction cosine space.

PubMed

Butler, Samuel D; Nauyoks, Stephen E; Marciniak, Michael A

2015-06-01

Of the many classes of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models, two popular classes of models are the microfacet model and the linear systems diffraction model. The microfacet model has the benefit of speed and simplicity, as it uses geometric optics approximations, while linear systems theory uses a diffraction approach to compute the BRDF, at the expense of greater computational complexity. In this Letter, nongrazing BRDF measurements of rough and polished surface-reflecting materials at multiple incident angles are scaled by the microfacet cross section conversion term, but in the linear systems direction cosine space, resulting in great alignment of BRDF data at various incident angles in this space. This results in a predictive BRDF model for surface-reflecting materials at nongrazing angles, while avoiding some of the computational complexities in the linear systems diffraction model.

Physically based reflectance model utilizing polarization measurement.

PubMed

Nakano, Takayuki; Tamagawa, Yasuhisa

2005-05-20

A surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) depends on both the optical properties of the material and the microstructure of the surface and appears as combination of these factors. We propose a method for modeling the BRDF based on a separate optical-property (refractive-index) estimation by polarization measurement. Because the BRDF and the refractive index for precisely the same place can be determined, errors cased by individual difference or spatial dependence can be eliminated. Our BRDF model treats the surface as an aggregation of microfacets, and the diffractive effect is negligible because of randomness. An example model of a painted aluminum plate is presented.

Model of bidirectional reflectance distribution function for metallic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kai; Zhu, Jing-Ping; Liu, Hong; Hou, Xun

2016-09-01

Based on the three-component assumption that the reflection is divided into specular reflection, directional diffuse reflection, and ideal diffuse reflection, a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model of metallic materials is presented. Compared with the two-component assumption that the reflection is composed of specular reflection and diffuse reflection, the three-component assumption divides the diffuse reflection into directional diffuse and ideal diffuse reflection. This model effectively resolves the problem that constant diffuse reflection leads to considerable error for metallic materials. Simulation and measurement results validate that this three-component BRDF model can improve the modeling accuracy significantly and describe the reflection properties in the hemisphere space precisely for the metallic materials.

Comparison of Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Functions of Black Spruce Forest in Snow and No-snow Seasons in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, R.; Nagai, S.; Nakai, T.; Kim, Y.

2011-12-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of the forest is an important clue for remote sensing to reveal the forest structure such as Leaf Area Index (LAI) and above-ground biomass. The BRDF is required for the robust development of forest radiative transfer model, which is applied to the forest structure analysis based on satellite data. To acquire in-situ BRDF of the forest, we carried out the field survey of BRDFs at a boreal forest in no-snow season (July 2010) and snow season (March 2011) in Alaska, and compared them. A black spruce forest, a typical boreal evergreen forest in Alaska, located in the Poker Flat Research Range of University of Alaska Fairbanks (65 07'24"N, 147 29'15"W, 210 m MSL) was targeted. Since the forest homogeneously extends about 500 m wide and the terrain is relatively even, this forest site is highly suitable for the validation of the remote sensing measurement. The tree stand density was about 4000 tree/ha, and the highest tree was 6.4 m. The forest floor is covered by the green vegetation such as moss and grass in summer, while the vegetation on the floor is completely covered by snow during winter and early spring. The observations of the BRDF taken place around the noon of July 7 and 8, 2010 (no-snow season) and March 16 and 17, 2011 (snow season) from the top of the tower (17 m) constructed in the forest. We measured the reflected irradiance from the forest by the spectroradiometer (MS-720; EKO Instruments) changing the viewing angle from 20 to 70 degrees and -20 to -70 degrees(off-nadir angle; positive and negative angles mean forward and back scatter angles, respectively) with 5 degrees interval in the principal plane. Irradiances in the orthogonal (cross) plane were also measured in the same manner. The global radiation was simultaneously measured by the other spectroradiometer for the calculation of the reflectance. The BRDF in the principal plane in the no-snow season showed a kind of bowl-shape distribution

Observing System Simulations for Small Satellite Formations Estimating Bidirectional Reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nag, Sreeja; Gatebe, Charles K.; de Weck, Olivier

2015-01-01

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) gives the reflectance of a target as a function of illumination geometry and viewing geometry, hence carries information about the anisotropy of the surface. BRDF is needed in remote sensing for the correction of view and illumination angle effects (for example in image standardization and mosaicing), for deriving albedo, for land cover classification, for cloud detection, for atmospheric correction, and other applications. However, current spaceborne instruments provide sparse angular sampling of BRDF and airborne instruments are limited in the spatial and temporal coverage. To fill the gaps in angular coverage within spatial, spectral and temporal requirements, we propose a new measurement technique: Use of small satellites in formation flight, each satellite with a VNIR (visible and near infrared) imaging spectrometer, to make multi-spectral, near-simultaneous measurements of every ground spot in the swath at multiple angles. This paper describes an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) to evaluate the proposed concept and select the optimal formation architecture that minimizes BRDF uncertainties. The variables of the OSSE are identified; number of satellites, measurement spread in the view zenith and relative azimuth with respect to solar plane, solar zenith angle, BRDF models and wavelength of reflection. Analyzing the sensitivity of BRDF estimation errors to the variables allow simplification of the OSSE, to enable its use to rapidly evaluate formation architectures. A 6-satellite formation is shown to produce lower BRDF estimation errors, purely in terms of angular sampling as evaluated by the OSSE, than a single spacecraft with 9 forward-aft sensors. We demonstrate the ability to use OSSEs to design small satellite formations as complements to flagship mission data. The formations can fill angular sampling gaps and enable better BRDF products than currently possible.

Observing system simulations for small satellite formations estimating bidirectional reflectance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nag, Sreeja; Gatebe, Charles K.; Weck, Olivier de

2015-12-01

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) gives the reflectance of a target as a function of illumination geometry and viewing geometry, hence carries information about the anisotropy of the surface. BRDF is needed in remote sensing for the correction of view and illumination angle effects (for example in image standardization and mosaicing), for deriving albedo, for land cover classification, for cloud detection, for atmospheric correction, and other applications. However, current spaceborne instruments provide sparse angular sampling of BRDF and airborne instruments are limited in the spatial and temporal coverage. To fill the gaps in angular coverage within spatial, spectral and temporal requirements, we propose a new measurement technique: use of small satellites in formation flight, each satellite with a VNIR (visible and near infrared) imaging spectrometer, to make multi-spectral, near-simultaneous measurements of every ground spot in the swath at multiple angles. This paper describes an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) to evaluate the proposed concept and select the optimal formation architecture that minimizes BRDF uncertainties. The variables of the OSSE are identified; number of satellites, measurement spread in the view zenith and relative azimuth with respect to solar plane, solar zenith angle, BRDF models and wavelength of reflection. Analyzing the sensitivity of BRDF estimation errors to the variables allow simplification of the OSSE, to enable its use to rapidly evaluate formation architectures. A 6-satellite formation is shown to produce lower BRDF estimation errors, purely in terms of angular sampling as evaluated by the OSSE, than a single spacecraft with 9 forward-aft sensors. We demonstrate the ability to use OSSEs to design small satellite formations as complements to flagship mission data. The formations can fill angular sampling gaps and enable better BRDF products than currently possible.

A BRDF statistical model applying to space target materials modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chenghao; Li, Zhi; Xu, Can; Tian, Qichen

2017-10-01

In order to solve the problem of poor effect in modeling the large density BRDF measured data with five-parameter semi-empirical model, a refined statistical model of BRDF which is suitable for multi-class space target material modeling were proposed. The refined model improved the Torrance-Sparrow model while having the modeling advantages of five-parameter model. Compared with the existing empirical model, the model contains six simple parameters, which can approximate the roughness distribution of the material surface, can approximate the intensity of the Fresnel reflectance phenomenon and the attenuation of the reflected light's brightness with the azimuth angle changes. The model is able to achieve parameter inversion quickly with no extra loss of accuracy. The genetic algorithm was used to invert the parameters of 11 different samples in the space target commonly used materials, and the fitting errors of all materials were below 6%, which were much lower than those of five-parameter model. The effect of the refined model is verified by comparing the fitting results of the three samples at different incident zenith angles in 0° azimuth angle. Finally, the three-dimensional modeling visualizations of these samples in the upper hemisphere space was given, in which the strength of the optical scattering of different materials could be clearly shown. It proved the good describing ability of the refined model at the material characterization as well.

Experimentally validated modification to Cook-Torrance BRDF model for improved accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Samuel D.; Ethridge, James A.; Nauyoks, Stephen E.; Marciniak, Michael A.

2017-09-01

The BRDF describes optical scatter off realistic surfaces. The microfacet BRDF model assumes geometric optics but is computationally simple compared to wave optics models. In this work, MERL BRDF data is fitted to the original Cook-Torrance microfacet model, and a modified Cook-Torrance model using the polarization factor in place of the mathematically problematic cross section conversion and geometric attenuation terms. The results provide experimental evidence that this modified Cook-Torrance model leads to improved fits, particularly for large incident and scattered angles. These results are expected to lead to more accurate BRDF modeling for remote sensing.

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function of diffuse extreme ultraviolet scatterers and extreme ultraviolet baffle materials.

PubMed

Newell, M P; Keski-Kuha, R A

1997-08-01

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements of a number of diffuse extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scatterers and EUV baffle materials have been performed with the Goddard EUV scatterometer. BRDF data are presented for white Spectralon SRS-99 at 121.6 nm; the data exhibit a non-Lambertian nature and a total hemispherical reflectance lower than 0.15. Data are also presented for an evaporated Cu black sample, a black Spectralon SRS-02 sample, and a Martin Optical Black sample at wavelengths of 58.4 and 121.6 nm and for angles of incidence of 15 degrees and 45 degrees. Overall Martin Optical Black exhibited the lowest BRDF characteristic, with a total hemispherical reflectance of the order of 0.01 and measured BRDF values as low as 2 x 10(-3) sr(-1).

Measurement and application of bidirectional reflectance distribution function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Fei; Li, Lin; Lu, Chengwen

2016-10-01

When a beam of light with certain intensity and distribution reaches the surface of a material, the distribution of the diffused light is related to the incident angle, the receiving angle, the wavelength of the light and the types of the material. Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a method to describe this distribution. For an optical system, the optical and mechanical materials' BRDF are unique, and if we want to calculate stray light of the system we should know the correct BRDF data of the whole materials. There are fundamental significances in the area of space remote sensor where BRDF is needed in the precise radiation calibration. It is also important in the military field where BRDF can be used in the object identification and target tracking, etc. In this paper, 11 kinds of aerospace materials' BRDF are measured and more than 310,000 groups of BRDF data are achieved , and also a BRDF database is established in China for the first time. With the BRDF data of the database, we can create the detector model, build the stray light radiation surface model in the stray light analysis software. In this way, the stray radiation on the detector can be calculated correctly.

Virtual gonio-spectrophotometer for validation of BRDF designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mihálik, Andrej; Ďurikovič, Roman

2011-10-01

Measurement of the appearance of an object consists of a group of measurements to characterize the color and surface finish of the object. This group of measurements involves the spectral energy distribution of propagated light measured in terms of reflectance and transmittance, and the spatial energy distribution of that light measured in terms of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). In this article we present the virtual gonio-spectrophotometer, a device that measures flux (power) as a function of illumination and observation. Virtual gonio-spectrophotometer measurements allow the determination of the scattering profile of specimens that can be used to verify the physical characteristics of the computer model used to simulate the scattering profile. Among the characteristics that we verify is the energy conservation of the computer model. A virtual gonio-spectrophotometer is utilized to find the correspondence between industrial measurements obtained from gloss meters and the parameters of a computer reflectance model.

[Model and analysis of spectropolarimetric BRDF of painted target based on GA-LM method].

PubMed

Chen, Chao; Zhao, Yong-Qiang; Luo, Li; Pan, Quan; Cheng, Yong-Mei; Wang, Kai

2010-03-01

Models based on microfacet were used to describe spectropolarimetric BRDF (short for bidirectional reflectance distribution function) with experimental data. And the spectropolarimetric BRDF values of targets were measured with the comparison to the standard whiteboard, which was considered as Lambert and had a uniform reflectance rate up to 98% at arbitrary angle of view. And then the relationships between measured spectropolarimetric BRDF values and the angles of view, as well as wavelengths which were in a range of 400-720 nm were analyzed in details. The initial value needed to be input to the LM optimization method was difficult to get and greatly impacted the results. Therefore, optimization approach which combines genetic algorithm and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) was utilized aiming to retrieve parameters of nonlinear models, and the initial values were obtained using GA approach. Simulated experiments were used to test the efficiency of the adopted optimization method. And the simulated experiment ensures the optimization method to have a good performance and be able to retrieve the parameters of nonlinear model efficiently. The correctness of the models was validated by real outdoor sampled data. The parameters of DoP model retrieved are the refraction index of measured targets. The refraction index of the same color painted target but with different materials was also obtained. Conclusion has been drawn that the refraction index from these two targets are very near and this slight difference could be understood by the difference in the conditions of paint targets' surface, not the material of the targets.

A precise laboratory goniometer system to collect spectral BRDF data of materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Guangping; Jiao, Ziti; Wang, Jie; Zhang, Hu; Dong, Yadong

2014-11-01

This paper presents a precise laboratory goniometer system to quickly collect bidirectional reflectance distribution factor(BRDF)of typical materials such soil, canopy and artificial materials in the laboratory. The system consists of the goniometer, SVC HR1024 spectroradiometer, and xenon long-arc lamp as light source. the innovation of cantilever slab can reduce the shadow of the goniometer in the principle plane. The geometric precision of the footprint centre is better than +/-4cm in most azimuth directions, and the angle-controlling accuracy is better than 0.5°. The light source keeps good stability, with 0.8% irradiance decrease in 3 hours. But the large areal heterogeneity of the light source increase the data processing difficulty to capture the accurate BRDF. First measurements are taken from soil in a resolution of 15° and 30° in zenith and azimuth direction respectively, with the +/-50° biggest view angle. More observations are taken in the hot-spot direction. The system takes about 40 minutes to complete all measurements. A spectralon panel is measured at the beginning and end of the whole period. A simple interactive interface on the computer can automatically control all operations of the goniometer and data-processing. The laboratory experiment of soil layer and grass lawn shows that the goniometer can capture the the multi-angle variation of BRDF.

Spectral bidirectional reflectance of Antarctic snow: Measurements and parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Stephen R.; Warren, Stephen G.; Brandt, Richard E.; Grenfell, Thomas C.; Six, Delphine

2006-09-01

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of snow was measured from a 32-m tower at Dome C, at latitude 75°S on the East Antarctic Plateau. These measurements were made at 96 solar zenith angles between 51° and 87° and cover wavelengths 350-2400 nm, with 3- to 30-nm resolution, over the full range of viewing geometry. The BRDF at 900 nm had previously been measured at the South Pole; the Dome C measurement at that wavelength is similar. At both locations the natural roughness of the snow surface causes the anisotropy of the BRDF to be less than that of flat snow. The inherent BRDF of the snow is nearly constant in the high-albedo part of the spectrum (350-900 nm), but the angular distribution of reflected radiance becomes more isotropic at the shorter wavelengths because of atmospheric Rayleigh scattering. Parameterizations were developed for the anisotropic reflectance factor using a small number of empirical orthogonal functions. Because the reflectance is more anisotropic at wavelengths at which ice is more absorptive, albedo rather than wavelength is used as a predictor in the near infrared. The parameterizations cover nearly all viewing angles and are applicable to the high parts of the Antarctic Plateau that have small surface roughness and, at viewing zenith angles less than 55°, elsewhere on the plateau, where larger surface roughness affects the BRDF at larger viewing angles. The root-mean-squared error of the parameterized reflectances is between 2% and 4% at wavelengths less than 1400 nm and between 5% and 8% at longer wavelengths.

BOREAS RSS-19 1994 Seasonal Understory Reflectance Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, John R.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); White, H. Peter; Peddle, Derek; Freemantle, Jim; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-19 team collected airborne remotely sensed images and ground reflectance data for characterizing the radiometric properties of the boreal forest landscape. One objective of BOREAS is to further the understanding of the spectral bidirectional reflectance of typical boreal ecosystem stands in the visible/near-infrared regime. An essential input for any canopy BRDF model is an accurate estimate of the average understory reflectance, both for sunlit and shaded conditions. These variables can be expected to vary seasonally because of species-dependent differences in the phenological cycle of foliar display. In response to these requirements, the average understory reflectance for the flux tower sites of both the NSA (Thompson, Manitoba) and the SSA (Candle Lake, Saskatchewan) was observed throughout the year during five field campaigns. This was done by measuring the nadir reflectance (400 to 850 nm) of sunlit and shaded understory (vegetation and snow cover) along a surveyed LAI transect line (Chen, RSS-07) at each site near solar noon and documenting an average site reflectance. Comparisons between sites reveal differences in the green and infrared regions of the spectra, because of the differing species in the understory for each site. Temporal (seasonal) variation for each site was also observed (06-Feb-1994 to 16-Sep-1994), indicating the changing flora mixtures and changing spectral signatures as the understory matures during the growing season. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884) or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Experimental and Theoretical Basis for a Closed-Form Spectral BRDF Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL BASIS FOR A CLOSED-FORM SPECTRAL BRDF MODEL DISSERTATION Samuel D. Butler, Major, USAF AFIT-ENP-DS-15-S-021 DEPARTMENT...SPECTRAL BRDF MODEL DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air...FOR A CLOSED-FORM SPECTRAL BRDF MODEL DISSERTATION Samuel D. Butler, BS, MS Major, USAF Committee Membership: Michael A. Marciniak, PhD Chairman Kevin

BRDF profile of Tyvek and its implementation in the Geant4 simulation toolkit.

PubMed

Nozka, Libor; Pech, Miroslav; Hiklova, Helena; Mandat, Dusan; Hrabovsky, Miroslav; Schovanek, Petr; Palatka, Miroslav

2011-02-28

Diffuse and specular characteristics of the Tyvek 1025-BL material are reported with respect to their implementation in the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit. This toolkit incorporates the UNIFIED model. Coefficients defined by the UNIFIED model were calculated from the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) profiles measured with a scatterometer for several angles of incidence. Results were amended with profile measurements made by a profilometer.

Assessing Surface BRDF-related Biases Using Target Mode Retrievals from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natraj, V.; McDuffie, J. L.; O'Dell, C.; Eldering, A.; Fu, D.; Wunch, D.; Wennberg, P. O.

2015-12-01

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) is NASA's first dedicated Earth remote sensing satellite to study atmospheric carbon dioxide from space, and was launched successfully on July 2, 2014. In the target mode of observation, the Observatory will lock its view onto a specific surface location, and will scan back and forth over that target while flying overhead. A target track pass can last for up to 9 minutes. Over that time period, the Observatory can acquire as many as 12,960 samples at local zenith angles that vary between 0° and 85°. Here, we analyze target track measurements over several of the OCO-2 validation sites where ground-based solar-looking Fourier Transform Spectrometers are located. Preliminary analysis of target mode retrievals using the operational algorithm show biases that appear to be due to not accounting for bidirectional surface reflection (BRDF) effects, i.e., the non-isotropic nature of surface reflection. To address this issue, we implement a realistic BRDF model. The column averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction (XCO2) results using this new model show much less variation with scattering angle (or airmass). Further, the retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) is in much better agreement with coincident AERONET values. We also use information content analysis to evaluate the degrees of freedom with respect to BRDF parameters, and investigate cross-correlations between the parameters.

Broadband Spectral-Polarimetric BRDF Scan System and Data for Spacecraft Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

Function ( BRDF ) measurement system from 350nm to 2500nm with 1nm wavelength resolution is providing data for satellite radiance modeling and specifically...multilayer insulation (MLI) and solar cells is presented. The continuum nature of the data indicates that either dedicated BRDF models or a method for...but the BRDFs will be difficult to model . Judgments whether to use texturing, or an average BRDF , or perhaps optical cross section (OCS) values, or

Analysis of Accuracy of Modis BRDF Product (MCD43 C6) Based on Misr Land Surface Brf Product - a Case Study of the Central Part of Northeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Chen, S.; Qin, W.; Murefu, M.; Wang, Y.; Yu, Y.; Zhen, Z.

2018-04-01

EOS/MODIS land surface Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) product (MCD43), with the latest version C6, is one of the most important operational BRDF products with global coverage. The core sub-product MCD43A1 stores 3 parameters of the RossThick-LiSparseR semi-empirical kernel-driven BRDF model. It is important for confident use of the product to evaluate the accuracy of bi-directional reflectance factor (BRF) predicted by MCD43A1 BRDF model (mBRF). A typical region in the central part of Northeast Asia is selected as the study area. The performance of MCD43A1 BRDF model is analyzed in various observation geometries and phenological phases, using Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) land-surface reflectance factor product (MILS_BRF) as the reference data. In addition, MODIS products MCD12Q1 and MOD/MYD10A1 are used to evaluate the impacts of land cover types and snow covers on the model accuracy, respectively. The results show an overall excellent performance of MCD43A1 in representing the anisotropic reflectance of land surface, with root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0262 and correlation coefficient (R) of 0.9537, for all available comparable samples of MILS_BRF and mBRF pairs. The model accuracy varies in different months, which is related to the phenological phases of the study area. The accuracy for pixels labelled as `snow' by MCD43 is obviously low, with RMSE/R of 0.0903/0.8401. Ephemeral snowfall events further decrease the accuracy, with RMSE/R of 0.1001/0.7715. These results provide meaningful information to MCD43 users, especially those, whose study regions are subject to phenological cycles as well as snow cover and change.

Dynamic Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions: Measurement and Representation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

be included in the harmonic fits. Other sets of orthogonal functions such as Zernike polynomials have also been used to characterize BRDF and could...reflectance spectra of 3D objects,” Proc. SPIE 4663, 370–378 2001. 13J. R. Shell II, C. Salvagio, and J. R. Schott, “A novel BRDF measurement technique

[Survival is associated with time to reach PSA nadir (DAN) and the ratio DAN/nadir value after androgen deprivation for prostate cancer].

PubMed

Gagnat, A; Larré, S; Fromont, G; Pirès, C; Doré, B; Irani, J

2011-05-01

The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic decrease rate of PSA in patients treated with androgen suppression (AS) for prostate cancer (PCa). We identified in our database CaP patients with histologically documented, treated with SA alone and for whom vital status with a minimum follow-up of 6 months (except death beforehand) was established. Patient characteristics and CaP and PSA at baseline, PSA nadir, time of reaching the nadir PSA (DAN) and the ratio of the DAN/nadir value (ratio DAN/Nadir) were analyzed in relation to progression-free survival, specific and overall survival. One hundred ninety eight patients met the inclusion criteria and the median was 61.5 months (range 4.8 to 233). The median PSA at the start of the SA were 37.1 ng/mL and the median nadir PSA was 0.48 ng/mL. The median time to progression was 23.6 months. The median specific and overall survivals were 94 and 78 months, respectively. In univariate analysis, predictors of progression-free survival were PSA before SA, PSA nadir, DAN, DAN ratio/nadir, Gleason score, the percentage of core positive prostate biopsy and the status of bone scintigraphy. Except for PSA before SA which was no longer significant, predictors of specific and overall survival were similar and added the biochemical response (decrease of more than 50% of PSA) to a second hormonal manipulation during the biological progression. In multivariate analysis, the nadir PSA and the ratio DAN/Nadir remained significant predictors. These results have confirmed in one hand the predictive value of survival in patients DAN SA for CaP: achieving faster nadir PSA was associated with shorter survival. They have introduced in the other hand the new concept of DAN/Nadir PSA which provides independent prognostic information. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Assessment of stability of the response versus scan angle for the S-NPP VIIRS reflective solar bands using pseudo-invariant desert and Dome C sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Aisheng; Xiong, Xiaoxiong J.; Cao, Changyong

2017-09-01

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite has been in operation for over five years. VIIRS has 22 bands with a spectral range from 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm for the reflective solar bands (RSB). The Earth view swath covers a distance of 3000 km over scan angles of +/- 56.0° off nadir. The on-board calibration of the RSB relies on a solar diffuser (SD) located at a fixed scan angle and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM). The response versus scan angle (RVS) was characterized prelaunch in ambient conditions and is currently used to determine the on-orbit response for all scan angles relative to the SD scan angle. Since the RVS is vitally important to the quality of calibrated level 1B products, it is important to monitor its on-orbit stability, particularly at the short wavelengths (blue) where the most degradation occurs. In this study, the RVS stability is examined based on reflectance trends collected at various scan angles over the selected pseudo-invariant desert sites in Northern Africa and the Dome C snow site in Antarctica. These trends are corrected by the site dependent BRDF (bi-directional reflectance function) model to reduce seasonally related fluctuations. The BRDF corrected trends are examined so any systematic drifts in the scan angle direction would indicate a potential change in RVS. The results of this study provide useful information on VIIRS RVS on-orbit stability performance.

Investigation of the spectral reflectance and bidirectional reflectance distribution function of sea foam layer by the Monte Carlo method.

PubMed

Ma, L X; Wang, F Q; Wang, C A; Wang, C C; Tan, J Y

2015-11-20

Spectral properties of sea foam greatly affect ocean color remote sensing and aerosol optical thickness retrieval from satellite observation. This paper presents a combined Mie theory and Monte Carlo method to investigate visible and near-infrared spectral reflectance and bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of sea foam layers. A three-layer model of the sea foam is developed in which each layer is composed of large air bubbles coated with pure water. A pseudo-continuous model and Mie theory for coated spheres is used to determine the effective radiative properties of sea foam. The one-dimensional Cox-Munk surface roughness model is used to calculate the slope density functions of the wind-blown ocean surface. A Monte Carlo method is used to solve the radiative transfer equation. Effects of foam layer thickness, bubble size, wind speed, solar zenith angle, and wavelength on the spectral reflectance and BRDF are investigated. Comparisons between previous theoretical results and experimental data demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed method. Sea foam can significantly increase the spectral reflectance and BRDF of the sea surface. The absorption coefficient of seawater near the surface is not the only parameter that influences the spectral reflectance. Meanwhile, the effects of bubble size, foam layer thickness, and solar zenith angle also cannot be obviously neglected.

Integrated three-dimensional shape and reflection properties measurement system.

PubMed

Krzesłowski, Jakub; Sitnik, Robert; Maczkowski, Grzegorz

2011-02-01

Creating accurate three-dimensional (3D) digitalized models of cultural heritage objects requires that information about surface geometry be integrated with measurements of other material properties like color and reflectance. Up until now, these measurements have been performed in laboratories using manually integrated (subjective) data analyses. We describe an out-of-laboratory bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and 3D shape measurement system that implements shape and BRDF measurement in a single setup with BRDF uncertainty evaluation. The setup aligns spatial data with the angular reflectance distribution, yielding a better estimation of the surface's reflective properties by integrating these two modality measurements into one setup using a single detector. This approach provides a better picture of an object's intrinsic material features, which in turn produces a higher-quality digitalized model reconstruction. Furthermore, this system simplifies the data processing by combining structured light projection and photometric stereo. The results of our method of data analysis describe the diffusive and specular attributes corresponding to every measured geometric point and can be used to render intricate 3D models in an arbitrarily illuminated scene.

MALIBU: A High Spatial Resolution Multi-Angle Imaging Unmanned Airborne System to Validate Satellite-derived BRDF/Albedo Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Roman, M. O.; Pahlevan, N.; Stachura, M.; McCorkel, J.; Bland, G.; Schaaf, C.

2016-12-01

Albedo is a key climate forcing variable that governs the absorption of incoming solar radiation and its ultimate transfer to the atmosphere. Albedo contributes significant uncertainties in the simulation of climate changes; and as such, it is defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) as a terrestrial essential climate variable (ECV) required by global and regional climate and biogeochemical models. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's Multi AngLe Imaging Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function small-UAS (MALIBU) is part of a series of pathfinder missions to develop enhanced multi-angular remote sensing techniques using small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). The MALIBU instrument package includes two multispectral imagers oriented at two different viewing geometries (i.e., port and starboard sides) capture vegetation optical properties and structural characteristics. This is achieved by analyzing the surface reflectance anisotropy signal (i.e., BRDF shape) obtained from the combination of surface reflectance from different view-illumination angles and spectral channels. Satellite measures of surface albedo from MODIS, VIIRS, and Landsat have been evaluated by comparison with spatially representative albedometer data from sparsely distributed flux towers at fixed heights. However, the mismatch between the footprint of ground measurements and the satellite footprint challenges efforts at validation, especially for heterogeneous landscapes. The BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) models of surface anisotropy have only been evaluated with airborne BRDF data over a very few locations. The MALIBU platform that acquires extremely high resolution sub-meter measures of surface anisotropy and surface albedo, can thus serve as an important source of reference data to enable global land product validation efforts, and resolve the errors and uncertainties in the various existing products generated by NASA and its national and

Absolute Calibration of Optical Satellite Sensors Using Libya 4 Pseudo Invariant Calibration Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishra, Nischal; Helder, Dennis; Angal, Amit; Choi, Jason; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2014-01-01

The objective of this paper is to report the improvements in an empirical absolute calibration model developed at South Dakota State University using Libya 4 (+28.55 deg, +23.39 deg) pseudo invariant calibration site (PICS). The approach was based on use of the Terra MODIS as the radiometer to develop an absolute calibration model for the spectral channels covered by this instrument from visible to shortwave infrared. Earth Observing One (EO-1) Hyperion, with a spectral resolution of 10 nm, was used to extend the model to cover visible and near-infrared regions. A simple Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution function (BRDF) model was generated using Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations over Libya 4 and the resulting model was validated with nadir data acquired from satellite sensors such as Aqua MODIS and Landsat 7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+). The improvements in the absolute calibration model to account for the BRDF due to off-nadir measurements and annual variations in the atmosphere are summarized. BRDF models due to off-nadir viewing angles have been derived using the measurements from EO-1 Hyperion. In addition to L7 ETM+, measurements from other sensors such as Aqua MODIS, UK-2 Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), ENVISAT Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard Landsat 8 (L8), which was launched in February 2013, were employed to validate the model. These satellite sensors differ in terms of the width of their spectral bandpasses, overpass time, off-nadir-viewing capabilities, spatial resolution and temporal revisit time, etc. The results demonstrate that the proposed empirical calibration model has accuracy of the order of 3% with an uncertainty of about 2% for the sensors used in the study.

Enhancement of diffusers BRDF accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otter, Gerard; Bazalgette Courrèges-Lacoste, Gregory; van Brug, Hedser; Schaarsberg, Jos Groote; Delwart, Steven; del Bello, Umberto

2017-11-01

This paper reports the result of an ESA study conducted at TNO to investigate properties of various diffusers. Diffusers are widely used in space instruments as part of the on-board absolute calibration. Knowledge of the behaviour of the diffuser is therefore most important. From measurements of launched instruments in-orbit it has been discovered that when a diffuser is used in the vacuum of space the BRDF can change with respect to the one in ambient conditions. This is called the air/vacuum effect and has been simulated in this study by measuring the BRDF in a laboratory in ambient as well as vacuum conditions. Another studied effect is related to the design parameters of the optical system and the scattering properties of the diffuser. The effect is called Spectral Features and is a noise like structure superimposed on the diffuser BRDF. Modern space spectrometers, which have high spectral resolution and/or a small field of view (high spatial resolution) are suffering from this effect. The choice of diffuser can be very critical with respect to the required absolute radiometric calibration of an instrument. Even if the Spectral Features are small it can influence the error budget of the retrieval algorithms for the level 2 products. in this presentation diffuser trade-off results are presented and the Spectral Features model applied to the optical configuration of the MERIS instrument is compared to in-flight measurements of MERIS.

Spatial averaging errors in creating hemispherical reflectance (albedo) maps from directional reflectance data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimes, D. S.; Kerber, A. G.; Sellers, P. J.

1993-01-01

Spatial averaging errors which may occur when creating hemispherical reflectance maps for different cover types from direct nadir technique to estimate the hemispherical reflectance are assessed by comparing the results with those obtained with a knowledge-based system called VEG (Kimes et al., 1991, 1992). It was found that hemispherical reflectance errors provided by using VEG are much less than those using the direct nadir techniques, depending on conditions. Suggestions are made concerning sampling and averaging strategies for creating hemispherical reflectance maps for photosynthetic, carbon cycle, and climate change studies.

Estimating Slopes In Images Of Terrain By Use Of BRDF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scholl, Marija S.

1995-01-01

Proposed method of estimating slopes of terrain features based on use of bidirectional reflectivity distribution function (BRDF) in analyzing aerial photographs, satellite video images, or other images produced by remote sensors. Estimated slopes integrated along horizontal coordinates to obtain estimated heights; generating three-dimensional terrain maps. Method does not require coregistration of terrain features in pairs of images acquired from slightly different perspectives nor requires Sun or other source of illumination to be low in sky over terrain of interest. On contrary, best when Sun is high. Works at almost all combinations of illumination and viewing angles.

MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth retrieval over land considering surface BRDF effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yerong; de Graaf, Martin; Menenti, Massimo

2016-04-01

Aerosols in the atmosphere play an important role in the climate system and human health. Retrieval from satellite data, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), one of most important indices of aerosol optical properties, has been extensively investigated. Benefiting from the high resolution at spatial and temporal and the maturity of the aerosol retrieval algorithm, MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Dark Target AOD product has been extensively applied in other scientific research such as climate change and air pollution. The latest product - MODIS Collection 6 Dark Target AOD (C6_DT) has been released. However, the accuracy of C6_DT AOD (global mean ±0.03) over land is still too low for the constraint on radiative forcing in the climate system, where the uncertainty should be reduced to ±0.02. The major uncertainty mainly lies on the underestimation/overestimation of the surface contribution to the Top Of Atmosphere (TOA) radiance since a lambertian surface is assumed in the C6_DT land algorithm. In the real world, it requires considering the heterogeneity of the surface reflection in the radiative transfer process. Based on this, we developed a new algorithm to retrieve AOD by considering surface Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) effects. The surface BRDF is much more complicated than isotropic reflection, described as 4 elements: directional-directional, directional-hemispherical, hemispherical-directional and hemispherical-hemispherical reflectance, and coupled into radiative transfer equation to generate an accurate top of atmosphere reflectance. The limited MODIS measurements (three channels available) allow us to retrieve only three parameters, which including AOD, the surface directional-directional reflectance and fine aerosol ratio η. The other three elements of the surface reflectance are expected to be constrained by ancillary data and assumptions or "a priori" information since there are more unknowns than MODIS

Modeling the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of mixed finite plant canopies and soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schluessel, G.; Dickinson, R. E.; Privette, J. L.; Emery, W. J.; Kokaly, R.

1994-01-01

An analytical model of the bidirectional reflectance for optically semi-infinite plant canopies has been extended to describe the reflectance of finite depth canopies contributions from the underlying soil. The model depends on 10 independent parameters describing vegetation and soil optical and structural properties. The model is inverted with a nonlinear minimization routine using directional reflectance data for lawn (leaf area index (LAI) is equal to 9.9), soybeans (LAI, 2.9) and simulated reflectance data (LAI, 1.0) from a numerical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model (Myneni et al., 1988). While the ten-parameter model results in relatively low rms differences for the BRDF, most of the retrieved parameters exhibit poor stability. The most stable parameter was the single-scattering albedo of the vegetation. Canopy albedo could be derived with an accuracy of less than 5% relative error in the visible and less than 1% in the near-infrared. Sensitivity were performed to determine which of the 10 parameters were most important and to assess the effects of Gaussian noise on the parameter retrievals. Out of the 10 parameters, three were identified which described most of the BRDF variability. At low LAI values the most influential parameters were the single-scattering albedos (both soil and vegetation) and LAI, while at higher LAI values (greater than 2.5) these shifted to the two scattering phase function parameters for vegetation and the single-scattering albedo of the vegetation. The three-parameter model, formed by fixing the seven least significant parameters, gave higher rms values but was less sensitive to noise in the BRDF than the full ten-parameter model. A full hemispherical reflectance data set for lawn was then interpolated to yield BRDF values corresponding to advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) scan geometries collected over a period of nine days. The resulting parameters and BRDFs are similar to those for the

Comparison of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of various surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fernandez, Rene; Seasholtz, Richard G.; Oberle, Lawrence G.; Kadambi, Jaikrishnan R.

1988-01-01

Described is the development and use of a system to measure the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of various surfaces. The BRDF measurements are used in the analysis and design of optical measurement systems, such as laser anemometers. An argon ion laser (514 nm) is the light source. Preliminary results are presented for eight samples: two glossy black paints, two flat black paints, black glass, sand blasted aluminum, unworked aluminum, and a white paint. A BaSO4 white reflectance standard was used as the reference sample throughout the tests. The reflectance characteristics of these surfaces are compared.

Spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function measurements on well-defined textured surfaces: direct observation of shadowing, masking, inter-reflection, and transparency effects.

PubMed

Wilen, Larry; Dasgupta, Bivash R

2011-11-01

We present results for the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) for samples of uniform rectangular and triangular grooves constructed from polydimethylsilicone replicas. The measurements are performed with the detector in the plane of incidence, but with varying groove orientations with respect to that plane. The samples are opaque in some cases and semitransparent in others. By measuring the BRDF for colored samples over a wide spectral range, we explicitly probe the effect of sample albedo, which is important for inter-reflections. For the opaque samples, we compare the results with exact theoretical results either taken from the literature (for the triangular geometry) or worked out here (for the rectangular geometry). For both geometries, we also extend the theoretical results to finite length grooves. There is generally very good agreement between theory and the experiment. Shadowing, masking, and inter-reflection are clearly observed, as well as effects that may be due to polarization and asperity scattering. For semitransparent samples, we observe the effect of increasing transparency on the BRDF.

Reflectance from images: a model-based approach for human faces.

PubMed

Fuchs, Martin; Blanz, Volker; Lensch, Hendrik; Seidel, Hans-Peter

2005-01-01

In this paper, we present an image-based framework that acquires the reflectance properties of a human face. A range scan of the face is not required. Based on a morphable face model, the system estimates the 3D shape and establishes point-to-point correspondence across images taken from different viewpoints and across different individuals' faces. This provides a common parameterization of all reconstructed surfaces that can be used to compare and transfer BRDF data between different faces. Shape estimation from images compensates deformations of the face during the measurement process, such as facial expressions. In the common parameterization, regions of homogeneous materials on the face surface can be defined a priori. We apply analytical BRDF models to express the reflectance properties of each region and we estimate their parameters in a least-squares fit from the image data. For each of the surface points, the diffuse component of the BRDF is locally refined, which provides high detail. We present results for multiple analytical BRDF models, rendered at novel orientations and lighting conditions.

Coherence solution for bidirectional reflectance distributions of surfaces with wavelength-scale statistics.

PubMed

Hoover, Brian G; Gamiz, Victor L

2006-02-01

The scalar bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) due to a perfectly conducting surface with roughness and autocorrelation width comparable with the illumination wavelength is derived from coherence theory on the assumption of a random reflective phase screen and an expansion valid for large effective roughness. A general quadratic expansion of the two-dimensional isotropic surface autocorrelation function near the origin yields representative Cauchy and Gaussian BRDF solutions and an intermediate general solution as the sum of an incoherent component and a nonspecular coherent component proportional to an integral of the plasma dispersion function in the complex plane. Plots illustrate agreement of the derived general solution with original bistatic BRDF data due to a machined aluminum surface, and comparisons are drawn with previously published data in the examination of variations with incident angle, roughness, illumination wavelength, and autocorrelation coefficients in the bistatic and monostatic geometries. The general quadratic autocorrelation expansion provides a BRDF solution that smoothly interpolates between the well-known results of the linear and parabolic approximations.

Optical fringe-reflection deflectometry with bundle adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Yong-Liang; Li, Sikun; Zhang, Qican; Zhong, Jianxin; Su, Xianyu; You, Zhisheng

2018-06-01

Liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are located outside of a camera's field of view in fringe-reflection deflectometry. Therefore, fringes that are displayed on LCD screens are obtained through specular reflection by a fixed camera. Thus, the pose calibration between the camera and LCD screen is one of the main challenges in fringe-reflection deflectometry. A markerless planar mirror is used to reflect the LCD screen more than three times, and the fringes are mapped into the fixed camera. The geometrical calibration can be accomplished by estimating the pose between the camera and the virtual image of fringes. Considering the relation between their pose, the incidence and reflection rays can be unified in the camera frame, and a forward triangulation intersection can be operated in the camera frame to measure three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of the specular surface. In the final optimization, constraint-bundle adjustment is operated to refine simultaneously the camera intrinsic parameters, including distortion coefficients, estimated geometrical pose between the LCD screen and camera, and 3D coordinates of the specular surface, with the help of the absolute phase collinear constraint. Simulation and experiment results demonstrate that the pose calibration with planar mirror reflection is simple and feasible, and the constraint-bundle adjustment can enhance the 3D coordinate measurement accuracy in fringe-reflection deflectometry.

Full four-dimensional and reciprocal Mueller matrix bidirectional reflectance distribution function of sintered polytetrafluoroethylene.

PubMed

Germer, Thomas A

2017-11-20

We measured the Mueller matrix bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of a sintered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sample over the scattering hemisphere for six incident angles (0°-75° in 15° steps) and for four wavelengths (351 nm, 532 nm, 633 nm, and 1064 nm). The data for each wavelength were fit to a phenomenological description for the Mueller matrix BRDF, which is an extension of the bidirectional surface scattering modes developed by Koenderink and van Doorn [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A.15, 2903 (1998)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.15.002903] for unpolarized BRDF. This description is designed to be complete, to obey the appropriate reciprocity conditions, and to provide a full description of the Mueller matrix BRDF as a function of incident and scattering directions for each wavelength. The description was further extended by linearizing the surface scattering mode coefficients with wavelength. This data set and its parameterization provides a comprehensive on-demand description of the reflectance properties for this commonly used diffuse reflectance reference material over a wide range of wavelengths.

Principal Components Analysis on the spectral Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function of ceramic colour standards.

PubMed

Ferrero, A; Campos, J; Rabal, A M; Pons, A; Hernanz, M L; Corróns, A

2011-09-26

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is essential to characterize an object's reflectance properties. This function depends both on the various illumination-observation geometries as well as on the wavelength. As a result, the comprehensive interpretation of the data becomes rather complex. In this work we assess the use of the multivariable analysis technique of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) applied to the experimental BRDF data of a ceramic colour standard. It will be shown that the result may be linked to the various reflection processes occurring on the surface, assuming that the incoming spectral distribution is affected by each one of these processes in a specific manner. Moreover, this procedure facilitates the task of interpolating a series of BRDF measurements obtained for a particular sample. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Remote measurement of surface roughness, surface reflectance, and body reflectance with LiDAR.

PubMed

Li, Xiaolu; Liang, Yu

2015-10-20

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) intensity data are attracting increasing attention because of the great potential for use of such data in a variety of remote sensing applications. To fully investigate the data potential for target classification and identification, we carried out a series of experiments with typical urban building materials and employed our reconstructed built-in-lab LiDAR system. Received intensity data were analyzed on the basis of the derived bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model and the established integration method. With an improved fitting algorithm, parameters involved in the BRDF model can be obtained to depict the surface characteristics. One of these parameters related to surface roughness was converted to a most used roughness parameter, the arithmetical mean deviation of the roughness profile (R_a), which can be used to validate the feasibility of the BRDF model in surface characterizations and performance evaluations.

Initial studies of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of carbon nanotube structures for stray light control applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, James J.; Georgiev, Georgi T.; Tveekrem, June L.; Quijada, Manuel; Getty, Stephanie; Hagopian, John G.

2010-10-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) at visible and near-infrared wavelengths of Multi-Wall Carbon NanoTubes (MWCNTs) grown on substrate materials are reported. The BRDF measurements were performed in the Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCaL) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and results at 500nm and 900nm are reported here. In addition, the 8° Directional/Hemispherical Reflectance of the samples is reported from the ultraviolet to shortwave infrared. The 8° Directional/Hemispherical Reflectance was measured in the Optics Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The BRDF was measured at 0° and 45° incident angles and from -80° to +80° scatter angles using a monochromatic source. The optical scatter properties of the samples as represented by their BRDF were found to be strongly influenced by the choice of substrate. As a reference, the optical scattering properties of the carbon nanotubes are compared to the BRDF of Aeroglaze Z306TM and Rippey Ultrapol IVTM, a well-known black paint and black appliqué, respectively. The possibility, promise, and challenges of employing carefully engineered carbon nanotubes in straylight control applications particularly for spaceflight instrumentation is also discussed.

Product of the SNPP VIIRS SD Screen Transmittance and the SD BRDF (RSB) From Both Yaw Maneuver and Regular On-Orbit Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lei, Ning; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2016-01-01

To assure data quality, the Earth-observing Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) regularly performs on-orbit radiometric calibrations of its 22 spectral bands. The primary calibration radiance source for the reflective solar bands (RSBs) is a sunlit solar diffuser (SD). During the calibration process, sunlight goes through a perforated plate (the SD screen) and then strikes the SD. The SD scattered sunlight is used for the calibration, with the spectral radiance proportional to the product of the SD screen transmittance and the SD bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The BRDF is decomposed to the product of its value at launch and a numerical factor quantifying its change since launch. Therefore, the RSB calibration requires accurate knowledge of the product of the SD screen transmittance and the BRDF (RSB; launch time). Previously, we calculated the product with yaw maneuver data and found that the product had improved accuracy over the prelaunch one. With both yaw maneuver and regular on orbit data, we were able to improve the accuracy of the SDSM screen transmittance and the product for the solar diffuser stability monitor SD view. In this study, we use both yaw maneuver and a small portion of regular on-orbit data to determine the product for the RSB SD view.

Comparison of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of various surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Rene; Seasholtz, Richard G.; Oberle, Lawrence G.; Kadambi, Jaikrishnan R.

1989-04-01

This paper describes the development and use of a system to measure the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of various surfaces. The BRDF measurements are to be used in the analysis and design of optical measurement systems such as laser anemometers. An Ar-ion laser (514 nm) was the light source. Preliminary results are presented for eight samples: two glossy black paints, two flat black paints, black glass, sand-blasted Al, unworked Al, and a white paint. A BaSO4 white reflectance standard was used as the reference sample throughout the tests.

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function measurements and analysis of retroreflective materials.

PubMed

Belcour, Laurent; Pacanowski, Romain; Delahaie, Marion; Laville-Geay, Aude; Eupherte, Laure

2014-12-01

We compare the performance of various analytical retroreflecting bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models to assess how they reproduce accurately measured data of retroreflecting materials. We introduce a new parametrization, the back vector parametrization, to analyze retroreflecting data, and we show that this parametrization better preserves the isotropy of data. Furthermore, we update existing BRDF models to improve the representation of retroreflective data.

Application of AI techniques to infer vegetation characteristics from directional reflectance(s)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimes, D. S.; Smith, J. A.; Harrison, P. A.; Harrison, P. R.

1994-01-01

Traditionally, the remote sensing community has relied totally on spectral knowledge to extract vegetation characteristics. However, there are other knowledge bases (KB's) that can be used to significantly improve the accuracy and robustness of inference techniques. Using AI (artificial intelligence) techniques a KB system (VEG) was developed that integrates input spectral measurements with diverse KB's. These KB's consist of data sets of directional reflectance measurements, knowledge from literature, and knowledge from experts which are combined into an intelligent and efficient system for making vegetation inferences. VEG accepts spectral data of an unknown target as input, determines the best techniques for inferring the desired vegetation characteristic(s), applies the techniques to the target data, and provides a rigorous estimate of the accuracy of the inference. VEG was developed to: infer spectral hemispherical reflectance from any combination of nadir and/or off-nadir view angles; infer percent ground cover from any combination of nadir and/or off-nadir view angles; infer unknown view angle(s) from known view angle(s) (known as view angle extension); and discriminate between user defined vegetation classes using spectral and directional reflectance relationships developed from an automated learning algorithm. The errors for these techniques were generally very good ranging between 2 to 15% (proportional root mean square). The system is designed to aid scientists in developing, testing, and applying new inference techniques using directional reflectance data.

Iterative discrete ordinates solution of the equation for surface-reflected radiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radkevich, Alexander

2017-11-01

This paper presents a new method of numerical solution of the integral equation for the radiance reflected from an anisotropic surface. The equation relates the radiance at the surface level with BRDF and solutions of the standard radiative transfer problems for a slab with no reflection on its surfaces. It is also shown that the kernel of the equation satisfies the condition of the existence of a unique solution and the convergence of the successive approximations to that solution. The developed method features two basic steps: discretization on a 2D quadrature, and solving the resulting system of algebraic equations with successive over-relaxation method based on the Gauss-Seidel iterative process. Presented numerical examples show good coincidence between the surface-reflected radiance obtained with DISORT and the proposed method. Analysis of contributions of the direct and diffuse (but not yet reflected) parts of the downward radiance to the total solution is performed. Together, they represent a very good initial guess for the iterative process. This fact ensures fast convergence. The numerical evidence is given that the fastest convergence occurs with the relaxation parameter of 1 (no relaxation). An integral equation for BRDF is derived as inversion of the original equation. The potential of this new equation for BRDF retrievals is analyzed. The approach is found not viable as the BRDF equation appears to be an ill-posed problem, and it requires knowledge the surface-reflected radiance on the entire domain of both Sun and viewing zenith angles.

Intercomparison of two BRDF models in the estimation of the directional emissivity in MIR channel from MSG1-SEVIRI data.

PubMed

Jiang, Geng-Ming; Li, Zhao-Liang

2008-11-10

This work intercompared two Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) models, the modified Minnaert's model and the RossThick-LiSparse-R model, in the estimation of the directional emissivity in Middle Infra-Red (MIR) channel from the data acquired by the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra-Red Imager (SEVIRI) onboard the first Meteosat Second Generation (MSG1). The bi-directional reflectances in SEVIRI channel 4 (3.9 microm) were estimated from the combined MIR and Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) data and then were used to estimate the directional emissivity in this channel with aid of the BRDF models. The results show that: (1) Both models can relatively well describe the non-Lambertian reflective behavior of land surfaces in SEVIRI channel 4; (2) The RossThick-LiSparse-R model is better than the modified Minnaert's model in modeling the bi-directional reflectances, and the directional emissivities modeled by the modified Minnaert's model are always lower than the ones obtained by the RossThick-LiSparse-R model with averaged emissivity differences of approximately 0.01 and approximately 0.04 over the vegetated and bare areas, respectively. The use of the RossThick-LiSparse-R model in the estimation of the directional emissivity in MIR channel is recommended.

Study on the cloud detection of GOCI by using the simulated surface reflectance from BRDF-model for the land application and meteorological utilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hye-Won; Yeom, Jong-Min; Woo, Sun-Hee; Chae, Tae-Byeong

2016-04-01

COMS (Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite) was launched at French Guiana Kourou space center on 27 June 2010. Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), which is the first ocean color geostationary satellite in the world for observing the ocean phenomena, is able to obtain the scientific data per an hour from 00UTC to 07UTC. Moreover, the spectral channels of GOCI would enable not only monitoring for the ocean, but for extracting the information of the land surface over the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and Eastern China. Since it is extremely important to utilize GOCI data accurately for the land application, cloud pixels over the surface have to be removed. Unfortunately, infra-red (IR) channels that can easily detect the water vapor with the cloud top temperature, are not included in the GOCI sensor. In this paper, the advanced cloud masking algorithm will be proposed with visible and near-IR (NIR) bands that are within GOCI bands. The main obstacle of cloud masking with GOCI is how to handle the high variable surface reflectance, which is mainly depending on the solar zenith angle. In this study, we use semi-empirical BRDF model to simulate the surface reflectance by using 16 day composite cloudy free image. When estimating the simulated surface reflectance, same geometry for GOCI observation was applied. The simulated surface reflectance is used to discriminate cloud areas especially for the thin cloud and shows more reasonable result than original threshold methods.

Lymphocyte Nadir and Esophageal Cancer Survival Outcomes After Chemoradiation Therapy.

PubMed

Davuluri, Rajayogesh; Jiang, Wen; Fang, Penny; Xu, Cai; Komaki, Ritsuko; Gomez, Daniel R; Welsh, James; Cox, James D; Crane, Christopher H; Hsu, Charles C; Lin, Steven H

2017-09-01

Host immunity may affect the outcome in patients with esophageal cancer. We sought to identify factors that influenced absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) nadir during chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for esophageal cancer (EC) and looked for clinically relevant associations with survival. 504 patients with stage I-III EC (2007-2013) treated with neoadjuvant or definitive CRT with weekly ALC determinations made during treatment were analyzed. Grade of lymphopenia from ALC nadir during CRT was based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. Associations of ALC nadir with survival were examined using multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis (MVA) and competing risks regression analysis. The median follow-up time was 36 months. The incidences of grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 ALC nadir during CRT were 2%, 12%, 59%, and 27%, respectively. The impact was lymphocyte-specific because this was not seen for monocyte or neutrophil count. On MVA, grade 4 ALC nadir (G4 nadir) was significantly associated with worse overall and disease-specific survival outcomes. Predictors of G4 nadir included distal tumor location, definitive CRT, taxane/5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, and photon-based radiation type (vs proton-based). Radiation type strongly influenced the mean body dose exposure, which was a strong predictor for G4 nadir (odds ratio 1.22 per Gray, P<.001). G4 nadir during CRT for EC was associated with poor outcomes, suggesting a role of host immunity in disease control. This observation provides a rationale to prospectively test chemotherapeutic and radiation treatment strategies that may have a lower impact on host immunity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NPP VIIRS and Aqua MODIS RSB Comparison Using Observations from Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses (SNO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xiong, X.; Wu, A.

2012-01-01

Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite (http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/viirs.html) began to daily collect global data following its successful launch on October 28, 2011. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key NPP sensor. Similar to the design of the OLS, SeaWiFS and MODIS instruments, VIIRS has on-board calibration components including a solar diffuser (SD) and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) for the reflective solar bands (RSB), a V-groove blackbody for the thermal emissive bands (TEB), and a space view (SV) port for background subtraction. Immediately after the VIIRS nadir door s opening on November 21, 2011, anomalously large degradation in the SD response was identified in the near-IR wavelength region, which was unexpected as decreases in the SD reflectance usually occur gradually in the blue (0.4 m) wavelength region based on past experience. In this study, we use a well-calibrated Aqua MODIS as reference to track and evaluate VIIRS RSB stability and performance. Reflectances observed by both sensors from simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNO) are used to determine VIIRS to MODIS reflectance ratios for their spectral matching bands. Results of this study provide an immediate post-launch assessment, independent validation of the anomalous degradation observed in SD measurements at near-IR wavelengths and initial analysis of calibration stability and consistency.

Sensitivity of MODIS 2.1 micron Channel for Off-Nadir View Angles for Use in Remote Sensing of Aerosol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, C. K.; King, M. D.; Tsay, S.-C.; Ji, Q.

2000-01-01

Remote sensing of aerosol over land, from MODIS will be based on dark targets using mid-IR channels 2.1 and 3.9 micron. This approach was developed by Kaufman et al (1997), who suggested that dark surface reflectance in the red (0.66 micron -- rho(sub 0.66)) channel is half of that at 2.2 micron (rho(sub 2.2)), and the reflectance in the blue (0.49 micron - rho(sub 0.49)) channel is a quarter of that at 2.2 micron. Using this relationship, the surface reflectance in the visible channels can be predicted within Delta.rho(sub 0.49) approximately Delat.rho(sub 0.66) approximately 0.006 from rho(sub 2.2) for rho(sub 2.2) <= 0.10. This was half the error obtained using the 3.75 micron and corresponds to an error in aerosol optical thickness of Delat.tau approximately 0.06. These results, though applicable to several biomes (e.g. forests, and brighter lower canopies), have only been tested at one view angle - the nadir (theta = 0 deg). Considering the importance of the results in remote sensing of aerosols over land surfaces from space, we are validating the relationships for off-nadir view angles using Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) data. The CAR data are available for channels between 0.3 and 2.3 micron and for different surface types and conditions: forest, tundra, ocean, sea-ice, swamp, grassland and over areas covered with smoke. In this study we analyzed data collected during the Smoke, Clouds, and Radiation - Brazil (SCAR-B) experiment to validate Kaufman et al.'s (1997) results for non-nadir view angles. We will show the correlation between rho(sub 0.472), rho(sub 0.675), and rho(sub 2.2) for view angles between nadir (0 deg) and 55 deg off-nadir, and for different viewing directions in the backscatter and forward scatter directions.

Retrieval of seasonal dynamics of forest understory reflectance from semi-arid to boreal forests using MODIS BRDF data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisek, Jan; Chen, Jing; Kobayashi, Hideki; Rautiainen, Miina; Schaepman, Michael; Karnieli, Arnon; Sprintsin, Michael; Ryu, Youngryel; Nikopensius, Maris; Raabe, Kairi

2016-04-01

Ground vegetation (understory) provides an essential contribution to the whole-stand reflectance signal in many boreal, sub-boreal, and temperate forests. Accurate knowledge about forest understory reflectance is urgently needed in various forest reflectance modelling efforts. However, systematic collections of understory reflectance data covering different sites and ecosystems are almost missing. Measurement of understory reflectance is a real challenge because of an extremely high variability of irradiance at the forest floor, weak signal in some parts of the spectrum, spectral separability issues of over- and understory and its variable nature. Understory can consist of several sub-layers (regenerated tree, shrub, grasses or dwarf shrub, mosses, lichens, litter, bare soil), it has spatially-temporally variable species composition and ground coverage. Additional challenges are introduced by patchiness of ground vegetation, ground surface roughness, and understory-overstory relations. Due to this variability, remote sensing might be the only means to provide consistent data at spatially relevant scales. In this presentation, we report on retrieving seasonal courses of understory Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from multi-angular MODIS BRDF/Albedo data. We compared satellite-based seasonal courses of understory NDVI against an extended collection of different types of forest sites with available in-situ understory reflectance measurements. These sites are distributed along a wide latitudinal gradient on the Northern hemisphere: a sparse and dense black spruce forests in Alaska and Canada, a northern European boreal forest in Finland, hemiboreal needleleaf and deciduous stands in Estonia, a mixed temperate forest in Switzerland, a cool temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Korea, and a semi-arid pine plantation in Israel. Our results indicated the retrieval method performs well particularly over open forests of different types. We also demonstrated

Newborn Plasma Glucose Concentration Nadirs by Gestational-Age Group.

PubMed

Kaiser, Jeffrey R; Bai, Shasha; Rozance, Paul J

2018-01-01

The glucose concentrations and times to nadir for newborns of all gestational ages when intrapartum glucose-containing solutions are not routinely provided are unknown. To characterize and compare patterns of initial glucose concentration nadirs by gestational-age groups. A cross-sectional cohort study of 1,366 newborns born in 1998 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, appropriate for gestational age, nonasphyxiated, nonpolycythemic, and not infants of diabetic mothers, were included. Initial plasma glucose concentrations, before intravenous fluids or feedings, were plotted against time after birth for 4 gestational-age groups (full term [FT], ≥37-42 weeks; late preterm [LPT], ≥34 and < 37 weeks; preterm [PT], ≥28 and < 34 weeks; and extremely low gestational age newborns [ELGAN], 23 and < 28 weeks of gestation). ELGAN had the earliest nadir at 61 ± 4 min, followed by PT newborns (71 ± 2 min), and then LPT and FT newborns at 92-93 min. The time to nadir for ELGAN and PT newborns was significantly earlier than for FT newborns. Glucose nadir concentrations for ELGAN, PT, and LPT newborns were significantly lower than for FT newborns. LPT newborns' pattern of glucose paralleled those of FT newborns, with values approximately 5-6 mg/dL lower during the first 3 h. Plasma glucose nadirs occurred at different times among gestational-age groups during the early postnatal period as follows: ELGAN < PT < LPT ≈ FT. In order to potentially prevent low glucose concentrations at the time of the nadir, exogenous glucose should be provided to all newborns as soon as possible after birth. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A Method for Improving Hotspot Directional Signatures in BRDF Models Used for MODIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jiao, Ziti; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Dong, Yadong; Roman, Miguel; Hill, Michael J.; Chen, Jing M.; Wang, Zhuosen; Zhang, Hu; Saenz, Edward; Poudyal, Rajesh;

Shape and Spatially-Varying Reflectance Estimation from Virtual Exemplars.

PubMed

Hui, Zhuo; Sankaranarayanan, Aswin C

2017-10-01

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the shape of objects that exhibit spatially-varying reflectance. We assume that multiple images of the object are obtained under a fixed view-point and varying illumination, i.e., the setting of photometric stereo. At the core of our techniques is the assumption that the BRDF at each pixel lies in the non-negative span of a known BRDF dictionary. This assumption enables a per-pixel surface normal and BRDF estimation framework that is computationally tractable and requires no initialization in spite of the underlying problem being non-convex. Our estimation framework first solves for the surface normal at each pixel using a variant of example-based photometric stereo. We design an efficient multi-scale search strategy for estimating the surface normal and subsequently, refine this estimate using a gradient descent procedure. Given the surface normal estimate, we solve for the spatially-varying BRDF by constraining the BRDF at each pixel to be in the span of the BRDF dictionary; here, we use additional priors to further regularize the solution. A hallmark of our approach is that it does not require iterative optimization techniques nor the need for careful initialization, both of which are endemic to most state-of-the-art techniques. We showcase the performance of our technique on a wide range of simulated and real scenes where we outperform competing methods.

An empirical study on the utility of BRDF model parameters and topographic parameters for mapping vegetation in a semi-arid region with MISR imagery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Multi-angle remote sensing has been proved useful for mapping vegetation community types in desert regions. Based on Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) multi-angular images, this study compares roles played by Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) model parameters with th...

Lunar BRDF Correction of Suomi-NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band Time Series Product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.; Roman, M. O.; Kalb, V.; Stokes, E.; Miller, S. D.

2015-12-01

Since the first-light images from the Suomi-NPP VIIRS low-light visible Day/Night Band (DNB) sensor were received in November 2011, the NASA Suomi-NPP Land Science Investigator Processing System (SIPS) has focused on evaluating this new capability for quantitative science applications, as well as developing and testing refined algorithms to meet operational and Land science research needs. While many promising DNB applications have been developed since the Suomi-NPP launch, most studies to-date have been limited by the traditional qualitative image display and spatial-temporal aggregated statistical analysis methods inherent in current heritage algorithms. This has resulted in strong interest for a new generation of science-quality products that can be used to monitor both the magnitude and signature of nighttime phenomena and anthropogenic sources of light emissions. In one particular case study, Román and Stokes (2015) demonstrated that tracking daily dynamic DNB radiances can provide valuable information about the character of the human activities and behaviors that influence energy, consumption, and vulnerability. Here we develop and evaluate a new suite of DNB science-quality algorithms that can exclude a primary source of background noise: i.e., the Lunar BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) effect. Every day, the operational NASA Land SIPS DNB algorithm makes use of 16 days worth of DNB-derived surface reflectances (SR) (based on the heritage MODIS SR algorithm) and a semiempirical kernel-driven bidirectional reflectance model to determine a global set of parameters describing the BRDF of the land surface. The nighttime period of interest is heavily weighted as a function of observation coverage. These gridded parameters, combined with Miller and Turner's [2009] top-of-atmosphere spectral irradiance model, are then used to determine the DNB's lunar radiance contribution at any point in time and under specific illumination conditions.

Temporal dynamics of sand dune bidirectional reflectance characteristics for absolute radiometric calibration of optical remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coburn, Craig A.; Logie, Gordon S. J.

2018-01-01

Attempts to use pseudoinvariant calibration sites (PICS) for establishing absolute radiometric calibration of Earth observation (EO) satellites requires high-quality information about the nature of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the surfaces used for these calibrations. Past studies have shown that the PICS method is useful for evaluating the trend of sensors over time or for the intercalibration of sensors. The PICS method was not considered until recently for deriving absolute radiometric calibration. This paper presents BRDF data collected by a high-performance portable goniometer system to develop a temporal BRDF model for the Algodones Dunes in California. By sampling the BRDF of the sand surface at similar solar zenith angles to those normally encountered by EO satellites, additional information on the changing nature of the surface can improve models used to provide absolute radiometric correction. The results demonstrated that the BRDF of a reasonably simple sand surface was complex with changes in anisotropy taking place in response to changing solar zenith angles. For the majority of observation and illumination angles, the spectral reflectance anisotropy observed varied between 1% and 5% in patterns that repeat around solar noon.

First-day newborn weight loss predicts in-hospital weight nadir for breastfeeding infants.

PubMed

Flaherman, Valerie J; Bokser, Seth; Newman, Thomas B

2010-08-01

Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant infectious disease. Losing > or =10% birth weight may lead to formula use. The predictive value of first-day weight loss for subsequent weight loss has not been studied. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between weight loss at <24 hours and subsequent in-hospital weight loss > or =10%. For 1,049 infants, we extracted gestational age, gender, delivery method, feeding type, and weights from medical records. Weight nadir was defined as the lowest weight recorded during birth hospitalization. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the effect of first-day weight loss on subsequent in-hospital weight loss. Mean in-hospital weight nadir was 6.0 +/- 2.6%, and mean age at in-hospital weight nadir was 38.7 +/- 18.5 hours. While in the hospital 6.4% of infants lost > or =10% of birth weight. Infants losing > or =4.5% birth weight at <24 hours had greater risk of eventual in-hospital weight loss > or =10% (adjusted odds ratio 3.57 [1.75, 7.28]). In this cohort, 798 (76.1%) infants did not have documented weight gain while in the hospital. Early weight loss predicts higher risk of > or =10% in-hospital weight loss. Infants with high first-day weight loss could be targeted for further research into improved interventions to promote breastfeeding.

Large off-nadir scan angle of airborne LiDAR can severely affect the estimates of forest structure metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jing; Skidmore, Andrew K.; Jones, Simon; Wang, Tiejun; Heurich, Marco; Zhu, Xi; Shi, Yifang

2018-02-01

important practical implications. First, it is suggested that large off-nadir scan angle of airborne LiDAR should be avoided to ensure a more accurate Pgap and LAI estimation. Second, the angular dependence of vertical Pgap profiles observed from airborne LiDAR should be accounted for, in order to improve the retrieval of LAI profiles, and other quantitative canopy structural metrics. This is especially necessary when using multi-temporal datasets in discontinuous forest types. Third, the anisotropy of Pgap and vertical Pgap profile observed by airborne LiDAR, can potentially help to resolve the anisotropic behavior of canopy reflectance, and refine the inversion of biophysical and biochemical properties from passive multispectral or hyperspectral data.

Modeling and analysis of LWIR signature variability associated with 3D and BRDF effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler-Golden, Steven; Less, David; Jin, Xuemin; Rynes, Peter

2016-05-01

Algorithms for retrieval of surface reflectance, emissivity or temperature from a spectral image almost always assume uniform illumination across the scene and horizontal surfaces with Lambertian reflectance. When these algorithms are used to process real 3-D scenes, the retrieved "apparent" values contain the strong, spatially dependent variations in illumination as well as surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) effects. This is especially problematic with horizontal or near-horizontal viewing, where many observed surfaces are vertical, and where horizontal surfaces can show strong specularity. The goals of this study are to characterize long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) signature variability in a HSI 3-D scene and develop practical methods for estimating the true surface values. We take advantage of synthetic near-horizontal imagery generated with the high-fidelity MultiService Electro-optic Signature (MuSES) model, and compare retrievals of temperature and directional-hemispherical reflectance using standard sky downwelling illumination and MuSES-based non-uniform environmental illumination.

Multitemporal cross-calibration of the Terra MODIS and Landsat 7 ETM+ reflective solar bands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Angal, Amit; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Wu, Aisheng; Chander, Gyanesh; Choi, Taeyoung

2013-01-01

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of remotely sensed data to address global issues. With the open data policy, the data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors have become a critical component of numerous applications. These two sensors have been operational for more than a decade, providing a rich archive of multispectral imagery for analysis of mutitemporal remote sensing data. This paper focuses on evaluating the radiometric calibration agreement between MODIS and ETM+ using the near-simultaneous and cloud-free image pairs over an African pseudo-invariant calibration site, Libya 4. To account for the combined uncertainties in the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance due to surface and atmospheric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), a semiempirical BRDF model was adopted to normalize the TOA reflectance to the same illumination and viewing geometry. In addition, the spectra from the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Hyperion were used to compute spectral corrections between the corresponding MODIS and ETM+ spectral bands. As EO-1 Hyperion scenes were not available for all MODIS and ETM+ data pairs, MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN) 5.0 simulations were also used to adjust for differences due to the presence or lack of absorption features in some of the bands. A MODIS split-window algorithm provides the atmospheric water vapor column abundance during the overpasses for the MODTRAN simulations. Additionally, the column atmospheric water vapor content during the overpass was retrieved using the MODIS precipitable water vapor product. After performing these adjustments, the radiometric cross-calibration of the two sensors was consistent to within 7%. Some drifts in the response of the bands are evident, with MODIS band 3 being the largest of about 6% over 10 years, a change that will be corrected in Collection 6 MODIS processing.

Multitemporal Cross-Calibration of the Terra MODIS and Landsat 7 ETM+ Reflective Solar Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angal, Amit; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Wu, Aisheng; Changler, Gyanesh; Choi, Taeyoyung

2013-01-01

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of remotely sensed data to address global issues. With the open data policy, the data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors have become a critical component of numerous applications. These two sensors have been operational for more than a decade, providing a rich archive of multispectral imagery for analysis of mutitemporal remote sensing data. This paper focuses on evaluating the radiometric calibration agreement between MODIS and ETM+ using the near-simultaneous and cloud-free image pairs over an African pseudo-invariant calibration site, Libya 4. To account for the combined uncertainties in the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance due to surface and atmospheric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), a semiempirical BRDF model was adopted to normalize the TOA reflectance to the same illumination and viewing geometry. In addition, the spectra from the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Hyperion were used to compute spectral corrections between the corresponding MODIS and ETM+ spectral bands. As EO-1 Hyperion scenes were not available for all MODIS and ETM+ data pairs, MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN) 5.0 simulations were also used to adjust for differences due to the presence or lack of absorption features in some of the bands. A MODIS split-window algorithm provides the atmospheric water vapor column abundance during the overpasses for the MODTRAN simulations. Additionally, the column atmospheric water vapor content during the overpass was retrieved using the MODIS precipitable water vapor product. After performing these adjustments, the radiometric cross-calibration of the two sensors was consistent to within 7%. Some drifts in the response of the bands are evident, with MODIS band 3 being the largest of about 6% over 10 years, a change that will be corrected in Collection 6 MODIS processing.

Nadir creatinine in posterior urethral valves: How high is low enough?

PubMed

Coleman, R; King, T; Nicoara, C-D; Bader, M; McCarthy, L; Chandran, H; Parashar, K

2015-12-01

Large retrospective studies of people with posterior urethral valves (PUV) have reported chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) in up to one third of the participants and end-stage renal failure in up to one quarter of them. Nadir creatinine (lowest creatinine during the first year following diagnosis) is the recognised prognostic indicator for renal outcome in PUV, the most commonly used cut-off being 1 mg/dl (88.4 umol/l). To conduct a statistical analysis of nadir creatinine in PUV patients in order to identify the optimal cut-off level as a prognostic indicator for CRI. Patients treated by endoscopic valve ablation at the present institution between 1993 and 2004 were reviewed. Chronic renal insufficiency was defined as CKD2 or higher. Statistical methods included receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, Fisher exact test and diagnostic utility tests. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. Nadir creatinine was identified in 96 patients. The median follow-up was 9.4 (IQR 7.0, 13.4) years. A total of 29 (30.2%) patients developed CRI, with nine (9.4%) reaching end-stage renal failure. On ROC analysis, Nadir creatinine was highly prognostic for future CRI, with an Area Under the Curve of 0.887 (P < 0.001). Renal insufficiency occurred in all 10 (100%) patients with nadir creatinine >88.4 umol/l compared with 19 of 86 (22.2%) patients with lower nadir creatinine (P < 0.001). As a test for future CRI, a nadir creatinine cut-off of 88.4 umol/l gave a specificity of 100%, but poor sensitivity of 34.5%. Lowering the cut-off to 75 umol/l resulted in improvement in all diagnostic utility tests (Table). All 14 (100%) patients with nadir creatinine >75 umol/l developed CRI, compared with 15 of 82 (18.3%) patients with lower nadir creatinine (P < 0.001). Sensitivity only approached 95% at 35 umol/l, at which level specificity was low (Table). Two out of 36 (5.6%) patients with nadir creatinine <35 umol/l developed CRI. Multivariate analysis

Laboratory-Based Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions of Radiometric Tarps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.

2008-01-01

Laboratory-based bidirectional reflectance distribution functions of radiometric tarp samples used in the vicarious calibration of Earth remote sensing satellite instruments are presented in this paper. The results illustrate the BRDF dependence on the orientation of the tarps weft and warp threads. The study was performed using the GSFC scatterometer at incident zenith angles of 0 deg, 10 deg, and 30 deg; scatter zenith angles from 0 deg. to 60 deg.; and scatter azimuth angles of 0 deg., 45 deg., 90 deg., 135 deg. and 180 deg. The wavelengths were 485nm, 550nm, 633nm and 800nm. The tarp's weft and warp dependence on BRDF is well defined at all measurement geometries and wavelengths. The BRDF difference can be as high as 8% at 0o incident angle and 12% at 30 deg. incident angle. The fitted BRDF data shows a very small discrepancy from the measured ones. New data on the forward and backscatter properties of radiometric tarps are reported. The backward scatter is well pronounced for the white samples. The black sample has well pronounced forward scatter. The provided BRDF characterization of radiometric tarps is an excellent reference for anyone interested in using tarps for radiometric calibrations. The results are NIST traceable.

Laboratory-based bidirectional reflectance distribution functions of radiometric tarps.

PubMed

Georgiev, Georgi T; Butler, James J

2008-06-20

Laboratory-based bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) of radiometric tarp samples used in the vicarious calibration of Earth remote sensing satellite instruments are presented in this paper. The results illustrate the BRDF dependence on the orientation of the tarps' weft and warp threads. The study was performed using the GSFC scatterometer at incident zenith angles of 0 degrees, 10 degrees, and 30 degrees; scatter zenith angles from 0 degrees to 60 degrees; and scatter azimuth angles of 0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees, and 180 degrees. The wavelengths were 485 nm, 550 nm, 633 nm, and 800 nm. The tarp's weft and warp dependence on BRDF is well defined at all measurement geometries and wavelengths. The BRDF difference can be as high as 8% at 0 degrees incident angle and 12% at 30 degrees incident angle. The fitted BRDF data show a very small discrepancy from the measured ones. New data on the forward and backscatter properties of radiometric tarps are reported. The backward scatter is well pronounced for the white samples. The black sample has well-pronounced forward scatter. The provided BRDF characterization of radiometric tarps is an excellent reference for anyone interested in using tarps for radiometric calibrations. The results are NIST traceable.

There is no bidirectional hot-spot in Sentinel-2 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Roy, D. P.; Zhang, H.

2017-12-01

Sentinel-2A multi-spectral instrument (MSI) reflectance anisotropy and the suitability of a general method to normalize MSI reflectance to nadir BRDF adjusted reflectance, RSE. 199, 25-38. Zhang, H. K., Roy, D.P., Kovalskyy, V., 2016, Optimal solar geometry definition for global long term Landsat time series bi-directional reflectance normalization, IEEE TGRS. 54(3), 1410-1418.

Hybrid artificial bee colony algorithm for parameter optimization of five-parameter bidirectional reflectance distribution function model.

PubMed

Wang, Qianqian; Zhao, Jing; Gong, Yong; Hao, Qun; Peng, Zhong

2017-11-20

A hybrid artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm inspired by the best-so-far solution and bacterial chemotaxis was introduced to optimize the parameters of the five-parameter bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model. To verify the performance of the hybrid ABC algorithm, we measured BRDF of three kinds of samples and simulated the undetermined parameters of the five-parameter BRDF model using the hybrid ABC algorithm and the genetic algorithm, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid ABC algorithm outperforms the genetic algorithm in convergence speed, accuracy, and time efficiency under the same conditions.

Is the perception of 3D shape from shading based on assumed reflectance and illumination?

PubMed

Todd, James T; Egan, Eric J L; Phillips, Flip

2014-01-01

The research described in the present article was designed to compare three types of image shading: one generated with a Lambertian BRDF and homogeneous illumination such that image intensity was determined entirely by local surface orientation irrespective of position; one that was textured with a linear intensity gradient, such that image intensity was determined entirely by local surface position irrespective of orientation; and another that was generated with a Lambertian BRDF and inhomogeneous illumination such that image intensity was influenced by both position and orientation. A gauge figure adjustment task was used to measure observers' perceptions of local surface orientation on the depicted surfaces, and the probe points included 60 pairs of regions that both had the same orientation. The results show clearly that observers' perceptions of these three types of stimuli were remarkably similar, and that probe regions with similar apparent orientations could have large differences in image intensity. This latter finding is incompatible with any process for computing shape from shading that assumes any plausible reflectance function combined with any possible homogeneous illumination.

Is the perception of 3D shape from shading based on assumed reflectance and illumination?

PubMed Central

Todd, James T.; Egan, Eric J. L.; Phillips, Flip

2014-01-01

The research described in the present article was designed to compare three types of image shading: one generated with a Lambertian BRDF and homogeneous illumination such that image intensity was determined entirely by local surface orientation irrespective of position; one that was textured with a linear intensity gradient, such that image intensity was determined entirely by local surface position irrespective of orientation; and another that was generated with a Lambertian BRDF and inhomogeneous illumination such that image intensity was influenced by both position and orientation. A gauge figure adjustment task was used to measure observers' perceptions of local surface orientation on the depicted surfaces, and the probe points included 60 pairs of regions that both had the same orientation. The results show clearly that observers' perceptions of these three types of stimuli were remarkably similar, and that probe regions with similar apparent orientations could have large differences in image intensity. This latter finding is incompatible with any process for computing shape from shading that assumes any plausible reflectance function combined with any possible homogeneous illumination. PMID:26034561

First-Day Newborn Weight Loss Predicts In-Hospital Weight Nadir for Breastfeeding Infants

PubMed Central

Bokser, Seth; Newman, Thomas B.

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant infectious disease. Losing ≥10% birth weight may lead to formula use. The predictive value of first-day weight loss for subsequent weight loss has not been studied. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between weight loss at <24 hours and subsequent in-hospital weight loss ≥10%. Methods For 1,049 infants, we extracted gestational age, gender, delivery method, feeding type, and weights from medical records. Weight nadir was defined as the lowest weight recorded during birth hospitalization. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the effect of first-day weight loss on subsequent in-hospital weight loss. Results Mean in-hospital weight nadir was 6.0 ± 2.6%, and mean age at in-hospital weight nadir was 38.7 ± 18.5 hours. While in the hospital 6.4% of infants lost ≥10% of birth weight. Infants losing ≥4.5% birth weight at <24 hours had greater risk of eventual in-hospital weight loss ≥10% (adjusted odds ratio 3.57 [1.75, 7.28]). In this cohort, 798 (76.1%) infants did not have documented weight gain while in the hospital. Conclusions Early weight loss predicts higher risk of ≥10% in-hospital weight loss. Infants with high first-day weight loss could be targeted for further research into improved interventions to promote breastfeeding. PMID:20113202

Reflected Sunlight Reduction and Characterization for a Deep-Space Optical Receiver Antenna (DSORA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clymer, B. D.

1990-01-01

A baffle system for the elimination of first-order specular and diffuse reflection of sunlight from the sunshade of a deep-space optical receiver telescope is presented. This baffle system consists of rings of 0.5cm blades spaced 2.5 cm apart on the walls of GO hexagonal sunshade tubes that combine to form the telescope sunshade. The shadow cast by the blades, walls, and rims of the tubes prevent all first-order reflections of direct sunlight from reaching the primary mirror of the telescope. A reflection model of the sunshade without baffles is also presented for comparison. Since manufacturers of absorbing surfaces do not measure data near grazing incidence, the reflection properties at anticipated angles of incidence must be characterized. A description of reflection from matte surfaces in term of bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF) is presented along with a discussion of measuring BRDF near grazing incidence.

Nadir Ozone Profile Retrieval from SCIAMACHY: application to the Antarctic Ozone Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Sweta; Piet, Stammes; Tuinder, Olaf N. E.; de Laat, Jos

2017-04-01

We present new nadir ozone profile retrievals using SCIAMACHY UV reflectance spectra for the mission period of the Envisat satellite. We have used the most recent Level-1 data version (v8 with degradation correction included) in the UV range (265-330 nm) and have used the OPERA optimal estimation algorithm (van Peet et al., AMT, 2014) developed in KNMI. We first show the comparison of the retrieved satellite profiles to co-located ozone sonde profiles in order to evaluate the accuracy of the retrieved ozone profile dataset. Based on these results, we have further processed the SCIAMCHY nadir dataset, specifically all the southern hemisphere pixels south of 45 degrees latitude for the months of August-November for the complete years 2003-2011. We show the monthly mean profiles, time-series of daily averages and minima of the retrieved stratospheric columns, and finally the ozone profile trend over the years 2003-2011. We also show the comparison of our results with the literature and hence the consistency of this new SCIAMACHY dataset.

Surface BRDF estimation from an aircraft compared to MODIS and ground estimates at the Southern Great Plains site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knobelspiesse, Kirk D.; Cairns, Brian; Schmid, Beat

2008-10-21

The surface spectral albedo is an important component of climate models since it determines the amount of incident solar radiation that is absorbed by the ground. The albedo can be highly heterogeneous, both in space and time, and thus adequate measurement and modeling is challenging. One source of measurements that constrain the surface albedo are satellite instruments that observe the Earth, such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Satellites estimate the surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) by correcting top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiances for atmospheric effects and accumulating observations at a variety of viewing geometries. The BRDFmore » can then be used to determine the albedo that is required in climate modeling. Other measurements that provide a more direct constraint on surface albedo are those made by upward and downward looking radiometers at the ground. One product in particular, the Best Estimate Radiation Flux (BEFLUX) value added product of the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program at the Southern Great Plains Central Facility (SGP CF) in central Oklahoma, has been used to evaluate the quality of the albedo products derived from MODIS BRDF estimates. These comparisons have highlighted discrepancies between the energy absorbed at the surface that is calculated from the BEFLUX products and that is predicted from the MODIS BRDF product. This paper attempts to investigate these discrepancies by using data from an airborne scanning radiometer, the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) that was flown at low altitude in the vicinity of the SGP CF site during the Aerosol Lidar Validation Experiment (ALIVE) in September of 2005. The RSP is a polarimeter that scans in the direction of the aircraft ground track, and can thus estimate the BRDF in a period of seconds, rather than the days required by MODIS to accumulate enough viewing angles. Atmospheric correction is

Floristic composition and across-track reflectance gradient in Landsat images over Amazonian forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muro, Javier; doninck, Jasper Van; Tuomisto, Hanna; Higgins, Mark A.; Moulatlet, Gabriel M.; Ruokolainen, Kalle

2016-09-01

Remotely sensed image interpretation or classification of tropical forests can be severely hampered by the effects of the bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF). Even for narrow swath sensors like Landsat TM/ETM+, the influence of reflectance anisotropy can be sufficiently strong to introduce a cross-track reflectance gradient. If the BRDF could be assumed to be linear for the limited swath of Landsat, it would be possible to remove this gradient during image preprocessing using a simple empirical method. However, the existence of natural gradients in reflectance caused by spatial variation in floristic composition of the forest can restrict the applicability of such simple corrections. Here we use floristic information over Peruvian and Brazilian Amazonia acquired through field surveys, complemented with information from geological maps, to investigate the interaction of real floristic gradients and the effect of reflectance anisotropy on the observed reflectances in Landsat data. In addition, we test the assumption of linearity of the BRDF for a limited swath width, and whether different primary non-inundated forest types are characterized by different magnitudes of the directional reflectance gradient. Our results show that a linear function is adequate to empirically correct for view angle effects, and that the magnitude of the across-track reflectance gradient is independent of floristic composition in the non-inundated forests we studied. This makes a routine correction of view angle effects possible. However, floristic variation complicates the issue, because different forest types have different mean reflectances. This must be taken into account when deriving the correction function in order to avoid eliminating natural gradients.

Limb-Nadir Matching Using Non-Coincident NO2 Observations: Proof of Concept and the OMI-minus-OSIRIS Prototype Product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Cristen; Normand, Elise N.; Mclinden, Chris A.; Bourassa, Adam E.; Lloyd, Nicholas D.; Degenstein, Douglas A.; Krotkov, Nickolay A.; Rivas, Maria Belmonte; Boersma, K. Folkert; Eskes, Henk

2016-01-01

A variant of the limb-nadir matching technique for deriving tropospheric NO2 columns is presented in which the stratospheric component of the NO2 slant column density (SCD) measured by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) is removed using non-coincident profiles from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS). In order to correct their mismatch in local time and the diurnal variation of stratospheric NO2, OSIRIS profiles, which were measured just after sunrise, were mapped to the local time of OMI observations using a photochemical boxmodel. Following the profile time adjustment, OSIRIS NO2 stratospheric vertical column densities (VCDs) were calculated. For profiles that did not reach down to the tropopause, VCDs were adjusted using the photochemical model. Using air mass factors from the OMI Standard Product (SP), a new tropospheric NO2 VCD product - referred to as OMI-minus-OSIRIS (OmO) - was generated through limb-nadir matching. To accomplish this, the OMI total SCDs were scaled using correction factors derived from the next-generation SCDs that improve upon the spectral fitting used for the current operational products. One year, 2008, of OmO was generated for 60 deg S to 60 deg N and a cursory evaluation was performed. The OmO product was found to capture the main features of tropospheric NO2, including a background value of about 0.3 x 10(exp 15) molecules per sq cm over the tropical Pacific and values comparable to the OMI operational products over anthropogenic source areas. While additional study is required, these results suggest that a limb-nadir matching approach is feasible for the removal of stratospheric NO2 measured by a polar orbiter from a nadir-viewing instrument in a geostationary orbit such as Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) or Sentinel-4.

Extended bidirectional reflectance distribution function for polarized light scattering from subsurface defects under a smooth surface.

PubMed

Shen, Jian; Deng, Degang; Kong, Weijin; Liu, Shijie; Shen, Zicai; Wei, Chaoyang; He, Hongbo; Shao, Jianda; Fan, Zhengxiu

2006-11-01

By introducing the scattering probability of a subsurface defect (SSD) and statistical distribution functions of SSD radius, refractive index, and position, we derive an extended bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) from the Jones scattering matrix. This function is applicable to the calculation for comparison with measurement of polarized light-scattering resulting from a SSD. A numerical calculation of the extended BRDF for the case of p-polarized incident light was performed by means of the Monte Carlo method. Our numerical results indicate that the extended BRDF strongly depends on the light incidence angle, the light scattering angle, and the out-of-plane azimuth angle. We observe a 180 degrees symmetry with respect to the azimuth angle. We further investigate the influence of the SSD density, the substrate refractive index, and the statistical distributions of the SSD radius and refractive index on the extended BRDF. For transparent substrates, we also find the dependence of the extended BRDF on the SSD positions.

Far-ultraviolet Bidirectional Photometry of Apollo Soil 10084: New Results from The Southwest Ultraviolet Reflectance Chamber (SwURC).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raut, U.

2017-12-01

We report new measurements of the far-ultraviolet (115-180 nm) bidirectional reflectance of Apollo soil 10084 in the Southwest Ultraviolet Reflectance Chamber (SwURC). We find the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) to be featureless in this wavelength region, though with a small blue slope. The angular distribution of the BRDF at Ly-α and 160 nm shows that this mature mare soil, containing nanophase Fe and enriched in Ti, anisotropically scatters light in the forward direction. The phase angle dependence of the BRDF is fitted with Hapke's photometric model with an additional diffuse-directional term. Future plans include measurements of mare and highland soils of differing maturity index (Is/FeO), water ice frost and lunar soil-ice aggregates. Such measurements will help constrain the abundance and distribution of the water ice on the illuminated lunar surface and dark permanently shadowed regions of the moon, as reported by LRO-LAMP.

Inter- and intra-annual variations of clumping index derived from the MODIS BRDF product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Liming; Liu, Jane; Chen, Jing M.; Croft, Holly; Wang, Rong; Sprintsin, Michael; Zheng, Ting; Ryu, Youngryel; Pisek, Jan; Gonsamo, Alemu; Deng, Feng; Zhang, Yongqin

2016-02-01

Clumping index quantifies the level of foliage aggregation, relative to a random distribution, and is a key structural parameter of plant canopies and is widely used in ecological and meteorological models. In this study, the inter- and intra-annual variations in clumping index values, derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) BRDF product, are investigated at six forest sites, including conifer forests, a mixed deciduous forest and an oak-savanna system. We find that the clumping index displays large seasonal variation, particularly for the deciduous sites, with the magnitude in clumping index values at each site comparable on an intra-annual basis, and the seasonality of clumping index well captured after noise removal. For broadleaved and mixed forest sites, minimum clumping index values are usually found during the season when leaf area index is at its maximum. The magnitude of MODIS clumping index is validated by ground data collected from 17 sites. Validation shows that the MODIS clumping index can explain 75% of variance in measured values (bias = 0.03 and rmse = 0.08), although with a narrower amplitude in variation. This study suggests that the MODIS BRDF product has the potential to produce good seasonal trajectories of clumping index values, but with an improved estimation of background reflectance.

Modeling the effect of reflection from metallic walls on spectroscopic measurements.

PubMed

Zastrow, K-D; Keatings, S R; Marot, L; O'Mullane, M G; de Temmerman, G

2008-10-01

A modification of JET is presently being prepared to bring operational experience with ITER-like first wall (Be) and divertor (W) materials, geometry and plasma parameters. Reflectivity measurements of JET sample tiles have been performed and the data are used within a simplified model of the JET and ITER vessels to predict additional contributions to quantitative spectroscopic measurements. The most general method to characterize reflectivity is the bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF). For extended sources however, such as bremsstrahlung and edge emission of fuel and intrinsic impurities, the results obtained in the modeling are almost as accurate if the total reflectivity with ideal Lambertian angular dependence is used. This is in contrast to the experience in other communities, such as optical design, lighting design, or rendering who deal mostly with pointlike light sources. This result is so far based on a very limited set of measurements and will be reassessed when more detailed BRDF measurements of JET tiles have been made. If it is true it offers the possibility of in situ monitoring of the reflectivity of selected parts of the wall during exposure to plasma operation, while remeasurement of the BRDF is performed during interventions. For a closed vessel structure such as ITER, it is important to consider multiple reflections. This makes it more important to represent the whole of the vessel reasonably accurately in the model, which on the other hand is easier to achieve than for the more complex internal structure of JET. In both cases the dominant contribution is from the first reflection, and a detailed model of the areas intersected by lines of sight of diagnostic interest is required.

Effective emissivities of isothermal blackbody cavities calculated by the Monte Carlo method using the three-component bidirectional reflectance distribution function model.

PubMed

Prokhorov, Alexander

2012-05-01

This paper proposes a three-component bidirectional reflectance distribution function (3C BRDF) model consisting of diffuse, quasi-specular, and glossy components for calculation of effective emissivities of blackbody cavities and then investigates the properties of the new reflection model. The particle swarm optimization method is applied for fitting a 3C BRDF model to measured BRDFs. The model is incorporated into the Monte Carlo ray-tracing algorithm for isothermal cavities. Finally, the paper compares the results obtained using the 3C model and the conventional specular-diffuse model of reflection.

Characterization of LANDSAT Panels Using the NIST BRDF Scale from 1100 nm to 2500 nm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markham, Brian; Tsai, Benjamin K.; Allen, David W.; Cooksey, Catherine; Yoon, Howard; Hanssen, Leonard; Zeng, Jinan; Fulton, Linda; Biggar, Stuart; Markham, Brian

2010-01-01

Many earth observing sensors depend on white diffuse reflectance standards to derive scales of radiance traceable to the St Despite the large number of Earth observing sensors that operate in the reflective solar region of the spectrum, there has been no direct method to provide NIST traceable BRDF measurements out to 2500 rim. Recent developments in detector technology have allowed the NIST reflectance measurement facility to expand the operating range to cover the 250 nm to 2500 nm range. The facility has been modified with and additional detector using a cooled extended range indium gallium arsenide (Extended InGaAs) detector. Measurements were made for two PTFE white diffuse reflectance standards over the 1100 nm to 2500 nm region at a 0' incident and 45' observation angle. These two panels will be used to support the OLI calibration activities. An independent means of verification was established using a NIST radiance transfer facility based on spectral irradiance, radiance standards and a diffuse reflectance plaque. An analysis on the results and associated uncertainties will be discussed.

NADIR: A Flexible Archiving System Current Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapic, C.; De Marco, M.; Smareglia, R.; Molinaro, M.

2014-05-01

The New Archiving Distributed InfrastructuRe (NADIR) is under development at the Italian center for Astronomical Archives (IA2) to increase the performances of the current archival software tools at the data center. Traditional softwares usually offer simple and robust solutions to perform data archive and distribution but are awkward to adapt and reuse in projects that have different purposes. Data evolution in terms of data model, format, publication policy, version, and meta-data content are the main threats to re-usage. NADIR, using stable and mature framework features, answers those very challenging issues. Its main characteristics are a configuration database, a multi threading and multi language environment (C++, Java, Python), special features to guarantee high scalability, modularity, robustness, error tracking, and tools to monitor with confidence the status of each project at each archiving site. In this contribution, the development of the core components is presented, commenting also on some performance and innovative features (multi-cast and publisher-subscriber paradigms). NADIR is planned to be developed as simply as possible with default configurations for every project, first of all for LBT and other IA2 projects.

Parenting and Adolescent Adjustment: The Role of Parental Reflective Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benbassat, Naomi; Priel, Beatriz

2012-01-01

Reflective function (RF) is the capacity to reflect on one's own mental experiences and those of others. This study examined the relationship between parental RF and adolescent adjustment. One hundred and five adolescents, aged 14-18, and their mothers and fathers were interviewed and completed questionnaires during home visits. We measured…

Branch and bound algorithm for accurate estimation of analytical isotropic bidirectional reflectance distribution function models.

PubMed

Yu, Chanki; Lee, Sang Wook

2016-05-20

We present a reliable and accurate global optimization framework for estimating parameters of isotropic analytical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models. This approach is based on a branch and bound strategy with linear programming and interval analysis. Conventional local optimization is often very inefficient for BRDF estimation since its fitting quality is highly dependent on initial guesses due to the nonlinearity of analytical BRDF models. The algorithm presented in this paper employs L₁-norm error minimization to estimate BRDF parameters in a globally optimal way and interval arithmetic to derive our feasibility problem and lower bounding function. Our method is developed for the Cook-Torrance model but with several normal distribution functions such as the Beckmann, Berry, and GGX functions. Experiments have been carried out to validate the presented method using 100 isotropic materials from the MERL BRDF database, and our experimental results demonstrate that the L₁-norm minimization provides a more accurate and reliable solution than the L₂-norm minimization.

The comparison of BRDF model and validation of MCD43 products by the 2013 Dunhuang Gobi experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuan; Rong, Zhi-guo; Zhang, Li-jun; Sun, Ling; Xu, Na

2014-11-01

BRDF has numerous applications in on-orbit satellites vicarious calibration. The 2013 Dunhuang Gobi surface directional reflectance measurements experiment were held during Aug. 20 to Aug. 28. In order to match the spatial resolution (0.25-1.25km) of meteorological satellites, 3*3 sample points were selected covering the 10*10km area. All the data were measured during (3 hours before and after) the noon without taking into account the large sun zenith angle because of the lack of the satellite passing through. Totally 9 groups of directional reflectance (DREF) were measured by the use of ASD (350-2500nm), standard reference board and a portable DREF measurement system. At each point, DREF were measured by different observation zenith angle (0, 20, 40 and 60 degree) and azimuth angle (0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315 and 360 degree) in 30 minutes. Different BRDF models were selected such as Walthall, Sine Walthall, Hapke, Roujean and Ross-Li. The model coefficients were derived corresponding to the observed data. The relative differences (RD) of the models with respect to the measured values were calculated. The accuracy of MCD43 products in the Julian day of 233 and 241 were also validated. Results showed that Ross-Li model had the smallest RD. The RD between the DREF from MCD43 products and the measured values were 10.26%(233) and 8.96% (241)@550nm, respectively.

Influence of target reflection on three-dimensional range gated reconstruction.

PubMed

Chua, Sing Yee; Wang, Xin; Guo, Ningqun; Tan, Ching Seong

2016-08-20

The range gated technique is a promising laser ranging method that is widely used in different fields such as surveillance, industry, and military. In a range gated system, a reflected laser pulse returned from the target scene contains key information for range reconstruction, which directly affects the system performance. Therefore, it is necessary to study the characteristics and effects of the target reflection factor. In this paper, theoretical and experimental analyses are performed to investigate the influence of target reflection on three-dimensional (3D) range gated reconstruction. Based on laser detection and ranging (LADAR) and bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF) theory, a 3D range gated reconstruction model is derived and the effect on range accuracy is analyzed from the perspectives of target surface reflectivity and angle of laser incidence. Our theoretical and experimental study shows that the range accuracy is proportional to the target surface reflectivity, but it decreases when the angle of incidence increases to adhere to the BRDF model. The presented findings establish a comprehensive understanding of target reflection in 3D range gated reconstruction, which is of interest to various applications such as target recognition and object modeling. This paper provides a reference for future improvement to perform accurate range compensation or correction.

Radiative transfer simulations of the two-dimensional ocean glint reflectance and determination of the sea surface roughness.

PubMed

Lin, Zhenyi; Li, Wei; Gatebe, Charles; Poudyal, Rajesh; Stamnes, Knut

2016-02-20

An optimized discrete-ordinate radiative transfer model (DISORT3) with a pseudo-two-dimensional bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is used to simulate and validate ocean glint reflectances at an infrared wavelength (1036 nm) by matching model results with a complete set of BRDF measurements obtained from the NASA cloud absorption radiometer (CAR) deployed on an aircraft. The surface roughness is then obtained through a retrieval algorithm and is used to extend the simulation into the visible spectral range where diffuse reflectance becomes important. In general, the simulated reflectances and surface roughness information are in good agreement with the measurements, and the diffuse reflectance in the visible, ignored in current glint algorithms, is shown to be important. The successful implementation of this new treatment of ocean glint reflectance and surface roughness in DISORT3 will help improve glint correction algorithms in current and future ocean color remote sensing applications.

Radiative Transfer Simulations of the Two-Dimensional Ocean Glint Reflectance and Determination of the Sea Surface Roughness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Zhenyi; Li, Wei; Gatebe, Charles; Poudyal, Rajesh; Stamnes, Knut

2016-01-01

An optimized discrete-ordinate radiative transfer model (DISORT3) with a pseudo-two-dimensional bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is used to simulate and validate ocean glint reflectances at an infrared wavelength (1036 nm) by matching model results with a complete set of BRDF measurements obtained from the NASA cloud absorption radiometer (CAR) deployed on an aircraft. The surface roughness is then obtained through a retrieval algorithm and is used to extend the simulation into the visible spectral range where diffuse reflectance becomes important. In general, the simulated reflectances and surface roughness information are in good agreement with the measurements, and the diffuse reflectance in the visible, ignored in current glint algorithms, is shown to be important. The successful implementation of this new treatment of ocean glint reflectance and surface roughness in DISORT3 will help improve glint correction algorithms in current and future ocean color remote sensing applications.

Application of the three-component bidirectional reflectance distribution function model to Monte Carlo calculation of spectral effective emissivities of nonisothermal blackbody cavities.

PubMed

Prokhorov, Alexander; Prokhorova, Nina I

2012-11-20

We applied the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model consisting of diffuse, quasi-specular, and glossy components to the Monte Carlo modeling of spectral effective emissivities for nonisothermal cavities. A method for extension of a monochromatic three-component (3C) BRDF model to a continuous spectral range is proposed. The initial data for this method are the BRDFs measured in the plane of incidence at a single wavelength and several incidence angles and directional-hemispherical reflectance measured at one incidence angle within a finite spectral range. We proposed the Monte Carlo algorithm for calculation of spectral effective emissivities for nonisothermal cavities whose internal surface is described by the wavelength-dependent 3C BRDF model. The results obtained for a cylindroconical nonisothermal cavity are discussed and compared with results obtained using the conventional specular-diffuse model.

Sensitivity of MODIS 2.1-(micrometers) Channel for Off-Nadir View Angles for Use in Remote Sensing of Aerosol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, C. K.; King, M. D.; Tsay, S.-C.; Ji, Q.; Arnold, T.

2000-01-01

In this sensitivity study, we examined the ratio technique, the official method for remote sensing of aerosols over land from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) DATA, for view angles from nadir to 65 deg. off-nadir using Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) data collected during the Smoke, Clouds, and Radiation-Brazil (SCAR-B) experiment conducted in 1995. For the data analyzed and for the view angles tested, results seem to suggest that the reflectance (rho)0.47 and (rho)0.67 are predictable from (rho)2.1 using: (rho)0.47 = (rho)2.1/6, which is a slight modification and (rho)0.67 = (rho)2.1/2. These results hold for target viewed from backscattered direction, but not for the forward direction.

A Compact Laboratory Spectro-Goniometer (CLabSpeG) to Assess the BRDF of Materials. Presentation, Calibration and Implementation on Fagus sylvatica L. Leaves

PubMed Central

Biliouris, Dimitrios; Verstraeten, Willem W.; Dutré, Phillip; van Aardt, Jan A.N.; Muys, Bart; Coppin, Pol

2007-01-01

The design and calibration of a new hyperspectral Compact Laboratory Spectro-Goniometer (CLabSpeG) is presented. CLabSpeG effectively measures the bidirectional reflectance Factor (BRF) of a sample, using a halogen light source and an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) spectroradiometer. The apparatus collects 4356 reflectance data readings covering the spectrum from 350 nm to 2500 nm by independent positioning of the sensor, sample holder, and light source. It has an azimuth and zenith resolution of 30 and 15 degrees, respectively. CLabSpeG is used to collect BRF data and extract Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) data of non-isotropic vegetation elements such as bark, soil, and leaves. Accurate calibration has ensured robust geometric accuracy of the apparatus, correction for the conicality of the light source, while sufficient radiometric stability and repeatability between measurements are obtained. The bidirectional reflectance data collection is automated and remotely controlled and takes approximately two and half hours for a BRF measurement cycle over a full hemisphere with 125 cm radius and 2.4 minutes for a single BRF acquisition. A specific protocol for vegetative leaf collection and measurement was established in order to investigate the possibility to extract BRDF values from Fagus sylvatica L. leaves under laboratory conditions. Drying leaf effects induce a reflectance change during the BRF measurements due to the laboratory illumination source. Therefore, the full hemisphere could not be covered with one leaf. Instead 12 BRF measurements per leaf were acquired covering all azimuth positions for a single light source zenith position. Data are collected in radiance format and reflectance is calculated by dividing the leaf cycle measurement with a radiance cycle of a Spectralon reference panel, multiplied by a Spectralon reflectance correction factor and a factor to correct for the conical effect of the light source. BRF results of

Angular dependance of spectral reflection for different materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiefer, Pascal M.

2017-10-01

Parameters like the sun angle as well as the measurement angle mostly are not taken into account when simulating because their influence on the reflectivity is weak. Therefore the impact of a changing measurement and illumination angle on the reflectivity is investigated. Furthermore the impact of humidity and chlorophyll in the scenery is studied by analyzing reflectance spectra of different vegetative background areas. It is shown that the measurement as well as the illumination angle has an important influence on the absolute reflection values which raises the importance of measurements of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF).

A merged surface reflectance product from the Landsat and Sentinel-2 Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermote, E.; Claverie, M.; Masek, J. G.; Becker-Reshef, I.; Justice, C. O.

2013-12-01

This project is aimed at producing a merged surface product from the Landsat and Sentinel-2 missions to ultimately achieve high temporal coverage (~2 days repeat cycle) at high spatial resolution (20-60m). The goal is to achieve a seamless/consistent stream of surface reflectance data from the different sensors. The first part of this presentation discusses the basic requirements of such a product and the necessary processing steps: mainly calibration, atmospheric corrections, BRDF effect corrections, spectral band pass adjustments and gridding. We demonstrate the performance of those different corrections by using MODIS and VIIRS (Climate Modeling Grid at 0.05deg) data globally as well as Formosat-2 (8m spatial resolution) data (one crop site in South of France where 105 scenes were acquired during 2006-2010). The consistency of the surface reflectance product from MODIS and Formosat-2 ranges from 6 to 8% relative depending on the spectral bands (Green to NIR) with a bias between 2% (NIR) to 5% (green), which is acceptable given the cumulated limitation in cross-calibration, atmospheric correction and BRDF correction. The second part is devoted to the simulation of the merged Landsat and Sentinel-2 mission by using Landsat-7, LDCM (early) and SPOT-4 Take 5 dataset. SPOT-4 Take 5 dataset is a collection of 42 sites distributed globally and systematically acquired by SPOT-4 HRV every 5 days during the decommissioning phase of the SPOT4 mission (February-May 2013). Finally, the benefits of such a merged surface reflectance at high spatial and temporal resolution are discussed within the context of the agricultural monitoring, in particular in the perspective of the GEOGLAM (Global Earth Observation for Global Land Agriculture Monitoring) project.

A New Fast Algorithm to Completely Account for Non-Lambertian Surface Reflection of The Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qin, Wen-Han; Herman, Jay R.; Ahmad, Ziauddin; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) influences not only radiance just about the surface, but that emerging from the top of the atmosphere (TOA). In this study we propose a new, fast and accurate, algorithm CASBIR (correction for anisotropic surface bidirectional reflection) to account for such influences on radiance measured above TOA. This new algorithm is based on a 4-stream theory that separates the radiation field into direct and diffuse components in both upwelling and downwelling directions. This is important because the direct component accounts for a substantial portion of incident radiation under a clear sky, and the BRDF effect is strongest in the reflection of the direct radiation reaching the surface. The model is validated by comparison with a full-scale, vector radiation transfer model for the atmosphere-surface system. The result demonstrates that CASBIR performs very well (with overall relative difference of less than one percent) for all solar and viewing zenith and azimuth angles considered in wavelengths from ultraviolet to near-infrared over three typical, but very different surface types. Application of this algorithm includes both accounting for non-Lambertian surface scattering on the emergent radiation above TOA and a potential approach for surface BRDF retrieval from satellite measured radiance.

An Approach for the Long-Term 30-m Land Surface Snow-Free Albedo Retrieval from Historic Landsat Surface Reflectance and MODIS-based A Priori Anisotropy Knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shuai, Yanmin; Masek, Jeffrey G.; Gao, Feng; Schaaf, Crystal B.; He, Tao

2014-01-01

Land surface albedo has been recognized by the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) as an essential climate variable crucial for accurate modeling and monitoring of the Earth's radiative budget. While global climate studies can leverage albedo datasets from MODIS, VIIRS, and other coarse-resolution sensors, many applications in heterogeneous environments can benefit from higher-resolution albedo products derived from Landsat. We previously developed a "MODIS-concurrent" approach for the 30-meter albedo estimation which relied on combining post-2000 Landsat data with MODIS Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) information. Here we present a "pre-MODIS era" approach to extend 30-m surface albedo generation in time back to the 1980s, through an a priori anisotropy Look-Up Table (LUT) built up from the high quality MCD43A BRDF estimates over representative homogenous regions. Each entry in the LUT reflects a unique combination of land cover, seasonality, terrain information, disturbance age and type, and Landsat optical spectral bands. An initial conceptual LUT was created for the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States and provides BRDF shapes estimated from MODIS observations for undisturbed and disturbed surface types (including recovery trajectories of burned areas and non-fire disturbances). By accepting the assumption of a generally invariant BRDF shape for similar land surface structures as a priori information, spectral white-sky and black-sky albedos are derived through albedo-to-nadir reflectance ratios as a bridge between the Landsat and MODIS scale. A further narrow-to-broadband conversion based on radiative transfer simulations is adopted to produce broadband albedos at visible, near infrared, and shortwave regimes.We evaluate the accuracy of resultant Landsat albedo using available field measurements at forested AmeriFlux stations in the PNW region, and examine the consistency of the surface albedo generated by this approach

Characterization of Global Near-Nadir Backscatter for Remote Sensing Radar Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, Michael W.; Long, David G.

2000-01-01

In order to evaluate side-lobe contamination from the near-nadir region for Ku-Band radars, a statistical characterization of global near-nadir backscatter is constructed. This characterization is performed for a variety of surface types using data from TRMM, Seasat, and Topex. An assessment of the relative calibration accuracy of these sensors is also presented.

Characterization of Global Near-Nadir Backscatter for Remote Sensing Radar Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, Michael W.; Long, David G.

2000-01-01

In order to evaluate side-lobe contamination from the near-nadir region for Ku-Band radars, a statistical characterization of global near-nadir backscatter is constructed. This characterization is performed for a variety of surface types using data from TRMM, Seasat, and Topex. An assessment of the relative calibration accuracy of them sensors is also presented.

Initial Studies of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Structures for Stray Light Control Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, J. J.; Tveekrem, J. L.; Quijada, M. A.; Getty, S. A.; Hagopian, J. G.; Georglev, G. T.

2010-01-01

The presentation examines the application of low reflectance surfaces in optical instruments, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), research objects, MWCNT samples, measurement of 8 deg. directional/hemispherical reflectance, measurement of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), and what is current the "blackest ever black".

Modified polarized geometrical attenuation model for bidirectional reflection distribution function based on random surface microfacet theory.

PubMed

Liu, Hong; Zhu, Jingping; Wang, Kai

2015-08-24

The geometrical attenuation model given by Blinn was widely used in the geometrical optics bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models. Blinn's geometrical attenuation model based on symmetrical V-groove assumption and ray scalar theory causes obvious inaccuracies in BRDF curves and negatives the effects of polarization. Aiming at these questions, a modified polarized geometrical attenuation model based on random surface microfacet theory is presented by combining of masking and shadowing effects and polarized effect. The p-polarized, s-polarized and unpolarized geometrical attenuation functions are given in their separate expressions and are validated with experimental data of two samples. It shows that the modified polarized geometrical attenuation function reaches better physical rationality, improves the precision of BRDF model, and widens the applications for different polarization.

Artist Material BRDF Database for Computer Graphics Rendering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashbaugh, Justin C.

The primary goal of this thesis was to create a physical library of artist material samples. This collection provides necessary data for the development of a gonio-imaging system for use in museums to more accurately document their collections. A sample set was produced consisting of 25 panels and containing nearly 600 unique samples. Selected materials are representative of those commonly used by artists both past and present. These take into account the variability in visual appearance resulting from the materials and application techniques used. Five attributes of variability were identified including medium, color, substrate, application technique and overcoat. Combinations of these attributes were selected based on those commonly observed in museum collections and suggested by surveying experts in the field. For each sample material, image data is collected and used to measure an average bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The results are available as a public-domain image and optical database of artist materials at art-si.org. Additionally, the database includes specifications for each sample along with other information useful for computer graphics rendering such as the rectified sample images and normal maps.

TES/Aura L2 Atmospheric Temperatures Nadir V6 (TL2ATMTN)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-18

TES/Aura L2 Atmospheric Temperatures Nadir (TL2ATMTN) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Atmospheric Temperatures Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ... Contact User Services Parameters:  Atmospheric Temperature Temperature Precision Vertical Resolution ...

TES/Aura L2 Atmospheric Temperatures Nadir V6 (TL2TNS)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-22

TES/Aura L2 Atmospheric Temperatures Nadir (TL2TNS) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Atmospheric Temperatures Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ... Contact ASDC User Services Parameters:  Atmospheric Temperature Temperature Precision Vertical Resolution ...

Simulation of laser beam reflection at the sea surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwenger, Frédéric; Repasi, Endre

2011-05-01

A 3D simulation of the reflection of a Gaussian shaped laser beam on the dynamic sea surface is presented. The simulation is suitable for both the calculation of images of SWIR (short wave infrared) imaging sensor and for determination of total detected power of reflected laser light for a bistatic configuration of laser source and receiver at different atmospheric conditions. Our computer simulation comprises the 3D simulation of a maritime scene (open sea/clear sky) and the simulation of laser light reflected at the sea surface. The basic sea surface geometry is modeled by a composition of smooth wind driven gravity waves. The propagation model for water waves is applied for sea surface animation. To predict the view of a camera in the spectral band SWIR the sea surface radiance must be calculated. This is done by considering the emitted sea surface radiance and the reflected sky radiance, calculated by MODTRAN. Additionally, the radiances of laser light specularly reflected at the wind-roughened sea surface are modeled in the SWIR band considering an analytical statistical sea surface BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function). This BRDF model considers the statistical slope statistics of waves and accounts for slope-shadowing of waves that especially occurs at flat incident angles of the laser beam and near horizontal detection angles of reflected irradiance at rough seas. Simulation results are presented showing the variation of the detected laser power dependent on the geometric configuration of laser, sensor and wind characteristics.

Racial Identity and Reflected Appraisals as Influences on Asian Americans' Racial Adjustment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarez, Alvin N.; Helms, Janet E.

2001-01-01

The racial adjustment of Asian American university students (N=188) was assessed to examine the importance of race in their lives. Both racial identity status and reflected appraisals were significantly related to collective self-esteem as one measure of Asian American racial adjustment. Discusses the importance of the counselor's awareness of…

Radiometric Block Adjusment and Digital Radiometric Model Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pros, A.; Colomina, I.; Navarro, J. A.; Antequera, R.; Andrinal, P.

2013-05-01

In this paper we present a radiometric block adjustment method that is related to geometric block adjustment and to the concept of a terrain Digital Radiometric Model (DRM) as a complement to the terrain digital elevation and surface models. A DRM, in our concept, is a function that for each ground point returns a reflectance value and a Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF). In a similar way to the terrain geometric reconstruction procedure, given an image block of some terrain area, we split the DRM generation in two phases: radiometric block adjustment and DRM generation. In the paper we concentrate on the radiometric block adjustment step, but we also describe a preliminary DRM generator. In the block adjustment step, after a radiometric pre-calibraton step, local atmosphere radiative transfer parameters, and ground reflectances and BRDFs at the radiometric tie points are estimated. This radiometric block adjustment is based on atmospheric radiative transfer (ART) models, pre-selected BRDF models and radiometric ground control points. The proposed concept is implemented and applied in an experimental campaign, and the obtained results are presented. The DRM and orthophoto mosaics are generated showing no radiometric differences at the seam lines.

A Compact Laboratory Spectro-Goniometer (CLabSpeG) to Assess the BRDF of Materials. Presentation, Calibration and Implementation on Fagus sylvatica L. Leaves.

PubMed

Biliouris, Dimitrios; Verstraeten, Willem W; Dutré, Phillip; Van Aardt, Jan A N; Muys, Bart; Coppin, Pol

2007-09-07

The design and calibration of a new hyperspectral Compact Laboratory Spectro-Goniometer (CLabSpeG) is presented. CLabSpeG effectively measures the bidirectionalreflectance Factor (BRF) of a sample, using a halogen light source and an AnalyticalSpectral Devices (ASD) spectroradiometer. The apparatus collects 4356 reflectance datareadings covering the spectrum from 350 nm to 2500 nm by independent positioning of thesensor, sample holder, and light source. It has an azimuth and zenith resolution of 30 and15 degrees, respectively. CLabSpeG is used to collect BRF data and extract BidirectionalReflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) data of non-isotropic vegetation elements suchas bark, soil, and leaves. Accurate calibration has ensured robust geometric accuracy of theapparatus, correction for the conicality of the light source, while sufficient radiometricstability and repeatability between measurements are obtained. The bidirectionalreflectance data collection is automated and remotely controlled and takes approximatelytwo and half hours for a BRF measurement cycle over a full hemisphere with 125 cmradius and 2.4 minutes for a single BRF acquisition. A specific protocol for vegetative leafcollection and measurement was established in order to investigate the possibility to extractBRDF values from Fagus sylvatica L. leaves under laboratory conditions. Drying leafeffects induce a reflectance change during the BRF measurements due to the laboratorySensors 2007, 7 1847 illumination source. Therefore, the full hemisphere could not be covered with one leaf. Instead 12 BRF measurements per leaf were acquired covering all azimuth positions for a single light source zenith position. Data are collected in radiance format and reflectance is calculated by dividing the leaf cycle measurement with a radiance cycle of a Spectralon reference panel, multiplied by a Spectralon reflectance correction factor and a factor to correct for the conical effect of the light source. BRF results

Experimental and model based investigation of the links between snow bidirectional reflectance and snow microstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumont, M.; Flin, F.; Malinka, A.; Brissaud, O.; Hagenmuller, P.; Dufour, A.; Lapalus, P.; Lesaffre, B.; Calonne, N.; Rolland du Roscoat, S.; Ando, E.

2017-12-01

Snow optical properties are unique among Earth surface and crucial for a wide range of applications. The bi-directional reflectance, hereafter BRDF, of snow is sensible to snow microstructure. However the complex interplays between different parameters of snow microstructure namely size parameters and shape parameters on reflectance are challenging to disentangle both theoretically and experimentally. An accurate understanding and modelling of snow BRDF is required to correctly process satellite data. BRDF measurements might also provide means of characterizing snow morphology. This study presents one of the very few dataset that combined bi-directional reflectance measurements over 500-2500 nm and X-ray tomography of the snow microstructure for three different snow samples and two snow types. The dataset is used to evaluate the approach from Malinka, 2014 that relates snow optical properties to the chord length distribution in the snow microstructure. For low and medium absorption, the model accurately reproduces the measurements but tends to slightly overestimate the anisotropy of the reflectance. The model indicates that the deviation of the ice chord length distribution from an exponential distribution, that can be understood as a characterization of snow types, does not impact the reflectance for such absorptions. The simulations are also impacted by the uncertainties in the ice refractive index values. At high absorption and high viewing/incident zenith angle, the simulations and the measurements disagree indicating that some of the assumptions made in the model are not met anymore. The study also indicates that crystal habits might play a significant role for the reflectance under such geometries and wavelengths. However quantitative relationship between crystal habits and reflectance alongside with potential optical methodologies to classify snow morphology would require an extended dataset over more snow types. This extended dataset can likely be obtained

Modeling and simulation of the solar concentrator in photovoltaic systems through the application of a new BRDF function model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plachta, Kamil

2016-04-01

The paper presents a new algorithm that uses a combination of two models of BRDF functions: Torrance-Sparrow model and HTSG model. The knowledge of technical parameters of a surface is especially useful in the construction of the solar concentrator. The concentrator directs the reflected solar radiation on the surface of photovoltaic panels, increasing the amount of incident radiance. The software applying algorithm allows to calculate surface parameters of the solar concentrator. Performed simulation showing the share of diffuse component and directional component in reflected stream for surfaces made from particular materials. The impact of share of each component in reflected stream on the efficiency of the solar concentrator and photovoltaic surface has also been described. Subsequently, simulation change the value of voltage, current and power output of monocrystalline photovoltaic panels installed in a solar concentrator system has been made for selected surface of materials solar concentrator.

Retrieval of Understory NDVI in Sparse Boreal Forests By MODIS Brdf Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, W.; Kobayashi, H.; Suzuki, R.; Nasahara, K. N.

2014-12-01

Global products of leaf area index (LAI) usually show large uncertainties in sparsely vegetated areas. The reason is that the understory contribution is not negligible in reflectance modeling for the case of low to intermediate canopy cover. Therefore many efforts have been carried out on inclusion of understory properties in the LAI estimation algorithms. Compared with conventional data bank method, estimation of forest understory property from satellite data is superior in the studies at global or continental scale during a long periods. However, the existing remote sensing method based on multi-angular observations is very complicated to implement. Alternatively, a simple method to retrieve understory NDVI (NDVIu) for sparse boreal forests was proposed in this study. The method is based on the property that the bi-directional variation of NDVIu is much smaller than that of the canopy-level NDVI. To retrieve NDVIu for a certain pixel, linear extrapolation was applied using the pixels within a 5×5 target-pixel-centered window. The NDVI values were reconstructed from the MODIS BRDF data corresponding to eight different solar-view angles. NDVIu was estimated as the average of the NDVI values corresponding to the position where the stand NDVI has the smallest angular variation. Validation by noise-free simulation dataset yielded high agreement between estimated and true NDVIu with R2 and RMSE of 0.99 and 0.03, respectively. By the MODIS BRDF data, we got the estimate of NDVIu close to the in situ measured value (0.61 vs. 0.66 for estimate and measurement, respectively), and also reasonable seasonal patterns of NDVIu in 2010-2013. The results imply a potential application of the retrieved NDVIu to improve the estimation of overstory LAI for sparse boreal forests.

Measuring spatially varying, multispectral, ultraviolet bidirectional reflectance distribution function with an imaging spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongsong; Lyu, Hang; Liao, Ningfang; Wu, Wenmin

2016-12-01

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data in the ultraviolet (UV) band are valuable for many applications including cultural heritage, material analysis, surface characterization, and trace detection. We present a BRDF measurement instrument working in the near- and middle-UV spectral range. The instrument includes a collimated UV light source, a rotation stage, a UV imaging spectrometer, and a control computer. The data captured by the proposed instrument describe spatial, spectral, and angular variations of the light scattering from a sample surface. Such a multidimensional dataset of an example sample is captured by the proposed instrument and analyzed by a k-mean clustering algorithm to separate surface regions with same material but different surface roughnesses. The clustering results show that the angular dimension of the dataset can be exploited for surface roughness characterization. The two clustered BRDFs are fitted to a theoretical BRDF model. The fitting results show good agreement between the measurement data and the theoretical model.

Dependence on Solar Phase Angle and Grain Size of the Spectral Reflectance of the Railroad Valley Playa for GOSAT/GOSAT-2 Vicarious Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, T.; Matsunaga, T.

2017-12-01

GOSAT and the next generation GOSAT-2 satellites estimate the concentration of greenhouse gasses, and distribution of aerosol and cloud to observe solar light reflection and radiation from surface and atmosphere of the Earth. Precise information of the surface and the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) are required for the estimation because the surface reflectance of solar light varies with the observation geometry and the surface condition. The purpose of this study is to search an appropriate BRDF model of the GOSAT calibration site (Railroad Valley playa). In 2017, JAXA, NIES, and NASA/OCO-2 teams collaboratively performed 9th vicarious experiments by the simultaneous observation with GOSAT, OCO-2, and ground-based equipment (Kuze et al., 2014) at the Railroad Valley from June 25 to 30. We performed the BRDF measurement to observe solar light reflection by varying with observed angles using a spectroradiometer (FieldSpec4, ASD Inc.) mounted on a one-axis goniometer. The surface sand was shifted to several sizes of grain (75, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 μm), which was measured for the limited area of 5mm diameter with a collimating lens (74-UV, OceanOptics). The BRDF parameters for the observed reflectance were determined by the least squares fitting with the free parameters of a single scattering albedo and an asymmetric factor (Hapke, 2012) for the ultraviolet to near infrared wavelength bands of GOSAT. The resulting value of the single scattering albedo increased with decreasing the grain size of the sands. The observed reflectance of the fine grain sands (below 250 μm) is not varied with observed phase angles (solar incident light - surface sand - detector) as a Lambertian reflectance, but the spectra of coarse grain sands (above 500 μm) are varied with the observation angles. Therefore, a priori information of the target surface such as grain size is required for the determination of the precise reflectance of the target.

Laboratory Measurement of Bidirectional Reflectance of Radiometric Tarps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowlton, Kelly

2006-01-01

Objectives: a) To determine the magnitude of radiometric tarp BRDF; b) To determine whether an ASD FieldSpec Pro spectroradiometer can be used to perform the experiment. Radiometric tarps with nominal reflectance values of 52%, 35%, and 3.5%, deployed for IKONOS. QuickBird, and OrbView-3 overpasses Ground-based spectroradiometric measurements of tarp and Spectralon@ panel taken during overpass using ASD FieldSpec Pro spectroradiometer, and tarp reflectance calculated. Reflectance data used in atmospheric radiative transfer model (MODTRAN) to predict satellite at-sensor radiance for radiometric calibration. Reflectance data also used to validate atmospheric correction of high-spatial-resolution multispectral image products

Synthesis and Analysis of Custom Bi-directional Reflectivity Distribution Functions in DIRSIG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dank, J.; Allen, D.

2016-09-01

The bi-directional reflectivity distribution (BRDF) function is a fundamental optical property of materials, characterizing important properties of light scattered by a surface. For accurate radiance calculations using synthetic targets and numerical simulations such as the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) model, fidelity of the target BRDFs is critical. While fits to measured BRDF data can be used in DIRSIG, obtaining high-quality data over a large spectral continuum can be time-consuming and expensive, requiring significant investment in illumination sources, sensors, and other specialized hardware. As a consequence, numerous parametric BRDF models are available to approximate actual behavior; but these all have shortcomings. Further, DIRSIG doesn't allow direct visualization of BRDFs, making it difficult for the user to understand the numerical impact of various models. Here, we discuss the innovative use of "mixture maps" to synthesize custom BRDFs as linear combinations of parametric models and measured data. We also show how DIRSIG's interactive mode can be used to visualize and analyze both available parametric models currently used in DIRSIG and custom BRDFs developed using our methods.

Constraining the physical properties of Titan's empty lake basins using nadir and off-nadir Cassini RADAR backscatter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaelides, R. J.; Hayes, A. G.; Mastrogiuseppe, M.; Zebker, H. A.; Farr, T. G.; Malaska, M. J.; Poggiali, V.; Mullen, J. P.

2016-05-01

We use repeat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations and complementary altimetry passes acquired by the Cassini spacecraft to study the scattering properties of Titan's empty lake basins. The best-fit coefficients from fitting SAR data to a quasi-specular plus diffuse backscatter model suggest that the bright basin floors have a higher dielectric constant, but similar facet-scale rms surface facet slopes, to surrounding terrain. Waveform analysis of altimetry returns reveals that nadir backscatter returns from basin floors are greater than nadir backscatter returns from basin surroundings and have narrower pulse widths. This suggests that floor deposits are structurally distinct from their surroundings, consistent with the interpretation that some of these basins may be filled with evaporitic and/or sedimentary deposits. Basin floor deposits also express a larger diffuse component to their backscatter, which is likely due to variations in subsurface structure or an increase in roughness at the wavelength scale (Hayes, A.G. et al. [2008]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, 9). We generate a high-resolution altimetry radargram of the T30 altimetry pass over an empty lake basin, with which we place geometric constraints on the basin's slopes, rim heights, and depth. Finally, the importance of these backscatter observations and geometric measurements for basin formation mechanisms is briefly discussed.

Sun-view angle effects on reflectance factors of corn canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. J.; Daughtry, C. S. T.; Biehl, L. L.; Bauer, M. E.

1985-01-01

The effects of sun and view angles on reflectance factors of corn (Zea mays L.) canopies ranging from the six leaf stage to harvest maturity were studied on the Purdue University Agronomy Farm by a multiband radiometer. The two methods of acquiring spectral data, the truck system and the tower systrem, are described. The analysis of the spectral data is presented in three parts: solar angle effects on reflectance factors viewed at nadir; solar angle effects on reflectance factors viewed at a fixed sun angle; and both sun and view angles effect on reflectance factors. The analysis revealed that for nadir-viewed reflectance factors there is a strong solar angle dependence in all spectral bands for canopies with low leaf area index. Reflectance factors observed from the sun angle at different view azimuth angles showed that the position of the sensor relative to the sun is important in determining angular reflectance characteristics. For both sun and view angles, reflectance factors are maximized when the sensor view direction is towards the sun.

Reflective properties of randomly rough surfaces under large incidence angles.

PubMed

Qiu, J; Zhang, W J; Liu, L H; Hsu, P-f; Liu, L J

2014-06-01

The reflective properties of randomly rough surfaces at large incidence angles have been reported due to their potential applications in some of the radiative heat transfer research areas. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the formation mechanism of the specular reflection peak of rough surfaces at large incidence angles. The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of rough aluminum surfaces with different roughnesses at different incident angles is measured by a three-axis automated scatterometer. This study used a validated and accurate computational model, the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) method, to compare and analyze the measurement BRDF results. It is found that the RCWA results show the same trend of specular peak as the measurement. This paper mainly focuses on the relative roughness at the range of 0.16<σ/λ<5.35. As the relative roughness decreases, the specular peak enhancement dramatically increases and the scattering region significantly reduces, especially under large incidence angles. The RCWA and the Rayleigh criterion results have been compared, showing that the relative error of the total integrated scatter increases as the roughness of the surface increases at large incidence angles. In addition, the zero-order diffractive power calculated by RCWA and the reflectance calculated by Fresnel equations are compared. The comparison shows that the relative error declines sharply when the incident angle is large and the roughness is small.

SVBRDF-Invariant Shape and Reflectance Estimation from a Light-Field Camera.

PubMed

Wang, Ting-Chun; Chandraker, Manmohan; Efros, Alexei A; Ramamoorthi, Ravi

2018-03-01

Light-field cameras have recently emerged as a powerful tool for one-shot passive 3D shape capture. However, obtaining the shape of glossy objects like metals or plastics remains challenging, since standard Lambertian cues like photo-consistency cannot be easily applied. In this paper, we derive a spatially-varying (SV)BRDF-invariant theory for recovering 3D shape and reflectance from light-field cameras. Our key theoretical insight is a novel analysis of diffuse plus single-lobe SVBRDFs under a light-field setup. We show that, although direct shape recovery is not possible, an equation relating depths and normals can still be derived. Using this equation, we then propose using a polynomial (quadratic) shape prior to resolve the shape ambiguity. Once shape is estimated, we also recover the reflectance. We present extensive synthetic data on the entire MERL BRDF dataset, as well as a number of real examples to validate the theory, where we simultaneously recover shape and BRDFs from a single image taken with a Lytro Illum camera.

Normalization of multidirectional red and NIR reflectances with the SAVI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huete, A. R.; Hua, G.; Qi, J.; Chehbouni, A.; Van Leeuwen, W. J. D.

1992-01-01

Directional reflectance measurements were made over a semi-desert gramma grassland at various times of the growing season. View angle measurements from +40 to -40 degrees were made at various solar zenith angles and soil moisture conditions. The sensitivity of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) to bidirectional measurements was assessed for purposes of improving remote temporal monitoring of vegetation dynamics. The SAVI view angle response was found to be symmetric about nadir while the NDVI response was strongly anisotropic. This enabled the view angle behavior of the SAVI to be normalized with a cosine function. In contrast to the NDVI, the SAVI was able to minimize soil moisture and shadow influences for all measurement conditions.

Radiative Properties of Smoke and Aerosol Over Land Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, Michael D.

2000-01-01

This talk discusses smoke and aerosol's radiative properties with particular attention to distinguishing the measurement over clear sky from clouds over land, sea, snow, etc. surfaces, using MODIS Airborne Simulator data from (Brazil, arctic sea ice and tundra and southern Africa, west Africa, and other ecosystems. This talk also discusses the surface bidirectional reflectance using Cloud Absorption Radiometer, BRDF measurements of Saudi Arabian desert, Persian Gulf, cerrado and rain forests in Brazil, sea ice, tundra, Atlantic Ocean, Great Dismal Swamp, Kuwait oil fire smoke. Recent upgrades to instrument (new TOMS UVA channels at 340 and 380 planned use in Africa (SAFARI 2000) and possibly for MEIDEX will also be discussed. This talk also plans to discuss the spectral variation of surface reflectance over land and the sensitivity of off-nadir view angles to correlation between visible near-infrared reflectance for use in remote sensing of aerosol over land.

Polarimetric phenomenology in the reflective regime: a case study using polarized hyperspectral data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibney, Mark

2016-05-01

Understanding the phenomenology of polarimetric data is necessary if we want to obtain the maximum benefit when we exploit that data. To first order, polarimetric phenomenology is driven by two things; the target material type (specular or diffuse) and the illuminating source (point (sun) or extended (body emission)). Polarimetric phenomenology can then be broken into three basic categories; ([specular material/sun source], [diffuse/sun], [specular/body]) where we have assigned body emission to the IR passband where materials are generally specular. The task of interest determines the category of interest since the task determines the dominant target material and the illuminating source (eg detecting diffuse targets under trees in VNIR = [diffuse/sun] category). In this paper, a specific case study for the important [diffuse/sun] category will be presented. For the reflective regime (0.3 - 3.0um), the largest polarimetric signal is obtained when the sun illuminates a significant portion of the material BRDF lobe. This naturally points us to problems whose primary target materials are diffuse since the BRDF lobe for specular materials is tiny (low probability of acquiring on the BRDF lobe) and glinty (high probability of saturating the sensor when on lobe). In this case study, we investigated signatures of solar illuminated diffuse paints acquired by a polarimetric hyperspectral sensor. We will discuss the acquisition, reduction and exploitation of that data, and use it to illustrate the primary characteristics of reflective polarimetric phenomenology.

A sea surface reflectance model for (A)ATSR, and application to aerosol retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayer, A. M.; Thomas, G. E.; Grainger, R. G.

2010-07-01

A model of the sea surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is presented for the visible and near-IR channels (over the spectral range 550 nm to 1.6 μm) of the dual-viewing Along-Track Scanning Radiometers (ATSRs). The intended application is as part of the Oxford-RAL Aerosols and Clouds (ORAC) retrieval scheme. The model accounts for contributions to the observed reflectance from whitecaps, sun-glint and underlight. Uncertainties in the parametrisations used in the BRDF model are propagated through into the forward model and retrieved state. The new BRDF model offers improved coverage over previous methods, as retrievals are possible into the sun-glint region, through the ATSR dual-viewing system. The new model has been applied in the ORAC aerosol retrieval algorithm to process Advanced ATSR (AATSR) data from September 2004 over the south-eastern Pacific. The assumed error budget is shown to be generally appropriate, meaning the retrieved states are consistent with the measurements and a priori assumptions. The resulting field of aerosol optical depth (AOD) is compared with colocated MODIS-Terra observations, AERONET observations at Tahiti, and cruises over the oceanic region. MODIS and AATSR show similar spatial distributions of AOD, although MODIS reports values which are larger and more variable. It is suggested that assumptions in the MODIS aerosol retrieval algorithm may lead to a positive bias in MODIS AOD of order 0.01 at 550 nm over ocean regions where the wind speed is high.

A sea surface reflectance model for (A)ATSR, and application to aerosol retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayer, A. M.; Thomas, G. E.; Grainger, R. G.

2010-03-01

A model of the sea surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is presented for the visible and near-IR channels (over the spectral range 550 nm to 1.6 μm) of the dual-viewing Along-Track Scanning Radiometers (ATSRs). The intended application is as part of the Oxford-RAL Aerosols and Clouds (ORAC) retrieval scheme. The model accounts for contributions to the observed reflectance from whitecaps, sun-glint and underlight. Uncertainties in the parametrisations used in the BRDF model are propagated through into the forward model and retrieved state. The new BRDF model offers improved coverage over previous methods, as retrievals are possible into the sun-glint region, through the ATSR dual-viewing system. The new model has been applied in the ORAC aerosol retrieval algorithm to process Advanced ATSR (AATSR) data from September 2004 over the south-eastern Pacific. The assumed error budget is shown to be generally appropriate, meaning the retrieved states are consistent with the measurements and a priori assumptions. The resulting field of aerosol optical depth (AOD) is compared with colocated MODIS-Terra observations, AERONET observations at Tahiti, and cruises over the oceanic region. MODIS and AATSR show similar spatial distributions of AOD, although MODIS reports values which are larger and more variable. It is suggested that assumptions in the MODIS aerosol retrieval algorithm may lead to a positive bias in MODIS AOD of order 0.01 at 550 nm over ocean regions where the wind speed is high.

Laser pulse bidirectional reflectance from CALIPSO mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xiaomei; Hu, Yongxiang; Yang, Yuekui; Vaughan, Mark; Liu, Zhaoyan; Rodier, Sharon; Hunt, William; Powell, Kathy; Lucker, Patricia; Trepte, Charles

2018-06-01

This paper presents an innovative retrieval method that translates the CALIOP land surface laser pulse returns into the surface bidirectional reflectance. To better analyze the surface returns, the CALIOP receiver impulse response and the downlinked samples' distribution at 30 m vertical resolution are discussed. The saturated laser pulse magnitudes from snow and ice surfaces are recovered based on information extracted from the tail end of the surface signal. The retrieved snow surface bidirectional reflectance is compared with reflectance from both CALIOP cloud-covered regions and MODIS BRDF-albedo model parameters. In addition to the surface bidirectional reflectance, the column top-of-atmosphere bidirectional reflectances are calculated from the CALIOP lidar background data and compared with the bidirectional reflectances derived from WFC radiance measurements. The retrieved CALIOP surface bidirectional reflectance and column top-of-atmosphere bidirectional reflectance results provide unique information to complement existing MODIS standard data products and are expected to have valuable applications for modelers.

Estimation of Crop Gross Primary Production (GPP): I. Impact of MODIS Observation Footprint and Impact of Vegetation BRDF Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Qingyuan; Cheng, Yen-Ben; Lyapustin, Alexei I.; Wang, Yujie; Xiao, Xiangming; Suyker, Andrew; Verma, Shashi; Tan, Bin; Middleton, Elizabeth M.

2014-01-01

Accurate estimation of gross primary production (GPP) is essential for carbon cycle and climate change studies. Three AmeriFlux crop sites of maize and soybean were selected for this study. Two of the sites were irrigated and the other one was rainfed. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), the green band chlorophyll index (CIgreen), and the green band wide dynamic range vegetation index (WDRVIgreen) were computed from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance data. We examined the impacts of the MODIS observation footprint and the vegetation bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) on crop daily GPP estimation with the four spectral vegetation indices (VIs - NDVI, EVI, WDRVIgreen and CIgreen) where GPP was predicted with two linear models, with and without offset: GPP = a × VI × PAR and GPP = a × VI × PAR + b. Model performance was evaluated with coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and coefficient of variation (CV). The MODIS data were filtered into four categories and four experiments were conducted to assess the impacts. The first experiment included all observations. The second experiment only included observations with view zenith angle (VZA) = 35? to constrain growth of the footprint size,which achieved a better grid cell match with the agricultural fields. The third experiment included only forward scatter observations with VZA = 35?. The fourth experiment included only backscatter observations with VZA = 35?. Overall, the EVI yielded the most consistently strong relationships to daily GPP under all examined conditions. The model GPP = a × VI × PAR + b had better performance than the model GPP = a × VI × PAR, and the offset was significant for most cases. Better performance was obtained for the irrigated field than its counterpart rainfed field. Comparison of experiment 2 vs. experiment 1 was used to examine the observation

A test of the Suits vegetative-canopy reflectance model with LARS soybean-canopy reflectance data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chance, J. E.; Lemaster, E. W.

1985-01-01

The Suits vegetative-canopy reflectance model is tested with an extensive set of field reflectance measurements made by the Laboratory for Application of Remote Sensing (LARS) for soybean canopies. The model is tested for the full hemisphere of observer directions as well as the nadir direction. The results show moderate agreement for the visible channels of the Landsat MSS and poor agreement in the near-infrared channel of Landsat MSS. An analysis of errors is given.

TES/Aura L2 Ozone (O3) Nadir V6 (TL2O3NS)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-22

TES/Aura L2 Ozone (O3) Nadir (TL2O3NS) News:  TES News Join ... Project Title:  TES Discipline:  Tropospheric Composition Version:  V6 Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Ozone Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ...

TES/Aura L2 Ozone (O3) Nadir V6 (TL2O3N)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-18

TES/Aura L2 Ozone (O3) Nadir (TL2O3N) News:  TES News Join ... Project Title:  TES Discipline:  Tropospheric Composition Version:  V6 Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Ozone Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ...

Correlation of pretreatment clinical parameters and PSA nadir after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for localised prostate cancer.

PubMed

Ganzer, Roman; Bründl, Johannes; Koch, Daniel; Wieland, Wolf F; Burger, Maximilian; Blana, Andreas

2015-01-01

To determine which pretreatment clinical parameters were predictive of a low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir following high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment. Retrospective study of patients with clinically localised prostate cancer undergoing HIFU at a single centre between December 1997 and September 2009. Whole-gland treatment was applied. Patients also included if they had previously undergone transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). TURP was also conducted simultaneously to HIFU. Biochemical failure based on Phoenix definition (PSA nadir + 2). Univariate and multivariate analysis of pretreatment clinical parameters conducted to assess those factors predictive of a PSA nadir ≤0.2 and >0.2 ng/ml. Mean (SD) follow-up was 6.2 (2.8) years; median (range) was 6.3 (1.1-12.2) years. Kaplan-Meier estimate of biochemical disease-free survival rate at 8 years was 83 and 48 % for patients achieving a PSA nadir of ≤0.2 and >0.2 ng/ml, respectively. Prostate volume and incidental finding of cancer were significant predictors of low PSA nadir (≤0.2 ng/ml). Prostate volume and incidental finding of cancer could be predictors for oncologic success of HIFU based on post-treatment PSA nadir.

TES/Aura L2 Ammonia (NH3) Nadir V6 (TL2NH3N)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-18

TES/Aura L2 Ammonia (NH3) Nadir (TL2NH3N) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Instrument:  TES/Aura L2 Ammonia Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ... Contact User Services Parameters:  Ammonia Legacy:  Retired data product , click here for ...

TES/Aura L2 Ammonia (NH3) Nadir V6 (TL2NH3NS)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-22

TES/Aura L2 Ammonia (NH3) Nadir (TL2NH3NS) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Ammonia Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ... Contact ASDC User Services Parameters:  Ammonia Legacy:  Retired data product , click here for ...

An assessment of thin cloud detection by applying bidirectional reflectance distribution function model-based background surface reflectance using Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI): A case study for South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hye-Won; Yeom, Jong-Min; Shin, Daegeun; Choi, Sungwon; Han, Kyung-Soo; Roujean, Jean-Louis

2017-08-01

In this study, a new assessment of thin cloud detection with the application of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model-based background surface reflectance was undertaken by interpreting surface spectra characterized using the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) over a land surface area. Unlike cloud detection over the ocean, the detection of cloud over land surfaces is difficult due to the complicated surface scattering characteristics, which vary among land surface types. Furthermore, in the case of thin clouds, in which the surface and cloud radiation are mixed, it is difficult to detect the clouds in both land and atmospheric fields. Therefore, to interpret background surface reflectance, especially underneath cloud, the semiempirical BRDF model was used to simulate surface reflectance by reflecting solar angle-dependent geostationary sensor geometry. For quantitative validation, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data were used to make a comparison with the proposed cloud masking result. As a result, the new cloud masking scheme resulted in a high probability of detection (POD = 0.82) compared with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (POD = 0.808) for all cloud cases. In particular, the agreement between the CALIPSO cloud product and new GOCI cloud mask was over 94% when detecting thin cloud (e.g., altostratus and cirrus) from January 2014 to June 2015. This result is relatively high in comparison with the result from the MODIS Collection 6 cloud mask product (MYD35).

New Archiving Distributed InfrastructuRe (NADIR): Status and Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marco, M.; Knapic, C.; Smareglia, R.

2015-09-01

The New Archiving Distributed InfrastructuRe (NADIR) has been developed at INAF-OATs IA2 (Italian National Institute for Astrophysics - Astronomical Observatory of Trieste, Italian center of Astronomical Archives), as an evolution of the previous archiving and distribution system, used on several telescopes (LBT, TNG, Asiago, etc.) to improve performance, efficiency and reliability. At the present, NADIR system is running on LBT telescope and Vespa (Italian telescopes network for outreach) Ramella et al. (2014), and will be used on TNG, Asiago and IRA (Istituto Radio Astronomia) archives of Medicina, Noto and SRT radio telescopes Zanichelli et al. (2014) as the data models for radio data will be ready. This paper will discuss the progress status, the architectural choices and the solutions adopted, during the development and the commissioning phase of the project. A special attention will be given to the LBT case, due to some critical aspect of data flow and policies and standards compliance, adopted by the LBT organization.

Reflectance-Based Sensor Validation Over Ice Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaross, Glen; Dodge, James C. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

During this period work was performed in the following areas. These areas are defined in the Work Schedule presented in the original proposal: BRDF development, Data acquisition and processing, THR Table generation and Presentations and Publications. BRDF development involves creating and/or modifying a reflectance model of the Antarctic surface. This model must, for a temporal and spatial average, be representative of the East Antarctic plateau and be expressed in terms of the three standard surface angles: solar zenith angle (SolZA), view zenith angle (SatZA), and relative azimuth angle (RelAZ). We successfully acquired a limited amount of NOAA-9 AVHRR data for radiance validation. The data were obtained from the Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics at Goddard Space Flight Center. We developed our own reading and unpacking software, which we used to select Channel 1 data (visible). We then applied geographic subsetting criteria (same as used for TOMS), and wrote only the relevant data to packed binary files. We proceeded with analysis of these data, which is not yet complete.

Calibrating nadir striped artifacts in a multibeam backscatter image using the equal mean-variance fitting model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fanlin; Zhao, Chunxia; Zhang, Kai; Feng, Chengkai; Ma, Yue

2017-07-01

Acoustic seafloor classification with multibeam backscatter measurements is an attractive approach for mapping seafloor properties over a large area. However, artifacts in the multibeam backscatter measurements prevent accurate characterization of the seafloor. In particular, the backscatter level is extremely strong and highly variable in the near-nadir region due to the specular echo phenomenon. Consequently, striped artifacts emerge in the backscatter image, which can degrade the classification accuracy. This study focuses on the striped artifacts in multibeam backscatter images. To this end, a calibration algorithm based on equal mean-variance fitting is developed. By fitting the local shape of the angular response curve, the striped artifacts are compressed and moved according to the relations between the mean and variance in the near-nadir and off-nadir region. The algorithm utilized the measured data of near-nadir region and retained the basic shape of the response curve. The experimental results verify the high performance of the proposed method.

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function based surface modeling of non-Lambertian using intensity data of light detection and ranging.

PubMed

Li, Xiaolu; Liang, Yu; Xu, Lijun

2014-09-01

To provide a credible model for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) target classification, the focus of this study is on the relationship between intensity data of LiDAR and the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). An integration method based on the built-in-lab coaxial laser detection system was advanced. A kind of intermediary BRDF model advanced by Schlick was introduced into the integration method, considering diffuse and specular backscattering characteristics of the surface. A group of measurement campaigns were carried out to investigate the influence of the incident angle and detection range on the measured intensity data. Two extracted parameters r and S(λ) are influenced by different surface features, which illustrate the surface features of the distribution and magnitude of reflected energy, respectively. The combination of two parameters can be used to describe the surface characteristics for target classification in a more plausible way.

26 CFR 1.312-9 - Adjustments to earnings and profits reflecting increase in value accrued before March 1, 1913.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Adjustments to earnings and profits reflecting... § 1.312-9 Adjustments to earnings and profits reflecting increase in value accrued before March 1..., that part of the earnings and profits which is represented by increase in value of property accrued...

Using Nadir and Directional Emissivity as a Probe of Particle Microphysical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitman, Karly M.; Wolff, Michael J.; Bandfield, Joshua L.; Clayton, Geoffrey C.

Real surfaces are not expected to be diffuse emitters, thus observed emissivity values of surface dust deposits are a function of viewing geometry. Attempts to model infrared emission spectral profiles of surface dust deposits at nadir have not yet matured to match the sophistication of astrophysical dust radiative transfer codes. In the absence of strong thermal gradients, directional emissivity may be obtained theoretically via a combination of reciprocity and Kirchhoff's Law. Owing to a lack of laboratory data on directional emissivity for comparison, theorists have not explored the potential utility of directional emissivity as a direct probe of surface dust microphysical properties. Motivated by future analyses of MGS/TES emission phase function (EPF) sequences and the upcoming Mars Exploration Rover mini-TES dataset, we explore the effects of dust particle size and composition on observed radiances at nadir and off-nadir geometries in the TES spectral regime using a combination of multiple scattering radiative transfer and Mie scattering algorithms. Comparisons of these simulated spectra to laboratory spectra of standard mineral assemblages will also be made. This work is supported through NASA grant NAGS-9820 (MJW) and LSU Board of Regents (KMP).

Estimation of Canopy Clumping Index From MISR and MODIS Sensors Using the Normalized Difference Hotspot and Darkspot (NDHD) Method: The Influence of BRDF Models and Solar Zenith Angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, S.; Fang, H.

2016-12-01

The Clumping index (CI) describes the spatial distribution pattern of foliage, and is a critical parameter used to characterize the terrestrial ecosystem and model land-surface processes. Global and regional scale CI maps have been generated from POLDER, MODIS, and MISR sensors based on an empirical relationship with the normalized difference between hotspot and darkspot (NDHD) index by previous studies. However, the hotspot and darkspot values and CI values can be considerably different from different bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models and solar zenith angles (SZA). In this study, we evaluated the effects of different configurations of BRDF models and SZA values on CI estimation using the NDHD method. CI maps estimated from MISR and MODIS were compared with reference data at the VALERI sites. Results show that for moderate to least clumped vegetation (CI > 0.5), CIs retrieved with the observational SZA agree well with field values, while SZA =0° results in underestimates, and SZA = 60° results in overestimates. For highly clumped (CI < 0.5) and sparsely vegetated areas (FCOVER<25%), the Ross-Li model with 60° SZA is recommended for CI estimation. The suitable NDHD configuration was further used to estimate a 15-year time series CI from MODIS BRDF data. The time series CI shows a reasonable seasonal trajectory, and varies consistently with the MODIS leaf area index (LAI). This study enables better usage of the NDHD method for CI estimation, and can be a useful reference for research on CI validation.

A theory of frequency domain invariants: spherical harmonic identities for BRDF/lighting transfer and image consistency.

PubMed

Mahajan, Dhruv; Ramamoorthi, Ravi; Curless, Brian

2008-02-01

This paper develops a theory of frequency domain invariants in computer vision. We derive novel identities using spherical harmonics, which are the angular frequency domain analog to common spatial domain invariants such as reflectance ratios. These invariants are derived from the spherical harmonic convolution framework for reflection from a curved surface. Our identities apply in a number of canonical cases, including single and multiple images of objects under the same and different lighting conditions. One important case we consider is two different glossy objects in two different lighting environments. For this case, we derive a novel identity, independent of the specific lighting configurations or BRDFs, that allows us to directly estimate the fourth image if the other three are available. The identity can also be used as an invariant to detecttampering in the images. While this paper is primarily theoretical, it has the potential to lay the mathematical foundations for two important practical applications. First, we can develop more general algorithms for inverse rendering problems, which can directly relight and change material properties by transferring the BRDF or lighting from another object or illumination. Second, we can check the consistency of an image, to detect tampering or image splicing.

A Preliminary Formation Flying Orbit Dynamics Analysis for Leonardo-BRDF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.; Mailhe, Laurie M.

2001-01-01

Leonardo-BRDF is a new NASA mission concept proposed to allow the investigation of radiative transfer and its effect on the Earth's climate and atmospheric phenomenon. Enabled by the recent developments in small-satellite and formation flying technology, the mission is envisioned to be composed of an array of spacecraft in carefully designed orbits. The different perspectives provided by a distributed array of spacecraft offer a unique advantage to study the Earth's albedo. This paper presents the flight dynamics analysis performed in the context of the Leonardo-BRDF science requirements. First, the albedo integral is investigated and the effect of viewing geometry on science return is studied. The method used in this paper, based on Gauss quadrature, provides the optimal formation geometry to ensure that the value of the integral is accurately approximated. An orbit design approach is presented to achieve specific relative orbit geometries while simultaneously satisfying orbit dynamics constraints to reduce formation-keeping fuel expenditure. The relative geometry afforded by the design is discussed in terms of mission requirements. An optimal Lambert initialization scheme is presented with the required DeltaV to distribute all spacecraft from a common parking orbit into their appropriate orbits in the formation. Finally, formation-keeping strategies are developed and the associated DeltaV's are calculated to maintain the formation in the presence of perturbations.

A Preliminary Formation Flying Orbit Dynamics Analysis for Leonardo-BRDF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, Steven P.; Mailhe, Laurie M.

2001-01-01

Leonardo-BRDF is a NASA mission concept proposed to allow the investigation of radiative transfer and its effect on the Earth's climate and atmospheric phenomenon. Enabled by the recent developments in small-satellite and formation flying technology, the mission is envisioned to be composed of an array of spacecraft in carefully designed orbits. The different perspectives provided by a distributed array of spacecraft offer a unique advantage to study the Earth's albedo. This paper presents the orbit dynamics analysis performed in the context of the Leonardo-BRDF science requirements. First, the albedo integral is investigated and the effect of viewing geometry on science return is studied. The method used in this paper, based on Gauss quadrature, provides the optimal formation geometry to ensure that the value of the integral is accurately approximated. An orbit design approach is presented to achieve specific relative orbit geometries while simultaneously satisfying orbit dynamics constraints to reduce formation-keeping fuel expenditure. The relative geometry afforded by the design is discussed in terms of mission requirements. An optimal two-burn initialization scheme is presented with the required delta-V to distribute all spacecraft from a common parking orbit into their appropriate orbits in the formation. Finally, formation-keeping strategies are developed and the associated delta-V's are calculated to maintain the formation in the presence of perturbations.

TES/Aura L2 Ammonia (NH3) Lite Nadir V6 (TL2NH3LN)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2017-07-20

TES/Aura L2 Ammonia (NH3) Lite Nadir (TL2NH3LN) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Instrument:  TES/Aura L2 Ammonia Spatial Coverage:  5.3 km nadir Spatial ... OPeNDAP Access:  OPeNDAP Parameters:  Ammonia Order Data:  Earthdata Search:   Order Data ...

TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nadir V6 (TL2CO2N)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-18

TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nadir (TL2CO2N) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide Spatial Coverage:  5.2 x 8.5 km nadir ... Contact User Services Parameters:  Carbon Dioxide Legacy:  Retired data product , click here ...

TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nadir V6 (TL2CO2NS)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-22

TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nadir (TL2CO2NS) News:  TES News ... Level:  L2 Platform:  TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide Spatial Coverage:  5.3 x 8.5 km nadir ... Contact ASDC User Services Parameters:  Carbon Dioxide Legacy:  Retired data product , click here ...

Leaf bidirectional reflectance and transmittance in corn and soybean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter-Shea, E. A.; Norman, J. M.; Blad, B. L.

1989-01-01

Bidirectional optical properties of leaves must be adequately characterized to develop comprehensive and reliably predictive canopy radiative-transfer models. Directional reflectance and transmittance factors of individual corn and soybean leaves were measured at source incidence angles (SIAs) 20, 45, and 70 deg and numerous view angles in the visible and NIR. Bidirectional reflectance distributions changed with increasing SIA, with forward scattering most pronounced at 70 deg. Directional-hemispherical reflectance generally increased and transmittance decreased with increased SIA. Directional-hemispherical reflectance factors were higher and transmittances were lower than the nadir-viewed reflectance component.

A fast radiative transfer model for visible through shortwave infrared spectral reflectances in clear and cloudy atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chenxi; Yang, Ping; Nasiri, Shaima L.; Platnick, Steven; Baum, Bryan A.; Heidinger, Andrew K.; Liu, Xu

2013-02-01

A computationally efficient radiative transfer model (RTM) for calculating visible (VIS) through shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectances is developed for use in satellite and airborne cloud property retrievals. The full radiative transfer equation (RTE) for combinations of cloud, aerosol, and molecular layers is solved approximately by using six independent RTEs that assume the plane-parallel approximation along with a single-scattering approximation for Rayleigh scattering. Each of the six RTEs can be solved analytically if the bidirectional reflectance/transmittance distribution functions (BRDF/BTDF) of the cloud/aerosol layers are known. The adding/doubling (AD) algorithm is employed to account for overlapped cloud/aerosol layers and non-Lambertian surfaces. Two approaches are used to mitigate the significant computational burden of the AD algorithm. First, the BRDF and BTDF of single cloud/aerosol layers are pre-computed using the discrete ordinates radiative transfer program (DISORT) implemented with 128 streams, and second, the required integral in the AD algorithm is numerically implemented on a twisted icosahedral mesh. A concise surface BRDF simulator associated with the MODIS land surface product (MCD43) is merged into a fast RTM to accurately account for non-isotropic surface reflectance. The resulting fast RTM is evaluated with respect to its computational accuracy and efficiency. The simulation bias between DISORT and the fast RTM is large (e.g., relative error >5%) only when both the solar zenith angle (SZA) and the viewing zenith angle (VZA) are large (i.e., SZA>45° and VZA>70°). For general situations, i.e., cloud/aerosol layers above a non-Lambertian surface, the fast RTM calculation rate is faster than that of the 128-stream DISORT by approximately two orders of magnitude.

From Intensity Profile to Surface Normal: Photometric Stereo for Unknown Light Sources and Isotropic Reflectances.

PubMed

Lu, Feng; Matsushita, Yasuyuki; Sato, Imari; Okabe, Takahiro; Sato, Yoichi

2015-10-01

We propose an uncalibrated photometric stereo method that works with general and unknown isotropic reflectances. Our method uses a pixel intensity profile, which is a sequence of radiance intensities recorded at a pixel under unknown varying directional illumination. We show that for general isotropic materials and uniformly distributed light directions, the geodesic distance between intensity profiles is linearly related to the angular difference of their corresponding surface normals, and that the intensity distribution of the intensity profile reveals reflectance properties. Based on these observations, we develop two methods for surface normal estimation; one for a general setting that uses only the recorded intensity profiles, the other for the case where a BRDF database is available while the exact BRDF of the target scene is still unknown. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations are conducted using both synthetic and real-world scenes, which show the state-of-the-art accuracy of smaller than 10 degree without using reference data and 5 degree with reference data for all 100 materials in MERL database.

Characterizing bidirectional reflectance and spectral albedo of various land cover types in Midwest using GeoTASO Summer-2014 campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulamu, A.; Fishman, J.; Maimaitiyiming, M.; Leitch, J. W.; Zoogman, P.; Liu, X.; Chance, K.; Marshall, B.

2015-12-01

Understanding the bi-directional reflectance function (BRDF) and spectral albedo of various land-cover types is critical for retrieval of trace gas measurements from planned geostationary satellites such as the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO). Radiant energy, which will be measured by these instruments at the top of atmosphere (TOA) at unprecedented spectral resolution, is strongly influenced by how this energy is reflected by the underlying surface. Thus, it is critical that we understand this phenomenon at comparable wavelength resolution. As part of the NASA ESTO-funded Geostationary Trace gas and Aerosol Sensor Optimization (GeoTASO) development project, we carried out synchronous field and airborne data collection campaigns in the St Louis Metro region in Summer 2014. We collected spectral reflectance data of various land cover types on the ground within hours of a GeoTASO overpass using a field-based hyperspectral spectroradiometer (model PSR3500 from Spectral Evolution). Field measurements collecting in-situ spectral albedo and bidirectional reflectance factors were also obtained in July and August of 2015. In this study, we present our preliminary findings from in-situ and airborne GeoTASO derived spectral albedo and BRDF characteristics of major land cover types at TEMPO spectral profiles, which are necessary for the accurate retrieval of tropospheric trace gases and aerosols. First, a spectral database of various targets (e.g., plants, soils, rocks, man-made objects and water) was developed using field measurements. Next, the GeoTASO airborne data were corrected using MODTRAN and field measurements to derive spectral albedo and BRDF. High spatial resolution land-cover types were extracted using satellite images (e.g., Landsat, WorldView, IKONOS, etc.) at resolutions from 2 m - 30 m. Lastly, spectral albedo/BRDFs corresponding to various land cover types were analyzed using both field and GeoTASO measurements.

Variation of directional reflectance factors with structural changes of a developing alfalfa canopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirchner, J. A.; Kimes, D. S.; Mcmurtrey, J. E., III

1982-01-01

Directional reflectance factors of an alfalfa canopy were determined and related to canopy structure, agronomic variables, and irradiance conditions at four periods during a cutting cycle. Nadir and off-nadir reflectance factors decreased with increasing biomass in Thematic Mapper band 3(0.63-0.69 micrometer) and increased with increasing biomass in band 4(0.76-0.90 micrometer). The sensor view angle had less impact on perceived reflectance as the alfalfa progressed from an erectophile canopy of stems after harvest to a near planophile canopy of leaves at maturity. Studies of directional reflectance are needed for testing and upgrading vegetation canopy models and to aid in the complex interpretation problems presented by aircraft scanners and pointable satellites where illumination and viewing geometries may vary widely. Distinct changes in the patterns of radiance observed by a sensor as structural and biomass changes occur are keys to monitoring the growth and condition of crops.

Grating scattering BRDF and imaging performances: A test survey performed in the frame of the flex mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnisch, Bernd; Deep, Atul; Vink, Ramon; Coatantiec, Claude

2017-11-01

Key components in optical spectrometers are the gratings. Their influence on the overall infield straylight of the spectrometer depends not only on the technology used for grating fabrication but also on the potential existence of ghost images caused by irregularities of the grating constant. For the straylight analysis of spectrometer no general Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) model of gratings exist, as it does for optically smooth surfaces. These models are needed for the determination of spectrometer straylight background and for the calculation of spectrometer out of band rejection performances. Within the frame of the Fluorescence Earth Explorer mission (FLEX), gratings manufactured using different technologies have been investigated in terms of straylight background and imaging performance in the used diffraction order. The gratings which have been investigated cover a lithographically written grating, a volume Bragg grating, two holographic gratings and an off-the-shelf ruled grating. In this paper we present a survey of the measured bidirectional reflectance/transmittance distribution function and the determination of an equivalent surface micro-roughness of the gratings, describing the scattering of the grating around the diffraction order. This is specifically needed for the straylight modeling of the spectrometer.

Mars hemispherical albedo map: absolute value and interannual variability inferred from OMEGA data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincendon, M.; Audouard, J.; Langevin, Y.; Poulet, F.; Bellucci, G.; Bibring, J.-P.; Gondet, B.

2012-04-01

The surface reflectance integrated over all directions and solar wavelengths ("hemispherical albedo") controls the radiative budget at the surface of Mars, and hence its climate. Reference albedo maps are usually derived from nadir observation of surface reflectance through clear atmospheric conditions. However, the atmosphere of Mars is permanently loaded with a significant amount of aerosols (typical visible optical depths of 0.5 under clear atmospheric conditions), which impacts the evaluation of "aerosol free" surface reflectances from remote sensing data. Moreover, the Martian surface is usually assumed to be Lambertian, both for simplicity and due to the lack of robust constraints about its bidirectional properties. We used OMEGA visible and near-IR measurements, with an appropriate UV extrapolation, to calculate as a function of space and time the hemispherical surface albedo of Mars. The contribution of aerosols is removed using a radiative transfer model and recent aerosols properties. Uncertainties associated with this procedure are calculated. The aerosols correction increases the bright/dark surfaces contrast. Typical, mean bidirectional reflectance properties of the martian surface are estimated using MER surface measurements and CRISM remote "EPF" observations. From these constraints, we have derived a typical relationship that makes it possible to convert single nadir measurements of the reflectance into hemispherical albedo. Accounting for the BRDF of the martian surface typically modify by ± 15% the derived albedo, depending on solar zenith angles. We will present our methods and preliminary results regarding seasonal and interannual variations of the surface albedo of Mars during years 2004-2011.

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function and Albedo Analysis for Various Land-Cover Types in the Midwestern United States for the Tempo Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Bethany

The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) satellite, scheduled to be launched around the year 2020, is the first phase of NASA's next generation of missions that will study the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. TEMPO provides a new set of high-resolution ( 0.4 nm) spectral data in the ultraviolet and visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be used to measure atmospheric pollutants. Due to its high spectral resolution and hourly temporal resolution covering entire North America, TEMPO data can also be used along with the calculation of spectral indices using the bidirectional reflection distribution functions (BRDF) or albedo to improve crop growth and yield monitoring for regional food security. The objectives of this thesis research were to 1) characterize BRDF/albedo of various land-cover types in Midwestern United States that can be used to remove land surface competent from at-sensor TEMPO radiances for accurate estimation of atmospheric chemistry and 2) evaluation of TEMPO data for regional agro-ecosystem studies. To this end, we: (1) collected 461 upwelling and downwelling solar irradiances and spectral albedo of various land-cover types (e.g., grapevine, maize, soybean, tomato, rock, asphalt road and concrete pave way, clean and turbid waters) at 110 sites in the States of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Colorado using a PSR-3500 hand-held Spectroradiometer; (2) conducted a field and manned aircraft data collection campaign in Maryland Heights, Missouri using the Geo-TASO flight instrument flown onboard the NASA HU-25C Falcon aircraft on August 13, 2014; and (3) utilized Ross-Li Kernel BRDF model and MODTRAN radiative transfer simulations to characterize BRDF/albedo of various land-cover types. TEMPO retrieval of atmospheric gases must account for the effects of surface BRDF/albedo. Since BRDF is an inherent optical properties of surface, this research will contribute to the TEMPO mission by providing high

Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction for MODIS (MAIAC). Part 3: Atmospheric Correction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyapustin, A.; Wang, Y.; Laszlo, I.; Hilker, T.; Hall, F.; Sellers, P.; Tucker, J.; Korkin, S.

2012-01-01

This paper describes the atmospheric correction (AC) component of the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction algorithm (MAIAC) which introduces a new way to compute parameters of the Ross-Thick Li-Sparse (RTLS) Bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), spectral surface albedo and bidirectional reflectance factors (BRF) from satellite measurements obtained by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). MAIAC uses a time series and spatial analysis for cloud detection, aerosol retrievals and atmospheric correction. It implements a moving window of up to 16 days of MODIS data gridded to 1 km resolution in a selected projection. The RTLS parameters are computed directly by fitting the cloud-free MODIS top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance data stored in the processing queue. The RTLS retrieval is applied when the land surface is stable or changes slowly. In case of rapid or large magnitude change (as for instance caused by disturbance), MAIAC follows the MODIS operational BRDF/albedo algorithm and uses a scaling approach where the BRDF shape is assumed stable but its magnitude is adjusted based on the latest single measurement. To assess the stability of the surface, MAIAC features a change detection algorithm which analyzes relative change of reflectance in the Red and NIR bands during the accumulation period. To adjust for the reflectance variability with the sun-observer geometry and allow comparison among different days (view geometries), the BRFs are normalized to the fixed view geometry using the RTLS model. An empirical analysis of MODIS data suggests that the RTLS inversion remains robust when the relative change of geometry-normalized reflectance stays below 15%. This first of two papers introduces the algorithm, a second, companion paper illustrates its potential by analyzing MODIS data over a tropical rainforest and assessing errors and uncertainties of MAIAC compared to conventional MODIS products.

[On-orbit response variation analysis of FY-3 MERSI reflective solar bands based on Dunhuang site calibration].

PubMed

Sun, Ling; Guo, Mao-Hua; Xu, Na; Zhang, Li-Jun; Liu, Jing-Jing; Hu, Xiu-Qing; Li, Yuan; Rong, Zhi-Guo; Zhao, Ze-Hui

2012-07-01

MERSI is the keystone payload of FengYun-3 and there have been two sensors operating on-orbit since 2008. The on-orbit response changes obviously at reflective solar bands (RSBs) and must be effectively monitored and corrected. However MERSI can not realize the RSBs onboard absolute radiometric calibration. This paper presents a new vicarious calibration (VC) method for RSBs based on in-situ BRDF model, and vector radiometric transfer model 6SV with gaseous absorption correction using MOTRAN. The results of synchronous VC experiments in 4 years show that the calibration uncertainties are within 5% except for band at the center of water vapor absorption, and 3% for most bands. Aqua MODIS was taken as the radiometric reference to evaluate the accuracy of this VC method. By comparison of the simulated radiation at top of atmosphere (TOA) with MODIS measurement, it was revealed that the average relative differences are within 3% for window bands with wavelengths less than 1 microm, and 5% for bands with wavelengths larger than 1 microm (except for band 7 at 2.1 microm). Besides, the synchronous nadir observation cross analysis shows the excellent agreement between re-calibrated MERSI TOA apparent reflectance and MODIS measurements. Based on the multi-year site calibration results, it was found that the calibration coefficients could be fitted with two-order polynomials, thus the daily calibration updates could be realized and the response variation between two calibration experiments could be corrected timely; there are large response changes at bands with wavelengths less than 0.6 microm, the degradation rate of the first year at band 8 (0.41 microm) is about 14%; the on-orbit response degradation is maximum at the beginning, the degradation rates slow down after one year in operation, and after two years the responses even increase at some band with wavelengths larger than 0.6 microm.

Optical properties (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) of shot fabric.

PubMed

Lu, R; Koenderink, J J; Kappers, A M

2000-11-01

To study the optical properties of materials, one needs a complete set of the angular distribution functions of surface scattering from the materials. Here we present a convenient method for collecting a large set of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) samples in the hemispherical scattering space. Material samples are wrapped around a right-circular cylinder and irradiated by a parallel light source, and the scattered radiance is collected by a digital camera. We tilted the cylinder around its center to collect the BRDF samples outside the plane of incidence. This method can be used with materials that have isotropic and anisotropic scattering properties. We demonstrate this method in a detailed investigation of shot fabrics. The warps and the fillings of shot fabrics are dyed different colors so that the fabric appears to change color at different viewing angles. These color-changing characteristics are found to be related to the physical and geometrical structure of shot fabric. Our study reveals that the color-changing property of shot fabrics is due mainly to an occlusion effect.

Reflectance Estimation from Urban Terrestrial Images: Validation of a Symbolic Ray-Tracing Method on Synthetic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coubard, F.; Brédif, M.; Paparoditis, N.; Briottet, X.

2011-04-01

Terrestrial geolocalized images are nowadays widely used on the Internet, mainly in urban areas, through immersion services such as Google Street View. On the long run, we seek to enhance the visualization of these images; for that purpose, radiometric corrections must be performed to free them from illumination conditions at the time of acquisition. Given the simultaneously acquired 3D geometric model of the scene with LIDAR or vision techniques, we face an inverse problem where the illumination and the geometry of the scene are known and the reflectance of the scene is to be estimated. Our main contribution is the introduction of a symbolic ray-tracing rendering to generate parametric images, for quick evaluation and comparison with the acquired images. The proposed approach is then based on an iterative estimation of the reflectance parameters of the materials, using a single rendering pre-processing. We validate the method on synthetic data with linear BRDF models and discuss the limitations of the proposed approach with more general non-linear BRDF models.

Apollo 11 and 16 Soil Bi-directional Solar Reflectance Measurements, Models and LRO Diviner Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foote, E. J.; Paige, D. A.; Shepard, M. K.; Johnson, J. R.; Biggar, S. F.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Allen, C.

2010-12-01

We have compared laboratory solar reflectance measurements of Apollo 11 and 16 soil samples to Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner orbital albedo measurements at the Apollo landing sites. The soil samples are two representative end member samples from the moon, low albedo lunar maria (sample 10084) and high albedo lunar highlands (sample 68810). Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements of the soil samples were conducted at Bloomsburg University (BUG) and at the University of Arizona [1,2]. We collected two different types of BUG datasets: a standard set of BRDF measurements at incidence angles of 0-60°, emission angles of 0-80°, and phase angles of 3-140°, and a high-incidence angle set of measurements along and perpendicular to the principal plane at incidence angles of 0-75° and phase angles of 3-155°. The BUG measurements generated a total of 765 data points in four different filters 450, 550, 750 and 950 nm. The Blacklab measurements were acquired at incidence angles of 60-88°, emission angles 60-82°, and phase angles of 17-93° at wavelengths of 455, 554, 699, 949nm. The BUG data were fit to two BRDF models: Hapke’s model [3] as described by Johnson et al, 2010 [4], and a simplified empirical function. The fact that both approaches can satisfactorily fit the BUG data is not unexpected, given the similarities between the functions and their input parameters, and the fact that the BRDF for dark lunar soil is dominated by the single scattering phase functions of the individual soil particles. To compare our lunar sample measurements with LRO Diviner data [5], we selected all daytime observations acquired during the first year of operation within 3 km square boxes centered at the landing sites. We compared Diviner Channel 1 (0.3 - 3 µm) Lambert albedos with model calculated Lambert albedos of the lunar samples at the same photometric angles. In general, we found good agreement between the laboratory and Diviner

Observational Tests of the Surface Reflectance Boundary Condition for Aerosol Retrievals using Multiangle Spectropolarimetric Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diner, D. J.; Martonchik, J. V.; Sanghavi, S.; Xu, F.; Garay, M. J.; Bradley, C.; Chipman, R.; McClain, S.

2011-12-01

Passive retrievals of aerosol properties from aircraft or satellite must account for surface reflection at the lower boundary. Future missions such as Aerosol-Cloud-Ecosystem (ACE) will use multiangular, multispectral, and polarimetric imagery for aerosol remote sensing. Interpreting such multidimensional measurements requires representing the aerosols by a set of optical and microphysical parameters and modeling the surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). We are developing a surface model represented by a matrix BRDF that describes both intensity and polarization. The BRDF is the sum of a depolarizing volumetric (diffuse) scattering term represented by the modified Rahman-Pinty-Verstraete (mRPV) function, and a specular reflection term corresponding to a distribution of tilted microfacets, each of which reflects according to the Fresnel laws. In order to limit the number of parameters that need to be retrieved, empirical constraints are placed on the surface reflection model, e.g., that the volumetric component can be written as the product of a function only of wavelength and a function only of illumination and view geometry and that the polarized surface reflectance is spectrally neutral. Validation of these assumptions is required to establish a successful surface reflectance model that can be used as part of the aerosol retrievals. The Ground-based and Airborne Multiangle SpectroPolarimetric Imagers (GroundMSPI and AirMSPI) are pushbroom cameras that use a novel dual-photoelastic modulator (PEM) design to measure the Stokes vector components I, Q, and U, degree of linear polarization (DOLP), and angle of linear polarization (AOLP) with high accuracy. Intensity bands are centered at 355, 380, 445, 555, 660, 865, and 935 nm, and polarization channels are at 470, 660, and 865 nm. GroundMSPI and AirMSPI data collected on clear days are being used to further develop and validate the parametric surface model. For GroundMSPI, time sequences of

Polarbrdf: A General Purpose Python Package for Visualization Quantitative Analysis of Multi-Angular Remote Sensing Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Manoj K.; Gautam, Ritesh; Gatebe, Charles K.; Poudyal, Rajesh

2016-01-01

The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a fundamental concept for characterizing the reflectance property of a surface, and helps in the analysis of remote sensing data from satellite, airborne and surface platforms. Multi-angular remote sensing measurements are required for the development and evaluation of BRDF models for improved characterization of surface properties. However, multi-angular data and the associated BRDF models are typically multidimensional involving multi-angular and multi-wavelength information. Effective visualization of such complex multidimensional measurements for different wavelength combinations is presently somewhat lacking in the literature, and could serve as a potentially useful research and teaching tool in aiding both interpretation and analysis of BRDF measurements. This article describes a newly developed software package in Python (PolarBRDF) to help visualize and analyze multi-angular data in polar and False Color Composite (FCC) forms. PolarBRDF also includes functionalities for computing important multi-angular reflectance/albedo parameters including spectral albedo, principal plane reflectance and spectral reflectance slope. Application of PolarBRDF is demonstrated using various case studies obtained from airborne multi-angular remote sensing measurements using NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). Our visualization program also provides functionalities for untangling complex surface/atmosphere features embedded in pixel-based remote sensing measurements, such as the FCC imagery generation of BRDF measurements of grasslands in the presence of wild fire smoke and clouds. Furthermore, PolarBRDF also provides quantitative information of the angular distribution of scattered surface/atmosphere radiation, in the form of relevant BRDF variables such as sunglint, hotspot and scattering statistics.

Measurement of the Spatial Distribution of the Spectral Response Variation in the Field of View of the ASD Spectrometer Input Optics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

development. It will be used for the measurement of the spectro-polarimetric BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution function). For practical reasons...goniomètre est en développement. Il sera utilisé pour les mesures de BRDF (fonction de distribution de réflectance bidirectionnelle) spectrales et...by the independent measurements of the spectral and Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function ( BRDF ). The BRDF is the measurement of the

Bidirectional Reflectance Function Measurement of Molecular Contaminant Scattering in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herren, Kenneth A.; Gregory, Don A.

2006-01-01

Bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements of optical surfaces both before and after molecular contamination were done using UV, VUV and visible light. Molecular contamination of optical surfaces from outgassed material has been shown in many cases to proceed from acclimation centers, and to produce many roughly hemispherical "islands" of contamination on the surface. Vacuum Ultraviolet (VW) wavelengths are used here to measure angularly scattered light from optical surfaces.

Impact of Footprint Diameter and Off-Nadir Pointing on the Precision of Canopy Height Estimates from Spaceborne Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pang, Yong; Lefskky, Michael; Sun, Guoqing; Ranson, Jon

2011-01-01

A spaceborne lidar mission could serve multiple scientific purposes including remote sensing of ecosystem structure, carbon storage, terrestrial topography and ice sheet monitoring. The measurement requirements of these different goals will require compromises in sensor design. Footprint diameters that would be larger than optimal for vegetation studies have been proposed. Some spaceborne lidar mission designs include the possibility that a lidar sensor would share a platform with another sensor, which might require off-nadir pointing at angles of up to 16 . To resolve multiple mission goals and sensor requirements, detailed knowledge of the sensitivity of sensor performance to these aspects of mission design is required. This research used a radiative transfer model to investigate the sensitivity of forest height estimates to footprint diameter, off-nadir pointing and their interaction over a range of forest canopy properties. An individual-based forest model was used to simulate stands of mixed conifer forest in the Tahoe National Forest (Northern California, USA) and stands of deciduous forests in the Bartlett Experimental Forest (New Hampshire, USA). Waveforms were simulated for stands generated by a forest succession model using footprint diameters of 20 m to 70 m. Off-nadir angles of 0 to 16 were considered for a 25 m diameter footprint diameter. Footprint diameters in the range of 25 m to 30 m were optimal for estimates of maximum forest height (R(sup 2) of 0.95 and RMSE of 3 m). As expected, the contribution of vegetation height to the vertical extent of the waveform decreased with larger footprints, while the contribution of terrain slope increased. Precision of estimates decreased with an increasing off-nadir pointing angle, but off-nadir pointing had less impact on height estimates in deciduous forests than in coniferous forests. When pointing off-nadir, the decrease in precision was dependent on local incidence angle (the angle between the off-nadir

Bidirectional measurements of surface reflectance for view angle corrections of oblique imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, R. D.; Teillet, P. M.; Slater, P. N.; Fedosejevs, G.; Jasinski, Michael F.

1990-01-01

An apparatus for acquiring bidirectional reflectance-factor data was constructed and used over four surface types. Data sets were obtained over a headed wheat canopy, bare soil having several different roughness conditions, playa (dry lake bed), and gypsum sand. Results are presented in terms of relative bidirectional reflectance factors (BRFs) as a function of view angle at a number of solar zenith angles, nadir BRFs as a function of solar zenith angles, and, for wheat, vegetation indices as related to view and solar zenith angles. The wheat canopy exhibited the largest BRF changes with view angle. BRFs for the red and the NIR bands measured over wheat did not have the same relationship with view angle. NIR/Red ratios calculated from nadir BRFs changed by nearly a factor of 2 when the solar zenith angle changed from 20 to 50 degs. BRF versus view angle relationships were similar for soils having smooth and intermediate rough surfaces but were considerably different for the roughest surface. Nadir BRF versus solar-zenith angle relationships were distinctly different for the three soil roughness levels. Of the various surfaces, BRFs for gypsum sand changed the least with view angle (10 percent at 30 degs).

Preliminary assessment of the GOES-R ABI hourly land surface albedo and reflectance products prototyped with Himawari AHI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, T.; Liang, S.; Zhang, Y.; Yu, Y.

2016-12-01

Land surface albedo and reflectance are critical geophysical variables used in climate and environmental applications. The multispectral Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard the next generation geostationary satellites (GOES-R series, set to launch in late 2016) offers high temporal and medium spatial resolution observations, which can be used for monitoring diurnal variation of surface albedo and reflectance. In the GOES-R data processing chain there is no atmospheric correction to generate surface reflectance product, which is usually required for surface albedo estimation. We propose an optimization method to simultaneously retrieve surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters and aerosol optical depth with GOES-R ABI data on a daily-basis, which are used for estimating surface albedo and reflectance. Before the launch of the GOES-R satellite, our algorithm was prototyped with data from the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) onboard the Japanese Himawari-8 satellite, which has spectral bands and spatial resolutions similar to GOES-R ABI. Cal/val activities were carried out against ground measurements at the OzFlux sites in Australia and satellite data including albedo/BRDF products from MODIS and Landsat. The preliminary accuracy assessment showed promising results for both the surface albedo and reflectance estimates. The GOES-R surface albedo and reflectance products will serve as critical inputs for downstream GOES-R satellite products and also help improve climate modeling and weather forecasting with a high temporal resolution.

Coupled Retrieval of Aerosol Properties and Surface Reflection Using the Airborne Multi-angle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, F.; van Harten, G.; Kalashnikova, O. V.; Diner, D. J.; Seidel, F. C.; Garay, M. J.; Dubovik, O.

2016-12-01

The Airborne Multi-angle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI) [1] has been flying aboard the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft since October 2010. In step-and-stare operation mode, AirMSPI acquires radiance and polarization data at 355, 380, 445, 470*, 555, 660*, 865*, and 935 nm (* denotes polarimetric bands). The imaged area covers about 10 km by 10 km and is observed from 9 view angles between ±67° off of nadir. We have developed an efficient and flexible code that uses the information content of AirMSPI data for a coupled retrieval of aerosol properties and surface reflection. The retrieval was built based on the multi-pixel optimization concept [2], with the use of a hybrid radiative transfer model [3] that combines the Markov Chain [4] and adding/doubling methods [5]. The convergence and robustness of our algorithm is ensured by applying constraints on (a) the spectral variation of the Bidirectional Polarization Distribution Function (BPDF) and angular shape of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF); (b) the spectral variation of aerosol optical properties; and (c) the spatial variation of aerosol parameters across neighboring image pixels. Our retrieval approach has been tested using over 20 AirMSPI datasets having low to moderately high aerosol loadings ( 0.02550-nm< 0.45) and acquired during several field campaigns. Results are compared with AERONET aerosol reference data. We also explore the benefits of AirMSPI's ultraviolet and polarimetric bands as well as the use of multiple view angles. References[1]. D. J. Diner, et al. Atmos. Meas. Tech. 6, 1717 (2013). [2]. O. Dubovik et al. Atmos. Meas. Tech. 4, 975 (2011). [3]. F. Xu et al. Atmos. Meas. Tech. 9, 2877 (2016). [4]. F. Xu et al. Opt. Lett. 36, 2083 (2011). [5]. J. E. Hansen and L.D. Travis. Space Sci. Rev. 16, 527 (1974).

Comparison of Unscented Kalman Filter and Unscented Schmidt Kalman Filter in Predicting Attitude and Associated Uncertainty of a Geosynchronous Satellite

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

the MLI coating, and similarly, the surface model as represented by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function ( BRDF ) will never be...surface model as represented by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function ( BRDF ) will never be identical to that found on actual space objects... BRDF model and how it compares to the Ashikhmin-Shirley BRDF [14] using similar nomenclature can be found in Ref. [15]. In this scenario, the state

Passive Optical Detection of a Vibrating Surface

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

modulation from any given surface? Clearly a detailed mathematical model of light scattering (i.e., BRDF ) is needed, so that we may take the partial...reflectance distribution function ( BRDF ): “The BRDF is a derivative, a distri- bution function, relating the irradiance incident from one given...direction to its contribution to the reflected radiance in another direction.” In other words, the BRDF is a multidimensional surface: the relevant variables

Evaluation of the Main Ceos Pseudo Calibration Sites Using Modis Brdf/albedo Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharbouche, Said; Muller, Jan-Peter

2016-06-01

This work describes our findings about an evaluation of the stability and the consistency of twenty primary PICSs (Pseudo-Invariant Calibration Sites). We present an analysis of 13 years of 8-daily MODIS products of BRDF parameters and white-sky-albedos (WSA) over the shortwave band. This time series of WSA and BRDFs shows the variation of the "stability" varies significantly from site to site. Using a 10x10 km window size over all the sites, the change in of WSA stability is around 4% but the isotropicity, which is an important element in inter-satellite calibration, can vary from 75% to 98%. Moreover, some PICS, especially, Libya-4 which is one of the PICS which is most employed, has significant and relatively fast changes in wintertime. PICS observations of BRDF/albedo shows that the Libya-4 PICS has the best performance but it is not too far from some sites such as Libya-1 and Mali. This study also reveals that Niger-3 PICS has the longest continuous period of high stability per year, and Sudan has the most isotropic surface. These observations have important implications for the use of these sites.

The Effect of Large Scale Climate Oscillations on the Land Surface Phenology of the Northern Polar Regions and Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Beurs, K.; Henebry, G. M.; Owsley, B.; Sokolik, I. N.

2016-12-01

Land surface phenology metrics allow for the summarization of long image time series into a set of annual observations that describe the vegetated growing season. These metrics have been shown to respond to both large scale climatic and anthropogenic impacts. In this study we assemble a time series (2001 - 2014) of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance data and land surface temperature data at 0.05º spatial resolution. We then derive land surface phenology metrics focusing on the peak of the growing season by fitting quadratic regression models using NDVI and Accumulated Growing Degree-Days (AGDD) derived from land surface temperature. We link the annual information on the peak timing, the thermal time to peak and the maximum of the growing season with five of the most important large scale climate oscillations: NAO, AO, PDO, PNA and ENSO. We demonstrate several significant correlations between the climate oscillations and the land surface phenology peak metrics for a range of different bioclimatic regions in both dryland Central Asia and the northern Polar Regions. We will then link the correlation results with trends derived by the seasonal Mann-Kendall trend detection method applied to several satellite derived vegetation and albedo datasets.

Postlaunch Performance of the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Nadir Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seftor, C. J.; Jaross, G.; Kowitt, M.; Haken, M.; Li, J.; Flynn, L. E.

2014-01-01

The prelaunch specifications for nadir sensors of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) were designed to ensure that measurements from them could be used to retrieve total column ozone and nadir ozone profile information both for operational use and for use in long-term ozone data records. In this paper, we will show results from our extensive analysis of the performance of the nadir mapper (NM) and nadir profiler (NP) sensors during the first year and a half of OMPS nadir operations. In most cases, we determined that both sensors meet or exceed their prelaunch specifications. Normalized radiance (radiance divided by irradiance) measurements have been determined to be well within their 2% specification for both sensors. In the case of stray light, the NM sensor is within its 2% specification for all but the shortest wavelengths, while the NP sensor is within its 2% specification for all but the longest wavelengths. Artifacts that negatively impacted the sensor calibration due to diffuser features were reduced to less than 1% through changes made in the solar calibration sequence. Preliminary analysis of the disagreement between measurements made by the NM and NP sensors in the region where their wavelengths overlap indicates that it is due to shifts in the shared dichroic filter after launch and that it can be corrected. In general, our analysis indicates that both the NM and NP sensors are performing well, that they are stable, and that any deviations from nominal performance can be well characterized and corrected.

Seasonal soybean crop reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemaster, E. W. (Principal Investigator); Chance, J. E.

1983-01-01

Data are presented from field measurements of 1980 including 5 acquisitions of handheld radiometer reflectance measurements, 7 complete sets of parameters for implementing the Suits mode, and other biophysical parameters to characterize the soybean canopy. LANDSAT calculations on the simulated Brazilian soybean reflectance are included along with data collected during the summer and fall on 1981 on soybean single leaf optical parameters for three irrigation treatments. Tests of the Suits vegetative canopy reflectance model for the full hemisphere of observer directions as well as the nadir direction show moderate agreement for the visible channels of the MSS and poor agreement in the near infrared channel. Temporal changes in the spectral characteristics of the single leaves were seen to occur as a function of maturity which demonstrates that the absorptance of a soybean single leaf is more a function of thetransmittancee characteristics than the seasonally consistent single leaf reflectance.

Simulation of oceanic whitecaps and their reflectance characteristics in the short wavelength infrared.

PubMed

Schwenger, Frédéric; Repasi, Endre

2017-02-20

The knowledge of the spatial energy (or power) distribution of light beams reflected at the dynamic sea surface is of great practical interest in maritime environments. For the estimation of the light energy reflected into a specific spatial direction a lot of parameters need to be taken into account. Both whitecap coverage and its optical properties have a large impact upon the calculated value. In published literature, for applications considering vertical light propagation paths, such as bathymetric lidar, the reflectance of sea surface and whitecaps are approximated by constant values. For near-horizontal light propagation paths the optical properties of the sea surface and the whitecaps must be considered in greater detail. The calculated light energy reflected into a specific direction varies statistically and depends largely on the dynamics of the wavy sea surface and the dynamics of whitecaps. A 3D simulation of the dynamic sea surface populated with whitecaps is presented. The simulation considers the evolution of whitecaps depending on wind speed and fetch. The radiance calculation of the maritime scene (open sea/clear sky) populated with whitecaps is done in the short wavelength infrared spectral band. Wave hiding and shadowing, especially occurring at low viewing angles, are considered. The specular reflection of a light beam at the sea surface in the absence of whitecaps is modeled by an analytical statistical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the sea surface. For whitecaps, a specific BRDF is used by taking into account their shadowing function. To ensure the credibility of the simulation, the whitecap coverage is determined from simulated image sequences for different wind speeds and compared to whitecap coverage functions from literature. The impact of whitecaps on the radiation balance for bistatic configuration of light source and receiver is calculated for a different incident (zenith/azimuth angles) of the light beam and

Clinical assessment of oral mucositis and candidiasis compare to chemotherapic nadir in transplanted patients.

PubMed

Patussi, Cleverson; Sassi, Laurindo Moacir; Munhoz, Eduardo Ciliao; Zanicotti, Roberta Targa Stramandinoli; Schussel, Juliana Lucena

2014-01-01

Oral mucositis is a chief complication in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). It is considered a toxic inflammatory reaction that interferes with the patient's recuperation and quality of life. Oral candidiasis is a common fungal infection observed in dental practice, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of oral mucositis and oral candidiasis in patients who underwent HSCT and their correlation with the chemotherapeutic nadir (lowest possible outcome). We evaluated patients with different diagnoses who underwent HSCT at the Hospital Erasto Gaertner. No chemotherapeutic nadir curves could be associated with mucositis, and patients had different presentations of mucositis. No patient developed oral candidiasis during hospitalization. Together with cell counts, we collected demographic data including age, oral hygiene, habits harmful to health, and the use of oral prostheses. It was observed that patients who smoked cigarettes before hospitalization showed less mucositis, resulting in no feeding problems or other comorbid conditions due to the effect of mucositis. However, the nadir of the chemotherapy curve, in isolation, is not a predictive tool for the appearance (or no appearance) of oral mucositis.

Assessment of a bidirectional reflectance distribution correction of above-water and satellite water-leaving radiance in coastal waters.

PubMed

Hlaing, Soe; Gilerson, Alexander; Harmel, Tristan; Tonizzo, Alberto; Weidemann, Alan; Arnone, Robert; Ahmed, Samir

2012-01-10

Water-leaving radiances, retrieved from in situ or satellite measurements, need to be corrected for the bidirectional properties of the measured light in order to standardize the data and make them comparable with each other. The current operational algorithm for the correction of bidirectional effects from the satellite ocean color data is optimized for typical oceanic waters. However, versions of bidirectional reflectance correction algorithms specifically tuned for typical coastal waters and other case 2 conditions are particularly needed to improve the overall quality of those data. In order to analyze the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of case 2 waters, a dataset of typical remote sensing reflectances was generated through radiative transfer simulations for a large range of viewing and illumination geometries. Based on this simulated dataset, a case 2 water focused remote sensing reflectance model is proposed to correct above-water and satellite water-leaving radiance data for bidirectional effects. The proposed model is first validated with a one year time series of in situ above-water measurements acquired by collocated multispectral and hyperspectral radiometers, which have different viewing geometries installed at the Long Island Sound Coastal Observatory (LISCO). Match-ups and intercomparisons performed on these concurrent measurements show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the algorithm currently in use at all wavelengths, with average improvement of 2.4% over the spectral range. LISCO's time series data have also been used to evaluate improvements in match-up comparisons of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite data when the proposed BRDF correction is used in lieu of the current algorithm. It is shown that the discrepancies between coincident in-situ sea-based and satellite data decreased by 3.15% with the use of the proposed algorithm. This confirms the advantages of the proposed model over the current

Characteristics of Deep Tropical and Subtropical Convection from Nadir-Viewing High-Altitude Airborne Doppler Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heymsfield, Gerald M.; Tian, Lin; Heymsfield, Andrew J.; Li, Lihua; Guimond, Stephen

2010-01-01

This paper presents observations of deep convection characteristics in the tropics and subtropics that have been classified into four categories: tropical cyclone, oceanic, land, and sea breeze. Vertical velocities in the convection were derived from Doppler radar measurements collected during several NASA field experiments from the nadir-viewing high-altitude ER-2 Doppler radar (EDOP). Emphasis is placed on the vertical structure of the convection from the surface to cloud top (sometimes reaching 18-km altitude). This unique look at convection is not possible from other approaches such as ground-based or lower-altitude airborne scanning radars. The vertical motions from the radar measurements are derived using new relationships between radar reflectivity and hydrometeor fall speed. Various convective properties, such as the peak updraft and downdraft velocities and their corresponding altitude, heights of reflectivity levels, and widths of reflectivity cores, are estimated. The most significant findings are the following: 1) strong updrafts that mostly exceed 15 m/s, with a few exceeding 30 m/s, are found in all the deep convection cases, whether over land or ocean; 2) peak updrafts were almost always above the 10-km level and, in the case of tropical cyclones, were closer to the 12-km level; and 3) land-based and sea-breeze convection had higher reflectivities and wider convective cores than oceanic and tropical cyclone convection. In addition, the high-resolution EDOP data were used to examine the connection between reflectivity and vertical velocity, for which only weak linear relationships were found. The results are discussed in terms of dynamical and microphysical implications for numerical models and future remote sensors.

26 CFR 1.312-1 - Adjustment to earnings and profits reflecting distributions by corporations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... earnings and profits. The reduction in earnings and profits by reason of such distribution is $5,000. Such...,000. The reduction in earnings and profits is $15,000. Such is the reduction even though only the... 26 Internal Revenue 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Adjustment to earnings and profits reflecting...

Integrating satellite remote sensing data and field data to predict rangeland structural indicators at the continental scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Okin, G.

2016-12-01

Rangelands provide a variety of important ecosystem goods and services across drylands globally. They are also the most important emitters of dust across the globe. Field data collection based on points does not represent spatially continuous information about surface variables and, given the vast size of the world's rangelands, cannot cover even a small fraction of their area. Remote sensing is potentially a labor- and time-saving method to observe important rangeland vegetation variables at both temporal and spatial scales. Information on vegetation cover, bare gap size, and plant height provide key rangeland vegetation variables in arid and semiarid rangelands, in part because they strongly impact dust emission and determine wildlife habitat characteristics. This study reports on relationships between remote sensing in the reflected solar spectrum and field measures related to these three variables, and shows how these relationships can be extended to produce spatially and temporally continuous datasets coupled with quantitative estimates of error. Field data for this study included over 3,800 Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) measurements on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands throughout the western US. Remote sensing data were derived from MODIS nadir BRDF-adjusted reflectance (NBAR) and Landsat 8 OLI surface reflectance. Normalized bare gap size, total foliar cover, herbaceous cover and herbaceous height exhibit the greatest predictability from remote sensing variables with physically-reasonable relationships between remote sensing variables and field measures. Data fields produced using these relationships across the western US exhibit good agreement with independent high-resolution imagery.

Interpreting vegetation reflectance measurements as a function of solar zenith angle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimes, D. S.; Smith, J. A.; Ranson, K. J.

1979-01-01

Spectral hemispherical-conical reflectances of a nadir looking sensor were taken throughout the day for a lodgepole pine and two grass canopies. Mathematical simulations of both spectral hemispherical-conical and bi-hemispherical reflectances were performed for two theoretical canopies of contrasting geometric structure. These results and comparisons with literature studies showed a great amount of variability of vegetation canopy reflectances as a function of solar zenith angle. Explanations for this variability are discussed and recommendations for further measurements are proposed.

Limb-Nadir Matching for Tropospheric NO2: A New Algorithm in the SCIAMACHY Operational Level 2 Processor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meringer, Markus; Gretschany, Sergei; Lichtenberg, Gunter; Hilboll, Andreas; Richter, Andreas; Burrows, John P.

2015-11-01

SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric ChartographY) aboard ESA's environmental satellite ENVISAT observed the Earth's atmosphere in limb, nadir, and solar/lunar occultation geometries covering the UV-Visible to NIR spectral range. Limb and nadir geometries were the main operation modes for the retrieval of scientific data. The new version 6 of ESA's level 2 processor now provides for the first time an operational algorithm to combine measurements of these two geometries in order to generate new products. As a first instance the retrieval of tropospheric NO2 has been implemented based on IUP-Bremen's reference algorithm. We will detail the single processing steps performed by the operational limb-nadir matching algorithm and report the results of comparisons with the scientific tropospheric NO2 products of IUP and the Tropospheric Emission Monitoring Internet Service (TEMIS).

Estimation of optical properties of aerosols and bidirectional reflectance from PARASOL/POLDER data over land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusaka, Takashi; Miyazaki, Go

2014-10-01

When monitoring target areas covered with vegetation from a satellite, it is very useful to estimate the vegetation index using the surface anisotropic reflectance, which is dependent on both solar and viewing geometries, from satellite data. In this study, the algorithm for estimating optical properties of atmospheric aerosols such as the optical thickness (τ), the refractive index (Nr), the mixing ratio of small particles in the bimodal log-normal distribution function (C) and the bidirectional reflectance (R) from only the radiance and polarization at the 865nm channel received by the PARASOL/POLDER is described. Parameters of the bimodal log-normal distribution function: mean radius, r1, standard deviation, σ1, of fine aerosols, and r2, σ2 of coarse aerosols were fixed, and these values were estimated from monthly averaged size distribution at AERONET sites managed by NASA near the target area. Moreover, it is assumed that the contribution of the surface reflectance with directional anisotropy to the polarized radiance received by the satellite is small because it is shown from our ground-based polarization measurements of light ray reflected by the grassland that degrees of polarization of the reflected light by the grassland are very low values at the 865nm channel. First aerosol properties were estimated from only the polarized radiance and then the bidirectional reflectance given by the Ross-Li BRDF model was estimated from only the total radiance at target areas in PARASOL/POLDER data over the Japanese islands taken on April 28, 2012 and April 25, 2010. The estimated optical thickness of aerosols was checked with those given in AERONET sites and the estimated parameters of BRDF were compared with those of vegetation measured from the radio-controlled helicopter. Consequently, it is shown that the algorithm described in the present study provides reasonable values for aerosol properties and surface bidirectional reflectance.

Using SOURCES to Examine the Nadir of Race Relations (1890-1920)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaVallee, Carol; Waring, Scott M.

2015-01-01

The "nadir of race relations" is a term used by historians to describe the time period after Reconstruction, 1890-1920. During this time, African Americans were free; some argue, however, that it was a worse time than when these individuals were enslaved (Brundage 1990; Woodward 2002). There is a debate whether this time period…

A New Satellite System for Measuring BRDF from Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiscombe, W.; Kaufman, Y.; Herman, J.

1999-01-01

Formation flying of satellites is at the beginning of an explosive growth curve. Spacecraft buses are shrinking to the point where we will soon be able to launch 10 micro-satellites or 100 nano-satellites on a single launch vehicle. Simultaneously, spectrometers are just beginning to be flown in space by both the U.S. and Europe. On-board programmable band aggregation will soon allow exactly the spectral bands desired to be returned to Earth. Further efforts are being devoted to radically shrink spectrometers both in size and weight. And GPS positioning and attitude determination, plus new technologies for attitude control, will allow fleets of satellites to all point at the same Earth target. All these advances, in combination, make possible for the first time the proper measurement of Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution (BRDF) form space. Previously space BDRF's were mere composites, built up over time by viewing different types of scenes at different times, then creating catalogs of BDRF functions whose use relied upon correct "scene identification" --the weak link. Formation-flying micro-satellites, carrying programmable spectrometers and precision-pointing at the same Earth target, can measure the full BDRF simultaneously, in real time. This talk will review these technological advances and discuss an actual proposed concept, based on these advances, to measure Earth-target BDRF's (clouds as well as surface) across the full solar spectrum in the 2010 timeframe. This concept is part of a larger concept called Leonardo for properly measuring the radiative forcing of Earth for climate purposes; lack of knowing of BDRF and of diurnal cycle are at present the two limiting factors preventing improved estimates of this forcing.

TES/MLS Aura L2 Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nadir (TML2CO)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-05-06

TES/MLS Aura L2 Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nadir (TML2CO) Atmospheric ... profile estimates and associated errors derived using TES & MLS spectral radiance measurements taken at nearest time and locations. ... a priori constraint vectors. News:  TES News Join TES News List Project Title:  TES ...

TES/MLS Aura L2 Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nadir (TML2CO)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-05-07

TES/MLS Aura L2 Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nadir (TML2CO) ... profile estimates and associated errors derived using TES & MLS spectral radiance measurements taken at nearest time and locations. ... a priori constraint vectors. News:  TES News Join TES News List Project Title:  TES ...

Non-destructive Techniques for Classifying Aircraft Coating Degradation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-26

model is bidirectional reflectance distribution func- tions ( BRDF ) which describes how much radiation is reflected for each solid angle and each...incident angle. An intermediate model between ideal reflectors and BRDF is to assume all reflectance is a combination of diffuse and specular reflectance...19 K-Fold Cross Validation

On the vertical resolution for near-nadir looking spaceborne rain radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozu, Toshiaki

A definition of radar resolution for an arbitrary direction is proposed and used to calculate the vertical resolution for a near-nadir looking spaceborne rain radar. Based on the calculation result, a scanning strategy is proposed which efficiently distributes the measurement time to each angle bin and thus increases the number of independent samples compared with a simple linear scanning.

Off-Nadir Hyperspectral Sensing for Estimation of Vertical Profile of Leaf Chlorophyll Content within Wheat Canopies

PubMed Central

Huang, Wenjiang; Zhou, Xianfeng; Ye, Huichun; Dong, Yingying

2017-01-01

Monitoring the vertical profile of leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content within winter wheat canopies is of significant importance for revealing the real nutritional status of the crop. Information on the vertical profile of Chl content is not accessible to nadir-viewing remote or proximal sensing. Off-nadir or multi-angle sensing would provide effective means to detect leaf Chl content in different vertical layers. However, adequate information on the selection of sensitive spectral bands and spectral index formulas for vertical leaf Chl content estimation is not yet available. In this study, all possible two-band and three-band combinations over spectral bands in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)-, simple ratio (SR)- and chlorophyll index (CI)-like types of indices at different viewing angles were calculated and assessed for their capability of estimating leaf Chl for three vertical layers of wheat canopies. The vertical profiles of Chl showed top-down declining trends and the patterns of band combinations sensitive to leaf Chl content varied among different vertical layers. Results indicated that the combinations of green band (520 nm) with NIR bands were efficient in estimating upper leaf Chl content, whereas the red edge (695 nm) paired with NIR bands were dominant in quantifying leaf Chl in the lower layers. Correlations between published spectral indices and all NDVI-, SR- and CI-like types of indices and vertical distribution of Chl content showed that reflectance measured from 50°, 30° and 20° backscattering viewing angles were the most promising to obtain information on leaf Chl in the upper-, middle-, and bottom-layer, respectively. Three types of optimized spectral indices improved the accuracy for vertical leaf Chl content estimation. The optimized three-band CI-like index performed the best in the estimation of vertical distribution of leaf Chl content, with R2 of 0.84–0.69, and RMSE of 5.37–5.56 µg/cm2 from the top to the bottom layers

Off-Nadir Hyperspectral Sensing for Estimation of Vertical Profile of Leaf Chlorophyll Content within Wheat Canopies.

PubMed

Kong, Weiping; Huang, Wenjiang; Casa, Raffaele; Zhou, Xianfeng; Ye, Huichun; Dong, Yingying

2017-11-23

Monitoring the vertical profile of leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content within winter wheat canopies is of significant importance for revealing the real nutritional status of the crop. Information on the vertical profile of Chl content is not accessible to nadir-viewing remote or proximal sensing. Off-nadir or multi-angle sensing would provide effective means to detect leaf Chl content in different vertical layers. However, adequate information on the selection of sensitive spectral bands and spectral index formulas for vertical leaf Chl content estimation is not yet available. In this study, all possible two-band and three-band combinations over spectral bands in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)-, simple ratio (SR)- and chlorophyll index (CI)-like types of indices at different viewing angles were calculated and assessed for their capability of estimating leaf Chl for three vertical layers of wheat canopies. The vertical profiles of Chl showed top-down declining trends and the patterns of band combinations sensitive to leaf Chl content varied among different vertical layers. Results indicated that the combinations of green band (520 nm) with NIR bands were efficient in estimating upper leaf Chl content, whereas the red edge (695 nm) paired with NIR bands were dominant in quantifying leaf Chl in the lower layers. Correlations between published spectral indices and all NDVI-, SR- and CI-like types of indices and vertical distribution of Chl content showed that reflectance measured from 50°, 30° and 20° backscattering viewing angles were the most promising to obtain information on leaf Chl in the upper-, middle-, and bottom-layer, respectively. Three types of optimized spectral indices improved the accuracy for vertical leaf Chl content estimation. The optimized three-band CI-like index performed the best in the estimation of vertical distribution of leaf Chl content, with R² of 0.84-0.69, and RMSE of 5.37-5.56 µg/cm² from the top to the bottom layers

An Evaluation of Data Fusion Products for the Analysis of Dryland Forest Phenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, J. J.; de Beurs, K.; Wynne, R. H.; Gao, F.

2010-12-01

Semi-arid forest areas cover a significant proportion of the world’s land surface; in the interior western U.S. alone, dryland forests extend across more than 56 million hectares. The scarcity of water in these systems makes them acutely sensitive to sustained weather fluctuations, such as the higher temperatures and altered water regimes predicted under most climate change scenarios. To understand, monitor, and predict the anticipated spatial and temporal changes in these areas, it is vital to characterize current phenological patterns. Phenological analysis of western U.S. drylands is complicated by patchy land cover and mosaics of plant phenology states at a variety of spatial scales. Our aim is to use complementary satellite sensors to mitigate these difficulties and gain greater insight into phenological patterns in dryland forests. In this study we applied the spatial and temporal adaptive reflectance model (STARFM; Gao et al. 2006) to fuse Landsat and MODIS imagery to create synthetic images at Landsat spatial resolution and MODIS temporal resolution. To determine which MODIS dataset is most appropriate for the creation of synthetic images intended for the analysis of dryland forest phenology, we examined the effect of temporal compositing and BRDF function adjustment on the accuracy of STARFM imagery. We assembled seven Landsat 5 scenes (path/row 37/36) and temporally-coincident 500m MODIS datasets (seven daily (MOD09GA), seven 8-day composite (MOD09A1), and fourteen 16-day nadir BRDF-adjusted composite (MCD43A4) images) spanning the 2006 April - October growing season in northern Arizona, which is characterized by large tracts of dryland forest. The STARFM algorithm was applied to each MODIS data series to produce four synthetic images (one daily; one 8-day composite; and two 16-day composites) corresponding to each Landsat image. Validation of the accuracy of the synthetic images was achieved by comparing the reflectance values of a random sample of the

[Application of BaSO4 diffuser plate in 250-400 nm spectral radiance calibration].

PubMed

Jia, Hui; Li, Fu-tian

2004-01-01

Sprayed BaSO4 diffuser plate is the most Lambertian surface actually used in spectral radiance calibration known by now. Its hemispheric reflectance and Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDF) were measured in the experiment. Its diffuse characteristics were compared with Lambertian surface. In order to calibrate spectral radiance more accurately, the small variation of diffuser's BRDF with scattered angles and the nonuniformity of spectral irradiance on diffuser surface illuminated by the standard lamp should be considered. By integrating the radiation flux reflected by the element area and that entering the entrance slit within the viewing area of spectrometer, the measured spectral radiance can be calculated. Furthermore, the spectral radiance of Lambertian surface whose BRDF was derived from hemispheric reflectance was compared with that from the average of the measured BRDF.

A New Radiometric Calibration Paradigm for the OMPS Nadir Total Column and Profile Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, Donald; Georgiew, Georgi

2011-01-01

A fused silica Mie Scattering Diffuser (MSD) has been developed at Ball Aerospace & Technology Corp. that has measured characteristics which could be used to increase the accuracy of the spectral albedo calibration of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Nadir ozone total column and profile instrument by almost an order of magnitude. Measurements have been made of the optical characteristics on both natural and synthetic forms of fused silica MSDs. Preliminary measurements suggest that MSDs are useable in the solar reflective wavelength region from 250 nm to 3.7 m. To date synthetic and natural MSDs have been irradiated for 60 hours of UV radiation from a solar simulator, and synthetic MSDs have been irradiated with increasing doses of Co-60 gamma rays at 30, 500 krads up to 1.5 Mrads, and 30 krads of 200 MeV protons. The principal effects have been small loses in transmittance at wavelengths < 350 nm. The high energy particle irradiation measurements were provided by Neal Nickles and Dean Spieth.

Association of Hematological Nadirs and Survival in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Hematopoietic Syndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome.

PubMed

Gluzman-Poltorak, Zoya; Vainstein, Vladimir; Basile, Lena A

2015-08-01

Recombinant human interleukin-12 (rHuIL-12) mitigates the hematopoietic subsyndrome of acute radiation syndrome (HSARS) after total body irradiation (TBI) in a nonhuman primate (NHP) model of HSARS. The mechanism for this effect appears to involve multiple effects of rHuIL-12 on hematopoiesis. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine hematological nadirs and survival across our three NHP completed studies. Animals were irradiated (700 cGy) and treated with a single subcutaneous injection of vehicle (n = 64) or rHuIL-12 (50-500 ng/kg; n = 108) 24-25 h after irradiation, or with daily subcutaneous injections of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF; 10 μg/kg/day) for 18 days starting 24-25 h after exposure (n = 26). Blood samples were obtained at various time points up to day 60 after TBI. Lymphocytes, neutrophils and platelets were significantly lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors in the overall sample and in each treatment group (P < 0.001 for each comparison, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Lymphocyte nadir was the strongest and most consistent predictor of death by Spearman's rank correlation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of death and threshold hematologic nadir values (where nadir values less than or equal the threshold are predictive of death) showed that a threshold of 0.08 × 10(9)/L for lymphocytes had the largest positive predictive value of death (97.2% and 92.5% for the control and rHuIL-12 groups, respectively) and high sensitivity (76.1% and 62.7%, respectively), consistent with human radiation victims data. The current findings suggest that enhanced early bone marrow regeneration resulting in increases in nadir values for all major blood cell types may be the main mechanism of action by which rHuIL-12 mitigates the lethality of HSARS.

Simultaneous overpass off nadir (SOON): a method for unified calibration/validation across IEOS and GEOSS system of systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardanuy, Philip; Bergen, Bill; Huang, Allen; Kratz, Gene; Puschell, Jeff; Schueler, Carl; Walker, Joe

2006-08-01

The US operates a diverse, evolving constellation of research and operational environmental satellites, principally in polar and geosynchronous orbits. Our current and enhanced future domestic remote sensing capability is complemented by the significant capabilities of our current and potential future international partners. In this analysis, we define "success" through the data customers' "eyes": participating in the sufficient and continuously improving satisfaction of their mission responsibilities. To successfully fuse together observations from multiple simultaneous platforms and sensors into a common, self-consistent, operational environment requires that there exist a unified calibration and validation approach. Here, we consider develop a concept for an integrating framework for absolute accuracy; long-term stability; self-consistency among sensors, platforms, techniques, and observing systems; and validation and characterization of performance. Across all systems, this is a non-trivial problem. Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses, or SNO's, provide a proven intercomparison technique: simultaneous, collocated, co-angular measurements. Many systems have off-nadir elements, or effects, that must be calibrated. For these systems, the nadir technique constrains the process. We define the term "SOON," for simultaneous overpass off nadir. We present a target architecture and sensitivity analysis for the affordable, sustainable implementation of a global SOON calibration/validation network that can deliver the much-needed comprehensive, common, self-consistent operational picture in near-real time, at an affordable cost.

Evaluation of a reflectance model used in the SeaWiFS ocean color algorithm: implications for chlorophyll concentration retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Banghua; Stamnes, Knut; Toratani, Mitsuhiro; Li, Wei; Stamnes, Jakob J.

2002-10-01

For the atmospheric correction of ocean-color imagery obtained over Case I waters with the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) instrument the method currently used to relax the black-pixel assumption in the near infrared (NIR) relies on (1) an approximate model for the nadir NIR remote-sensing reflectance and (2) an assumption that the water-leaving radiance is isotropic over the upward hemisphere. Radiance simulations based on a comprehensive radiative-transfer model for the coupled atmosphere-ocean system and measurements of the nadir remote-sensing reflectance at 670 nm compiled in the SeaWiFS Bio-optical Algorithm Mini-Workshop (SeaBAM) database are used to assess the validity of this method. The results show that (1) it is important to improve the flexibility of the reflectance model to provide more realistic predictions of the nadir NIR water-leaving reflectance for different ocean regions and (2) the isotropic assumption should be avoided in the retrieval of ocean color, if the chlorophyll concentration is larger than approximately 6, 10, and 40 mg m-3 when the aerosol optical depth is approximately 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3, respectively. Finally, we extend our scope to Case II ocean waters to gain insight and enhance our understanding of the NIR aspects of ocean color. The results show that the isotropic assumption is invalid in a wider range than in Case I waters owing to the enhanced water-leaving reflectance resulting from oceanic sediments in the NIR wavelengths.

Using Ground Targets to Validate S-NPP VIIRS Day-Night Band Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Xuexia; Wu, Aisheng; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Lei, Ning; Wang, Zhipeng; Chiang, Kwofu

2016-01-01

In this study, the observations from S-NPP VIIRS Day-Night band (DNB) and Moderate resolution bands (M bands) of Libya 4 and Dome C over the first four years of the mission are used to assess the DNB low gain calibration stability. The Sensor Data Records produced by NASA Land Product Evaluation and Algorithm Testing Element (PEATE) are acquired from nearly nadir overpasses for Libya 4 desert and Dome C snow surfaces. A kernel-driven bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) correction model is used for both Libya 4 and Dome C sites to correct the surface BRDF influence. At both sites, the simulated top-of-atmosphere (TOA) DNB reflectances based on SCIAMACHY spectral data are compared with Land PEATE TOA reflectances based on modulated Relative Spectral Response (RSR). In the Libya 4 site, the results indicate a decrease of 1.03% in Land PEATE TOA reflectance and a decrease of 1.01% in SCIAMACHY derived TOA reflectance over the period from April 2012 to January 2016. In the Dome C site, the decreases are 0.29% and 0.14%, respectively. The consistency between SCIAMACHY and Land PEATE data trends is good. The small difference between SCIAMACHY and Land PEATE derived TOA reflectances could be caused by changes in the surface targets, atmosphere status, and on-orbit calibration. The reflectances and radiances of Land PEATE DNB are also compared with matching M bands and the integral M bands based on M4, M5, and M7. The fitting trends of the DNB to integral M bands ratios indicate a 0.75% decrease at the Libya 4 site and a 1.89% decrease at the Dome C site. Part of the difference is due to an insufficient number of sampled bands available within the DNB wavelength range. The above results indicate that the Land PEATE VIIRS DNB product is accurate and stable. The methods used in this study can be used on other satellite instruments to provide quantitative assessments for calibration stability.

A climatology of visible surface reflectance spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoogman, Peter; Liu, Xiong; Chance, Kelly; Sun, Qingsong; Schaaf, Crystal; Mahr, Tobias; Wagner, Thomas

2016-09-01

We present a high spectral resolution climatology of visible surface reflectance as a function of wavelength for use in satellite measurements of ozone and other atmospheric species. The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument is planned to measure backscattered solar radiation in the 290-740 nm range, including the ultraviolet and visible Chappuis ozone bands. Observation in the weak Chappuis band takes advantage of the relative transparency of the atmosphere in the visible to achieve sensitivity to near-surface ozone. However, due to the weakness of the ozone absorption features this measurement is more sensitive to errors in visible surface reflectance, which is highly variable. We utilize reflectance measurements of individual plant, man-made, and other surface types to calculate the primary modes of variability of visible surface reflectance at a high spectral resolution, comparable to that of TEMPO (0.6 nm). Using the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Bidirection Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)/albedo product and our derived primary modes we construct a high spatial resolution climatology of wavelength-dependent surface reflectance over all viewing scenes and geometries. The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) Lambertian Equivalent Reflectance (LER) product provides complementary information over water and snow scenes. Preliminary results using this approach in multispectral ultraviolet+visible ozone retrievals from the GOME-2 instrument show significant improvement to the fitting residuals over vegetated scenes.

Bidirectional reflectance function in coastal waters: modeling and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilerson, Alex; Hlaing, Soe; Harmel, Tristan; Tonizzo, Alberto; Arnone, Robert; Weidemann, Alan; Ahmed, Samir

2011-11-01

The current operational algorithm for the correction of bidirectional effects from the satellite ocean color data is optimized for typical oceanic waters. However, versions of bidirectional reflectance correction algorithms, specifically tuned for typical coastal waters and other case 2 conditions, are particularly needed to improve the overall quality of those data. In order to analyze the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of case 2 waters, a dataset of typical remote sensing reflectances was generated through radiative transfer simulations for a large range of viewing and illumination geometries. Based on this simulated dataset, a case 2 water focused remote sensing reflectance model is proposed to correct above-water and satellite water leaving radiance data for bidirectional effects. The proposed model is first validated with a one year time series of in situ above-water measurements acquired by collocated multi- and hyperspectral radiometers which have different viewing geometries installed at the Long Island Sound Coastal Observatory (LISCO). Match-ups and intercomparisons performed on these concurrent measurements show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the algorithm currently in use at all wavelengths.

Evaluation of SCIAMACHY Level-1 data versions using nadir ozone profile retrievals in the period 2003-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Sweta; Tuinder, Olaf N. E.; van Peet, Jacob C. A.; de Laat, Adrianus T. J.; Stammes, Piet

2018-04-01

Ozone profile retrieval from nadir-viewing satellite instruments operating in the ultraviolet-visible range requires accurate calibration of Level-1 (L1) radiance data. Here we study the effects of calibration on the derived Level-2 (L2) ozone profiles for three versions of SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric ChartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) L1 data: version 7 (v7), version 7 with m-factors (v7mfac) and version 8 (v8). We retrieve nadir ozone profiles from the SCIAMACHY instrument that flew on board Envisat using the Ozone ProfilE Retrieval Algorithm (OPERA) developed at KNMI with a focus on stratospheric ozone. We study and assess the quality of these profiles and compare retrieved L2 products from L1 SCIAMACHY data versions from the years 2003 to 2011 without further radiometric correction. From validation of the profiles against ozone sonde measurements, we find that the v8 performs better than v7 and v7mfac due to correction for the scan-angle dependency of the instrument's optical degradation. Validation for the years 2003 and 2009 with ozone sondes shows deviations of SCIAMACHY ozone profiles of 0.8-15 % in the stratosphere (corresponding to pressure range ˜ 100-10 hPa) and 2.5-100 % in the troposphere (corresponding to pressure range ˜ 1000-100 hPa), depending on the latitude and the L1 version used. Using L1 v8 for the years 2003-2011 leads to deviations of ˜ 1-11 % in stratospheric ozone and ˜ 1-45 % in tropospheric ozone. The SCIAMACHY L1 v8 data can still be improved upon in the 265-330 nm range used for ozone profile retrieval. The slit function can be improved with a spectral shift and squeeze, which leads to a few percent residue reduction compared to reference solar irradiance spectra. Furthermore, studies of the ratio of measured to

Directional Degradation of Spectralon Diffuser Under Ionizing Radiation for Calibration of Space-Based Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, G. T.; Butler, J. J.; Kowalewski, M. G.; Ding, L.

2012-01-01

Assessment of the effect of Vacuum Ultra Violet (VUV) irradiation on the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of Spectralon is presented in this paper. The sample was a 99% white Spectralon calibration standard irradiated with VUV source positioned at 60o off the irradiation direction for a total of 20 hours. The BRDF before and after VUV irradiation was measured and compared at number of wavelengths in the UV, VIS and IR. Non-isotropic directional degradation of Spectralon diffuser under ionizing radiation was detected at different BRDF measurement geometries primarily at UV spectral range. The 8o directional/hemispherical reflectance of the same sample was also measured and compared from 200nm to 2500nm. Index Terms BRDF, Reflectance, Multiangular, Spectralon, Remote Sensing

The reflectance of Ames 24E, Infrablack, and Martin black. [anodizing coatings for far-infrared space telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Sheldon M.

1989-01-01

Results are reported from measurements of the specular reflectances (SRs) and bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) of three black optical coatings in the FIR wavelength range. The nonspecular reflectometer apparatus described by Smith (1984) is employed, and the data are presented in tables and graphs and discussed in detail. It is found that Ames 24E has an FIR SR one order of magnitude lower than that of Martin black (MB), with BRDF values characteristic of a nearly Lambertian surface, while Infrablack has SR two orders lower than MB and a specular-diffuse surface; MB itself has a very specular surface.

Estimating big bluestem albedo from directional reflectance measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irons, J. R.; Ranson, K. J.; Daughtry, C. S. T.

1988-01-01

Multidirectional reflectance factor measurements acquired in the summer of 1986 are used to make estimates of big bluestem grass albedo, evaluating the variation of albedo with changes in solar zenith angle and phenology. On any given day, the albedo was observed to increase by at least 19 percent as solar zenith angle increased. Changes in albedo were found to correspond to changes in the green leaf area index of the grass canopy. Estimates of albedo made using reflectance data acquired within only one or two azimuthal planes and at a restricted range of view zenith angle were evaluated and compared to 'true' albedos derived from all available reflectance factor data. It was found that even a limited amount of multiple direction reflectance data was preferable to a single nadir reflectance factor for the estimation of prarie grass albedo.

Light Curve Simulation Using Spacecraft CAD Models and Empirical Material Spectral BRDFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willison, A.; Bedard, D.

This paper presents a Matlab-based light curve simulation software package that uses computer-aided design (CAD) models of spacecraft and the spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (sBRDF) of their homogenous surface materials. It represents the overall optical reflectance of objects as a sBRDF, a spectrometric quantity, obtainable during an optical ground truth experiment. The broadband bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), the basis of a broadband light curve, is produced by integrating the sBRDF over the optical wavelength range. Colour-filtered BRDFs, the basis of colour-filtered light curves, are produced by first multiplying the sBRDF by colour filters, and integrating the products. The software package's validity is established through comparison of simulated reflectance spectra and broadband light curves with those measured of the CanX-1 Engineering Model (EM) nanosatellite, collected during an optical ground truth experiment. It is currently being extended to simulate light curves of spacecraft in Earth orbit, using spacecraft Two-Line-Element (TLE) sets, yaw/pitch/roll angles, and observer coordinates. Measured light curves of the NEOSSat spacecraft will be used to validate simulated quantities. The sBRDF was chosen to represent material reflectance as it is spectrometric and a function of illumination and observation geometry. Homogeneous material sBRDFs were obtained using a goniospectrometer for a range of illumination and observation geometries, collected in a controlled environment. The materials analyzed include aluminum alloy, two types of triple-junction photovoltaic (TJPV) cell, white paint, and multi-layer insulation (MLI). Interpolation and extrapolation methods were used to determine the sBRDF for all possible illumination and observation geometries not measured in the laboratory, resulting in empirical look-up tables. These look-up tables are referenced when calculating the overall sBRDF of objects, where

Contraction and Expansion of the Upper Zambezi Wetlands in Response to Precipitation Regime Changes and Impacts on Carbon, Energy and Water Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowman, L.; Barros, A. P.

2017-12-01

The Upper Zambezi River Basin (UZRB) serves as the headwater catchment of the fourth-largest river in Africa, provides essential freshwater resources to arid and semi-arid regions within its boundaries, and recharges the Northern Kalahari Aquifer. Shallow and clayey soils give way to seasonal waterlogging, especially along drainage lines, favoring the establishment of wetlands. Woodland savanna, grasslands and miombo dominate the UZRB's diverse ecosystem, marking a complex transition zone between the Congo tropical rainforest and the Kalahari Desert that reflects spatial rainfall gradients. Satellite imagery shows that permanent wetlands are located in low-lying convergence zones in the northeast and northwest corners of UZRB where surface-groundwater interactions are most vigorous. However, orographic precipitation gradients cannot fully explain interannual changes in wetland area and vegetation density. We hypothesize that changes in vegetation density result from nonlinear interactions and feedbacks among precipitation, canopy biophysical properties, soil moisture and groundwater processes modulated by topography and regional hydrogeology. This work aims to understand how changes in vegetation density, particularly in and around permanent and intermittent wetlands, impact carbon, energy and water fluxes. Using the MODIS Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance product, a seasonally-varying wetland class is derived that reflects inter-annual precipitation and groundwater variability. The Duke Coupled Hydrology Model with Prognostic Vegetation is adapted to include C4 photosynthesis for the UZRB grasslands and used to simulate changes in canopy density and impacts on gross primary productivity, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture at high spatial and temporal resolution. Initial results using the column-wise model provide a baseline for understanding surface fluxes before incorporating groundwater and subsurface flows crucial to investigating the implicit nonlinearities

Comparison of Radiation Pressure Perturbations on Rocket Bodies and Debris at Geosynchronous Earth Orbit

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

has highlighted the need for physically consistent radiation pressure and Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function ( BRDF ) models . This paper...seeks to evaluate the impact of BRDF -consistent radiation pres- sure models compared to changes in the other BRDF parameters. The differences in...orbital position arising because of changes in the shape, attitude, angular rates, BRDF parameters, and radiation pressure model are plotted as a

A Comparative Study of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function of Several Surfaces as a Mid-wave Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Standard

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

it for the symbology used in this document before reading this chapter. 2.1 BRDF Development In this section, the BRDF will first be briefly be...geometric occlusion term, which was de- picted in Figure 6. This term in the Cook-Torrance model describes the shadowing and masking effects, and is...where the min() function selects the least of the arguments. The first term in the minimum function is where no occlusion of any kind is occurring

OH line selection for nadir airglow gravity wave imaging in the auroral zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumer, J. B.; Hecht, J.; Geballe, T. R.; Mergenthaler, J. L.; Rinaldi, M.; Claflin, E. S.; Swenson, G. R.

2003-04-01

For satellite borne nadir OH airglow wave imaging in the auroral zone the observed lines must be strong enough to give good signal to noise, coincident with strong atmospheric absorption lines to suppress structure in the image due to reflection of airglow and moonlight from tops of clouds and from high altitude terrain, and in a spectral region coincident with relatively weak aurora that its contribution to the observed structure can be corrected by data obtained in a guard band containing relatively strong auroral emission, and relatively weak, or no airglow. OH airglow spectra observed from high altitude, in our case Mauna Kea by the UKIRT CGS4 grating instrument, (see website http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/JACpublic/UKIRT/instruments/cgs4/maunakea/ohlines.html) provide an opportunity to identify lines that ARE NOT observed at that high altitude. These are most absorbed in the earths atmosphere. These occur in the regions near 1400 and 1900 nm of strong water vapor absorption. Our preliminary determination is that the 7-5 p1(2) line at 1899.01 nm and the p1(3) at 1911.41 nm are the best candidates. These are missing in the observed spectra, and this is confirmed by running FASCODE transmission calculations from top of Mauna Kea to space at .01 cm-1 resolution. Similar calculations for conditions at which the high resolution Kitt peak atlas data were taken confirmed the calculations. OH line positions and relative strengths within the band were derived from the HITRAN data base, and transmitted lines in the 7-5 band were used to determine the strength of these lines. Each are the order 10 kR, and are about four to six times brighter than atmospheric absorbed candidate lines in the 1400 nm region. Also, the aurora in the 1900nm region is considerably weaker than in the 1400nm region. In fact the region 1351 to 1358 contains relatively strong aurora, and practically no airglow, and is candidate for an instrumental auroral guard band. The nadir imaging instrument which

Anticipatory synergy adjustments reflect individual performance of feedforward force control.

PubMed

Togo, Shunta; Imamizu, Hiroshi

2016-10-06

We grasp and dexterously manipulate an object through multi-digit synergy. In the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis, multi-digit synergy is defined as the coordinated control mechanism of fingers to stabilize variable important for task success, e.g., total force. Previous studies reported anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) that correspond to a drop of the synergy index before a quick change of the total force. The present study compared ASA's properties with individual performances of feedforward force control to investigate a relationship of those. Subjects performed a total finger force production task that consisted of a phase in which subjects tracked target line with visual information and a phase in which subjects produced total force pulse without visual information. We quantified their multi-digit synergy through UCM analysis and observed significant ASAs before producing total force pulse. The time of the ASA initiation and the magnitude of the drop of the synergy index were significantly correlated with the error of force pulse, but not with the tracking error. Almost all subjects showed a significant increase of the variance that affected the total force. Our study directly showed that ASA reflects the individual performance of feedforward force control independently of target-tracking performance and suggests that the multi-digit synergy was weakened to adjust the multi-digit movements based on a prediction error so as to reduce the future error. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying BRDF Effects in Comparing Landsat-7 and AVIRIS Near-Simultaneous Acquisitions for Studies of High Plains Vegetation Cover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, A. F. H.; Heidebrecht, K. B.; Gutmann, E. D.; Warner, A. S.; Johnson, E. L.; Lestak, L. R.

1999-01-01

Approximately 100,000 sq. km of the High Plains of the central United States are covered by sand dunes and sand sheets deposited during the Holocene. Soil-dating evidence shows that there were at least four periods of dune reactivation during major droughts in the last 10,000 years. The dunes in this region are anchored by vegetation. We have undertaken a study of land-use change in the High Plains from 1985 to the present using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ images to map variation in vegetation cover during wet and dry years. Mapping vegetation cover of less than 20% is important in modeling potential surface reactivation since at this level the vegetation no longer sufficiently shields sandy surfaces from movement by wind. Landsat TM data have both the spatial resolution and temporal coverage to facilitate vegetation cover analysis for model development and verification. However, there is still the question of how accurate TM data are for the measurement of both growing and senescent vegetation in and and semi-arid regions. AVIRIS provides both high spectral resolution as well as high signal-to-noise ratio and can be used to test the accuracy of Landsat TM and ETM+ data. We have analyzed data from AVIRIS flown nearly concurrently with a Landsat 7 overpass. The comparison between an AVIRIS image swath of 11 km width subtending a 30 deg. angle and the same area covered by a 0.8 deg. angle from Landsat required accounting for the BRDF. A normalization technique using the ratio of the reflectances from registered AVIRIS and Landsat data proved superior to the techniques of column averaging on AVIRIS data alone published previously by Kennedy et al. This technique can be applied to aircraft data covering a wider swath angle than AVIRIS to develop BRDF responses for a wide variety of surfaces more efficiently than from ground measurements.

Radiative Transfer Model for Contaminated Rough Surfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

grey). Right: reconstructed 3D BRDF . ........................................................ 14 Figure 6. Results of fitting the decay model to...in Section 3.2.5 and 4.2.2 that the decay model can allow the use of auxiliary H0 measurements. 2.2 RESULTS 2.2.1 BRDF FOR GOLD AND ALUMINUM Our...Reflectance Angle () R ef le ct an ce Meas. BRDF Lambertian 15 Figure 6. Results of fitting the decay model to angular reflectance for rough aluminum

Space Object Classification and Characterization Via Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-14

BRDF ) which models light distribution scattered from the surface due to the incident light. The BRDF at any point on the surface is a function of two...uu B vu B nu obs I u sun I u I hu (b) Reflection Geometry Fig. 2: Reflection Geometry and Space Object Shape Model of the BRDF is ρdiff(i...Space Object Classification and Characterization Via Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation Richard Linares Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow Space Science

Improved Discrete Ordinate Solutions in the Presence of an Anisotropically Reflecting Lower Boundary: Upgrades of the DISORT Computational Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Z.; Stamnes, S.; Jin, Z.; Laszlo, I.; Tsay, S. C.; Wiscombe, W. J.; Stamnes, K.

2015-01-01

A successor version 3 of DISORT (DISORT3) is presented with important upgrades that improve the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the algorithm. Compared with version 2 (DISORT2 released in 2000) these upgrades include (a) a redesigned BRDF computation that improves both speed and accuracy, (b) a revised treatment of the single scattering correction, and (c) additional efficiency and stability upgrades for beam sources. In DISORT3 the BRDF computation is improved in the following three ways: (i) the Fourier decomposition is prepared "off-line", thus avoiding the repeated internal computations done in DISORT2; (ii) a large enough number of terms in the Fourier expansion of the BRDF is employed to guarantee accurate values of the expansion coefficients (default is 200 instead of 50 in DISORT2); (iii) in the post processing step the reflection of the direct attenuated beam from the lower boundary is included resulting in a more accurate single scattering correction. These improvements in the treatment of the BRDF have led to improved accuracy and a several-fold increase in speed. In addition, the stability of beam sources has been improved by removing a singularity occurring when the cosine of the incident beam angle is too close to the reciprocal of any of the eigenvalues. The efficiency for beam sources has been further improved from reducing by a factor of 2 (compared to DISORT2) the dimension of the linear system of equations that must be solved to obtain the particular solutions, and by replacing the LINPAK routines used in DISORT2 by LAPACK 3.5 in DISORT3. These beam source stability and efficiency upgrades bring enhanced stability and an additional 5-7% improvement in speed. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate and quantify the improvements in accuracy and efficiency of DISORT3 compared to DISORT2.

Hematologic Nadirs During Chemoradiation for Anal Cancer: Temporal Characterization and Dosimetric Predictors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Andrew Y.; Golden, Daniel W.; Bazan, Jose G.

Purpose: Pelvic bone marrow (BM) constraints may offer a means to reduce the toxicity commonly associated with chemoradiation for anal cancer. We conducted a bi-institutional analysis of dose-volume metrics in a time-sensitive fashion to devise practical metrics to minimize hematologic toxicity. Methods and Materials: Fifty-six anal cancer patients from 2 institutions received definitive radiation therapy (median primary dose of 54 Gy) using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT, n=49) or 3-dimensional (3D) conformal therapy (n=7) with concurrent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin C. Weekly blood counts were retrospectively plotted to characterize the time course of cytopenias. Dose-volume parameters were correlated with blood countsmore » at a standardized time point to identify predictors of initial blood count nadirs. Results: Leukocytes, neutrophils, and platelets reached a nadir at week 3 of treatment. Smaller volumes of the pelvic BM correlated most strongly with lower week 3 blood counts, more so than age, sex, body mass index (BMI), or dose metrics. Patients who had ≥750 cc of pelvic BM spared from doses of ≥30 Gy had 0% grade 3+ leukopenia or neutropenia at week 3. Higher V40 Gy to the lower pelvic BM (LP V40) also correlated with cytopenia. Patients with an LP V40 >23% had higher rates of grade 3+ leukopenia (29% vs 4%, P=.02), grade 3+ neutropenia (33% vs 8%, P=.04), and grade 2+ thrombocytopenia (32% vs 7%, P=.04) at week 3. On multivariate analysis, pelvic BM volume and LP V40 remained associated with leukocyte count, and all marrow subsite volumes remained associated with neutrophil counts at week 3 (P<.1). Conclusions: Larger pelvic BM volumes correlate with less severe leukocyte and neutrophil nadirs, suggesting that larger total “marrow reserve” can mitigate cytopenias. Sparing a critical marrow reserve and limiting the V40 Gy to the lower pelvis may reduce the risk of hematologic toxicity.« less

Development of a Model to Correct Multi-View Angle above Water Measurements for the Analysis of the Bidirectional Reflectance of Coral and Other Reef Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, I.; Forster, B. C.; Laffan, S. W.

2012-07-01

Spectral reflectance characteristics of substrates in a coral reef environment are often measured in the field by viewing a substrate at nadir. However, viewing a substrate from multiple angles would likely result in different spectral characteristics for most coral reef substrates and provide valuable information on structural properties. To understand the relationship between the morphology of a substrate and its spectral response it is necessary to correct the observed above-water radiance for the effects of atmosphere and water attenuation, at a number of view and azimuth angles. In this way the actual surface reflectance can be determined. This research examines the air-water surface interaction for two hypothetical atmospheric conditions (clear Rayleigh scattering and totally cloudcovered) and the global irradiance reaching the benthic surface. It accounts for both water scattering and absorption, with simplifications for shallow water conditions, as well as the additive effect of background reflectance being reflected at the water-air surface at angles greater than the critical refraction angle (~48°). A model was developed to correct measured above-water radiance along the refracted view angle for its decrease due to path attenuation and the "n squared law of radiance" and the additive surface reflectance. This allows bidirectional benthic surface reflectance and nadir-normalised reflectance to be determined. These theoretical models were adapted to incorporate above-water measures relative to a standard, diffuse, white reference panel. The derived spectral signatures of a number of coral and non-coral benthic surfaces compared well with other published results, and the signatures and nadir normalised reflectance of the corals and other benthic surface classes indicate good class separation.

Clinical outcomes and nadir prostate-specific antigen (PSA) according to initial PSA levels in primary androgen deprivation therapy for metastatic prostate cancer.

PubMed

Kitagawa, Yasuhide; Ueno, Satoru; Izumi, Kouji; Kadono, Yoshifumi; Mizokami, Atsushi; Hinotsu, Shiro; Akaza, Hideyuki; Namiki, Mikio

2016-03-01

To investigate the clinical outcomes of metastatic prostate cancer patients and the relationship between nadir prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and different types of primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT). This study utilized data from the Japan Study Group of Prostate Cancer registry, which is a large, multicenter, population-based database. A total of 2982 patients treated with PADT were enrolled. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients treated using combined androgen blockade (CAB) and non-CAB therapies. The relationships between nadir PSA levels and PADT type according to initial serum PSA levels were also investigated. Among the 2982 enrolled patients, 2101 (70.5 %) were treated with CAB. Although CAB-treated patients had worse clinical characteristics, their probability of PFS and OS was higher compared with those treated with a non-CAB therapy. These results were due to a survival benefit with CAB in patients with an initial PSA level of 500-1000 ng/mL. Nadir PSA levels were significantly lower in CAB patients than in non-CAB patients with comparable initial serum PSA levels. A small survival benefit for CAB in metastatic prostate cancer was demonstrated in a Japanese large-scale prospective cohort study. The clinical significance of nadir PSA levels following PADT was evident, but the predictive impact of PSA nadir on OS was different between CAB and non-CAB therapy.

Airborne Spectral Measurements of Ocean Directional Reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, Charles K.; King, Michael D.; Lyapustin, Alexei; Arnold, G. Thomas; Redemann, Jens

2004-01-01

During summer of 2001 NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) obtained measurement of ocean angular distribution of reflected radiation or BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) aboard the University of Washington Convair CV-580 research aircraft under cloud-free conditions. The measurements took place aver the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern seaboard of the U.S. in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Light Tower and at nearby National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Buoy Stations. The measurements were in support of CLAMS, Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites, field campaign that was primarily designed to validate and improve NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite data products being derived from three sensors: MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer), MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer) and CERES (Clouds and Earth s Radiant Energy System). Because of the high resolution of the CAR measurements and its high sensitivity to detect weak ocean signals against a noisy background, results of radiance field above the ocean are seen in unprecedented detail. The study also attempts to validate the widely used Cox-Munk model for predicting reflectance from a rough ocean surface.

Integrating solar induced flourescence and the photochemical reflectance index for estimating gross primary production in a cornfield

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The utilization of remotely sensed observations for light use efficiency (LUE) and tower-based gross primary production (GPP) estimates was studied in a USDA cornfield. Nadir hyperspectral reflectance measurements were acquired at canopy level during a collaborative field campaign conducted in four ...

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite solar-shield material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbs, J. E.; Nofziger, M. J.; Bartell, F. O.; Wolfe, W. L.; Brooks, L. D.

1982-01-01

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) telescope has an outer shield on it which is used to reduce the amount of thermal radiation that enters the telescope. The shield forms the first part of the baffle structure which reduces the photon incidence on the focal plane. It was, therefore, necessary to model this structure for scattering, and a required input for such modeling is the scattering characteristic of this surface. Attention is given to the measurement of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), the reflected radiance divided by the incident irradiance at 10.6 micrometers, 118 micrometers, and at several angles of incidence. Visual observation of the gold sample shows that there are striations which line up in a single direction. The data were, therefore, taken with the sample oriented in each of two directions.

Optical Estimation of the 3D Shape of a Solar Illuminated, Reflecting Satellite Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antolin, J.; Yu, Z.; Prasad, S.

2016-09-01

The spatial distribution of the polarized component of the power reflected by a macroscopically smooth but microscopically roughened curved surface under highly directional illumination, as characterized by an appropriate bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), carries information about the three-dimensional (3D) shape of the surface. This information can be exploited to recover the surface shape locally under rather general conditions whenever power reflectance data for at least two different illumination or observation directions can be obtained. We present here two different parametric approaches for surface reconstruction, amounting to the recovery of the surface parameters that are either the global parameters of the family to which the surface is known a priori to belong or the coefficients of a low-order polynomial that can be employed to characterize a smoothly varying surface locally over the observed patch.

Bidirectional Reflectance Modeling of Non-homogeneous Plant Canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, J. M.

1984-01-01

Efforts to develop a three dimensional model to predict canopy, bidirectional reflectance for heterogenous plant stands using incident radiation and canopy structural descriptions as inputs are described. Utility programs were developed to cope with the complex output from the 3 dimensional model. In addition an attempt was made to define leaf and soil properties, which are appropriate to the mode, by measuring leaf and soil bidirectional reflectance distribution functions; since almost no data exist on these distributions. In the process it was realized that most models probably are using the wrong leaf spectral properties, and that off-nadir reflectance measurements are difficult to make because of non-Lambertian properties of reference surfaces. Also, in the visible wavebands, rough soil may not be distinguishable from canopies when viewed from above.

Recipe creation for automated defect classification with a 450mm surface scanning inspection system based on the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of native defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yathapu, Nithin; McGarvey, Steve; Brown, Justin; Zhivotovsky, Alexander

2016-03-01

This study explores the feasibility of Automated Defect Classification (ADC) with a Surface Scanning Inspection System (SSIS). The defect classification was based upon scattering sensitivity sizing curves created via modeling of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF). The BRDF allowed for the creation of SSIS sensitivity/sizing curves based upon the optical properties of both the filmed wafer samples and the optical architecture of the SSIS. The elimination of Polystyrene Latex Sphere (PSL) and Silica deposition on both filmed and bare Silicon wafers prior to SSIS recipe creation and ADC creates a challenge for light scattering surface intensity based defect binning. This study explored the theoretical maximal SSIS sensitivity based on native defect recipe creation in conjunction with the maximal sensitivity derived from BRDF modeling recipe creation. Single film and film stack wafers were inspected with recipes based upon BRDF modeling. Following SSIS recipe creation, initially targeting maximal sensitivity, selected recipes were optimized to classify defects commonly found on non-patterned wafers. The results were utilized to determine the ADC binning accuracy of the native defects and evaluate the SSIS recipe creation methodology. A statistically valid sample of defects from the final inspection results of each SSIS recipe and filmed substrate were reviewed post SSIS ADC processing on a Defect Review Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Native defect images were collected from each statistically valid defect bin category/size for SEM Review. The data collected from the Defect Review SEM was utilized to determine the statistical purity and accuracy of each SSIS defect classification bin. This paper explores both, commercial and technical, considerations of the elimination of PSL and Silica deposition as a precursor to SSIS recipe creation targeted towards ADC. Successful integration of SSIS ADC in conjunction with recipes created via BRDF

Assessment of Satellite Albedos Using NASA-CAR Airborne Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharbouche, S.; Charles, G.; Muller, J. P.

2016-12-01

Airborne BRF (Bidirectional Reflectance Factor) data has been acquired at multiple altitudes by the NASA CAR (Cloud Absorption Radiometer) multi-spectral instrument since the late 1990s in order to study the reflectance over different types of landscapes depending upon wavelengths, view angles and spatial scales, and to assess derived BRFs from multispectral satellites. As the measured BRFs are taken over a very short period (< 2 minutes), we minimise the effects of solar angles and atmospheric effects. This allows the derivation of a dense set of BRFs which allow direct display of polar plots of the BRDF for different sites in the Arctic. Also, as the measurements have been taken at different flight heights, the upscaling issue can be addressed and detailed with concrete samples. The CAR instrument is well calibrated (back to NIST standards) and can be compared with some ground measurements on the ground. So the derived BRF data for this instrument are likely to be highly reliable and can be used in the validation of some satellites products like radiance, reflectance and albedo, as well as in the BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) modelling and in the development of new atmospheric correction techniques. The NASA-CAR, developed by NASA-GSFC can be carried and integrated into many experimental aircraft. So, CAR can be considered as an airborne multi-wavelength scanning radiometer that can measure radiance with instantaneous fields of view of 1°. Over targeted sites, the CAR flies circularly and scans through 180° from straight above, through the horizon to straight down. Data are recorded in 14 narrow spectral bands located in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared regions in the electromagnetic spectrum (0.340-2.301 mm). The ray or spot at nadir depends on the flight height. It varies from 1m (height=110m) to 48m (height=5500m). We will show in this presentation the accuracy of BRF, BRDF and Black-Sky-Albedo of MODIS, MISR, MERIS, VGT

PSA nadir as a predictive factor for biochemical disease-free survival and overall survival following whole-gland salvage HIFU following radiotherapy failure.

PubMed

Shah, T T; Peters, M; Kanthabalan, A; McCartan, N; Fatola, Y; van der Voort van Zyp, J; van Vulpen, M; Freeman, A; Moore, C M; Arya, M; Emberton, M; Ahmed, H U

2016-09-01

Treatment options for radio-recurrent prostate cancer are either androgen-deprivation therapy or salvage prostatectomy. Whole-gland high-intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) might have a role in this setting. An independent HIFU registry collated consecutive cases of HIFU. Between 2005 and 2012, we identified 50 men who underwent whole-gland HIFU following histological confirmation of localised disease following prior external beam radiotherapy (2005-2012). No upper threshold was applied for risk category, PSA or Gleason grade either at presentation or at the time of failure. Progression was defined as a composite with biochemical failure (Phoenix criteria (PSA>nadir+2 ng ml(-1))), start of systemic therapies or metastases. Median age (interquartile range (IQR)), pretreatment PSA (IQR) and Gleason score (range) were 68 years (64-72), 5.9 ng ml(-1) (2.2-11.3) and 7 (6-9), respectively. Median follow-up was 64 months (49-84). In all, 24/50 (48%) avoided androgen-deprivation therapies. Also, a total of 28/50 (56%) achieved a PSA nadir <0.5 ng ml(-1), 15/50 (30%) had a nadir ⩾0.5 ng ml(-1) and 7/50 (14%) did not nadir (PSA non-responders). Actuarial 1, 3 and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 72, 40 and 31%, respectively. Actuarial 1, 3 and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 100, 94 and 87%, respectively. When comparing patients with PSA nadir <0.5 ng ml(-1), nadir ⩾0.5 and non-responders, a statistically significant difference in PFS was seen (P<0.0001). Three-year PFS in each group was 57, 20 and 0%, respectively. Five-year OS was 96, 100 and 38%, respectively. Early in the learning curve, between 2005 and 2007, 3/50 (6%) developed a fistula. Intervention for bladder outlet obstruction was needed in 27/50 (54%). Patient-reported outcome measure questionnaires showed incontinence (any pad-use) as 8/26 (31%). In our series of high-risk patients, in whom 30-50% may have micro-metastases, disease control rates were promising in PSA

Using Multi-Angle WorldView-2 Imagery to Determine Ocean Depth Near Oahu, Hawaii

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Reflection geometry used in the definition of BRDF (From McConnon [2010...Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer BRDF : Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function DHMs: Digital Height Maps DNs: Digital Numbers EM...navigation and fisheries management, and are also helpful for improving models of ocean circulation, air-sea interaction, weather forecasting, and

Plasma etched surface scanning inspection recipe creation based on bidirectional reflectance distribution function and polystyrene latex spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saldana, Tiffany; McGarvey, Steve; Ayres, Steve

2014-04-01

The continual increasing demands upon Plasma Etching systems to self-clean and continue Plasma Etching with minimal downtime allows for the examination of SiCN, SiO2 and SiN defectivity based upon Surface Scanning Inspection Systems (SSIS) wafer scan results. Historically all Surface Scanning Inspection System wafer scanning recipes have been based upon Polystyrene Spheres wafer deposition for each film stack and the subsequent creation of light scattering sizing response curves. This paper explores the feasibility of the elimination of Polystyrene Latex Sphere (PSL) and/or process particle deposition on both filmed and bare Silicon wafers prior to Surface Scanning Inspection System recipe creation. The study will explore the theoretical maximal Surface Scanning Inspection System sensitivity based on PSL recipe creation in conjunction with the maximal sensitivity derived from Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) maximal sensitivity modeling recipe creation. The surface roughness (Root Mean Square) of plasma etched wafers varies dependent upon the process film stack. Decrease of the root mean square value of the wafer sample surface equates to higher surface scanning inspection system sensitivity. Maximal sensitivity SSIS scan results from bare and filmed wafers inspected with recipes created based upon Polystyrene/Particle Deposition and recipes created based upon BRDF modeling will be overlaid against each other to determine maximal sensitivity and capture rate for each type of recipe that was created with differing recipe creation modes. A statistically valid sample of defects from each Surface Scanning Inspection system recipe creation mode and each bare wafer/filmed substrate will be reviewed post SSIS System processing on a Defect Review Scanning Electron Microscope (DRSEM). Native defects, Polystyrene Latex Spheres will be collected from each statistically valid defect bin category/size. The data collected from the DRSEM will be utilized to

TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nadir V7 (TL2CO2N)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-01-18

... TES/Aura L2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Nadir (TL2CO2N) News:  TES News Join TES News List Project ... TES Order Tool Parameters:  Earth Science Atmosphere Atmospheric Chemistry/Carbon and Hydrocarbon Compounds ...

Gloss evaluation from soft and hard metrologies.

PubMed

Wang, Zihao; Xu, Lihao; Hu, Yu; Mirjalili, Fereshteh; Luo, Ming Ronnier

2017-09-01

Recent advances in bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) acquisitions have provided a novel approach for appearance measurement and analysis. In particular, since gloss appearance is dependent on the directional reflective properties of surfaces, it is reasonable to leverage the BRDF for gloss evaluation. In this paper, we investigate gloss appearance from both soft metrology and hard metrology. A psychophysical experiment was conducted for the gloss assessment of 47 neutral-color samples. In the evaluation of gloss perception from gloss meter measurements, we report several ambiguous correspondences in the medium gloss range. In order to analyze and explain this phenomenon, the BRDF was acquired and examined using a commercial BRDF measuring device. With an improved correlation-to-visual perception, we propose a two-dimensional gloss model by combining a parameter, the standard deviation of the specular lobe, from Ward's BRDF model with measured gloss values.

Surface characteristics modeling and performance evaluation of urban building materials using LiDAR data.

PubMed

Li, Xiaolu; Liang, Yu

2015-05-20

Analysis of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) intensity data to extract surface features is of great interest in remote sensing research. One potential application of LiDAR intensity data is target classification. A new bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model is derived for target characterization of rough and smooth surfaces. Based on the geometry of our coaxial full-waveform LiDAR system, the integration method is improved through coordinate transformation to establish the relationship between the BRDF model and intensity data of LiDAR. A series of experiments using typical urban building materials are implemented to validate the proposed BRDF model and integration method. The fitting results show that three parameters extracted from the proposed BRDF model can distinguish the urban building materials from perspectives of roughness, specular reflectance, and diffuse reflectance. A comprehensive analysis of these parameters will help characterize surface features in a physically rigorous manner.

Computerized data reduction techniques for nadir viewing remote sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiwari, S. N.; Gormsen, Barbara B.

1985-01-01

Computer resources have been developed for the analysis and reduction of MAPS experimental data from the OSTA-1 payload. The MAPS Research Project is concerned with the measurement of the global distribution of mid-tropospheric carbon monoxide. The measurement technique for the MAPS instrument is based on non-dispersive gas filter radiometer operating in the nadir viewing mode. The MAPS experiment has two passive remote sensing instruments, the prototype instrument which is used to measure tropospheric air pollution from aircraft platforms and the third generation (OSTA) instrument which is used to measure carbon monoxide in the mid and upper troposphere from space platforms. Extensive effort was also expended in support of the MAPS/OSTA-3 shuttle flight. Specific capabilities and resources developed are discussed.

Assessment of a Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Correction of Above-Water and Satellite Water-Leaving Radiance in Coastal Waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hlaing, Soe; Gilerson, Alexander; Harmal, Tristan; Tonizzo, Alberto; Weidemann, Alan; Arnone, Robert; Ahmed, Samir

2012-01-01

Water-leaving radiances, retrieved from in situ or satellite measurements, need to be corrected for the bidirectional properties of the measured light in order to standardize the data and make them comparable with each other. The current operational algorithm for the correction of bidirectional effects from the satellite ocean color data is optimized for typical oceanic waters. However, versions of bidirectional reflectance correction algorithms specifically tuned for typical coastal waters and other case 2 conditions are particularly needed to improve the overall quality of those data. In order to analyze the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of case 2 waters, a dataset of typical remote sensing reflectances was generated through radiative transfer simulations for a large range of viewing and illumination geometries. Based on this simulated dataset, a case 2 water focused remote sensing reflectance model is proposed to correct above-water and satellite water-leaving radiance data for bidirectional effects. The proposed model is first validated with a one year time series of in situ above-water measurements acquired by collocated multispectral and hyperspectral radiometers, which have different viewing geometries installed at the Long Island Sound Coastal Observatory (LISCO). Match-ups and intercomparisons performed on these concurrent measurements show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the algorithm currently in use at all wavelengths, with average improvement of 2.4% over the spectral range. LISCO's time series data have also been used to evaluate improvements in match-up comparisons of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite data when the proposed BRDF correction is used in lieu of the current algorithm. It is shown that the discrepancies between coincident in-situ sea-based and satellite data decreased by 3.15% with the use of the proposed algorithm.

Trial-by-trial fluctuations in CNV amplitude reflect anticipatory adjustment of response caution.

PubMed

Boehm, Udo; van Maanen, Leendert; Forstmann, Birte; van Rijn, Hedderik

2014-08-01

The contingent negative variation, a slow cortical potential, occurs when humans are warned by a stimulus about an upcoming task. The cognitive processes that give rise to this EEG potential are not yet well understood. To explain these processes, we adopt a recently developed theoretical framework from the area of perceptual decision-making. This framework assumes that the basal ganglia control the tradeoff between fast and accurate decision-making in the cortex. It suggests that an increase in cortical excitability serves to lower response caution, which results in faster but more error prone responding. We propose that the CNV reflects this increased cortical excitability. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an EEG experiment in which participants performed the random dot motion task either under speed or under accuracy stress. Our results show that trial-by-trial fluctuations in participants' response speed as well as model-based estimates of response caution correlated with single-trial CNV amplitude under conditions of speed but not accuracy stress. We conclude that the CNV might reflect adjustments of response caution, which serves to enhance quick decision-making. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nadir Measurements of Carbon Monoxide Distributions by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer Instrument Onboard the Aura Spacecraft: Overview of Analysis Approach and Examples of Initial Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinsland, Curtis P.; Luo, Ming; Logan, Jennifer A.; Beer, Reinhard; Worden, Helen; Kulawik, Susan S.; Rider, David; Osterman, Greg; Gunson, Michael; Eldering, Annmarie;

Nadir measurements of carbon monoxide distributions by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer instrument onboard the Aura Spacecraft: Overview of analysis approach and examples of initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinsland, Curtis P.; Luo, Ming; Logan, Jennifer A.; Beer, Reinhard; Worden, Helen; Kulawik, Susan S.; Rider, David; Osterman, Greg; Gunson, Michael; Eldering, Annmarie; Goldman, Aaron; Shephard, Mark; Clough, Shepard A.; Rodgers, Clive; Lampel, Michael; Chiou, Linda

2006-11-01

We provide an overview of the nadir measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) obtained thus far by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES). The instrument is a high resolution array Fourier transform spectrometer designed to measure infrared spectral radiances from low Earth orbit. It is one of four instruments successfully launched onboard the Aura platform into a sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of 705 km on July 15, 2004 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Nadir spectra are recorded at 0.06-cm-1 spectral resolution with a nadir footprint of 5 × 8 km. We describe the TES retrieval approach for the analysis of the nadir measurements, report averaging kernels for typical tropical and polar ocean locations, characterize random and systematic errors for those locations, and describe instrument performance changes in the CO spectral region as a function of time. Sample maps of retrieved CO for the middle and upper troposphere from global surveys during December 2005 and April 2006 highlight the potential of the results for measurement and tracking of global pollution and determining air quality from space.

Measuring and modeling near-surface reflected and emitted radiation fluxes at the FIFE site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blad, Blaine L.; Walter-Shea, Elizabeth A.; Starks, Patrick J.; Vining, Roel C.; Hays, Cynthia J.; Mesarch, Mark A.

1990-01-01

Information is presented pertaining to the measurement and estimation of reflected and emitted components of the radiation balance. Information is included about reflectance and transmittance of solar radiation from and through the leaves of some grass and forb prairie species, bidirectional reflectance from a prairie canopy is discussed and measured and estimated fluxes are described of incoming and outgoing longwave and shortwave radiation. Results of the study showed only very small differences in reflectances and transmittances for the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of grass species in the visible and infrared wavebands, but some differences in the infrared wavebands were noted for the forbs. Reflectance from the prairie canopy changed as a function of solar and view zenith angles in the solar principal plane with definite asymmetry about nadir. The surface temperature of prairie canopies was found to vary by as much as 5 C depending on view zenith and azimuth position and on the solar azimuth. Aerodynamic temperature calculated from measured sensible heat fluxes ranged from 0 to 3 C higher than nadir-viewed temperatures. Models were developed to estimate incoming and reflected shortwave radiation from data collected with a Barnes Modular Multiband Radiometer. Several algorithms for estimating incoming longwave radiation were evaluated and compared to actual measures of that parameter. Net radiation was calculated using the estimated components of the shortwave radiation streams, determined from the algorithms developed, and from the longwave radiation streams provided by the Brunt, modified Deacon, and the Stefan-Boltzmann models. Estimates of net radiation were compared to measured values and found to be within the measurement error of the net radiometers used in the study.

Relating a Spectral Index from MODIS and Tower-based Measurements to Ecosystem Light Use Efficiency for a Fluxnet-Canada Coniferous Forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Middleton, Elizabeth M.; Cheng, Yen-Ben; Hilker, Thomas; Huemmrich, Karl F.; Black, T. Andrew; Krishnan, Praveena; Coops, Nicholas C.

2008-01-01

reflectance forward scatter minimum), while the intermediate, mixed sunlit/shade sector was located in the cross-plane to the SPP. The PRI indices clearly captured the differences in leaf groups, with sunlit foliage exhibiting the lowest values on sunny days throughout the 2006 season. When tower-based canopy-level LUE was recalculated to estimate foliage-based values (LUE(sub foilage) for the three foliage groups under their incident light environments, a strong linear relationship for PRI:LUE(sub foilage) was demonstrated (0.6 less than or equal to r(sup 2) less than or equal to 0.8, n=822, P<0.0001). The MODIS data represent relatively large areas when acquired at nadir (approx.1 sq km) or at variable off-nadir view angles (greater than or equal to 1 sq km) looking forward or aft. Nevertheless, a similar relationship between MODIS PRI and tower-based LUE was obtained from satellite observations (r(sup 2) = 0.76, n=105, P= 0.026) when the azimuth offsets from the SPP for off-nadir observations were considered. At this relatively high latitude of 50 degrees, the MODIS directional observations were offset from the SPP by approximately 50 degrees, but still represented backscatter or forward scatter sectors of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The backscatter observations sampled the sunlit forest and provided lower PRI values, in general, than the forward scatter observations from the shaded forest. Since the hotspot and darkspot were not typically directly observed, the dynamic range for MODIS PRI was less than that observed in the SPP at the canopy level; therefore, MODIS PRI values were more similar to those observed in sifu in the BRDF cross-plane. While not ideal in terms of spatial resolution or optimal viewing configuration, the MODIS observations nevertheless provide a means to monitor forest under stress using narrow spectral band indices and off-nadir observations. This research has stimulated several spin-off studies for remote sensinf LUE

Airborne Spectral Measurements of Ocean Anisotropy during CLAMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, C. K.; King, M. D.; Arnold, G. T.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) aboard the University of Washington Convair CV-580 research aircraft obtained bidirectional reflectance-distribution function (BRDF) of Atlantic Ocean and Dismal Swamp between July 10 and August 2, 2001. The BRDF measurements (15 in total, 8 uncontaminated by clouds) obtained under a variety of sun angles and wind conditions, will be used to characterize ocean anisotropy in support of Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites (CLAMS) science objectives principally to validate products from NASA's EOS satellites, and to parameterize and validate BRDF models of the ocean. In this paper we present results of BRDF of the Ocean under different sun angles and wind conditions. The CAR is capable of measuring scattered light in fourteen spectral bands. The scan mirror, rotating at 100 rpm, directs the light into a Dall-Kirkham telescope where the beam is split into nine paths. Eight light beams pass through beam splitters, dichroics, and lenses to individual detectors (0.34-1.27 micron), and finally are registered by eight data channels. They are sampled simultaneously and continuously. The ninth beam passes through a spinning filter wheel to an InSb detector cooled by a Stirling cycle cooler. Signals registered by the ninth data channel are selected from among six spectral channels (1.55-2.30 micron). The filter wheel can either cycle through all six spectral bands at a prescribed interval (usually changing filter every fifth scan line), or lock onto any one of the six spectral bands and sample it continuously. To measure the BRF of the surface-atmosphere system, the University of Washington CV-580 had to fly in a circle about 3 km in diameter above the surface for roughly two minutes. Replicated observations (multiple circular orbits) were acquired over selected surfaces so that average BRF smooth out small-scale surface and atmospheric inhomogeneities. At an altitude of 600 m above the targeted surface area and

Attitude Estimation for Unresolved Agile Space Objects with Shape Model Uncertainty

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Simulated lightcurve data using the Cook-Torrance [8] Bidirectional Reflectivity Distribution Function ( BRDF ) model was first applied in a batch estimation...framework to ellipsoidal SO models in geostationary orbits [9]. The Ashikhmin-Shirley [10] BRDF has also been used to study estimation of specular...non-convex 300 facet model and simulated lightcurves using a combination of Lambertian and Cook-Torrance (specular) BRDF models with an Unscented

Reflections on societal change, adjustments, and responses.

PubMed

Friedlander, D; Okun, B

2009-04-01

Building on Davis (1963) and subsequent work, we propose a conceptual framework that provides a guide for the organization of empirical demographic research. Our approach is based on the notion that changes in nuptiality, fertility, and migration are not objectives in and of themselves, but means for reducing welfare gaps - defined as the gaps between actual welfare and that which could be attained with altered demographic and/or other behavior. We clarify theoretical issues concerning three levels of analysis. At the highest level, societal change leads to welfare gaps for families and/or individuals. In turn, behavioral adjustments are made to reduce these gaps. Finally, demographic responses at the community level result when large numbers of families and/or individuals adjust behavior in a particular manner. We consider and exemplify relationships among demographic and other responses in historical, agricultural contexts.

Astrometric and Photometric Data Fusion for Mass and Surface Material Estimation using Refined Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions-Solar Radiation Pressure Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

model and the BRDF in the SRP model are not consistent with each other, then the resulting estimated albedo-areas and mass are inaccurate and biased...This work studies the use of physically consistent BRDF -SRP models for mass estimation. Simulation studies are used to provide an indication of the...benefits of using these new models . An unscented Kalman filter approach that includes BRDF and mass parameters in the state vector is used. The

Directional emissivity and reflectance: dependence on emergence angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maturilli, Alessandro; Helbert, Jörn

2017-04-01

Dependence of laboratory measured emissivity spectra from the emergence angle is a subject that still needs a lot of investigations to be fully understood. Most of the previous work is based on reflectance measurements in the VIS-NIR spectral region and on emissivity measurements of flat, solid surfaces (mainly metals), which are not directly applicable to the analysis of remote sensing data. Small bodies in particular (c.f. asteroids Itokawa and 1999JU3, the respective targets of JAXA Hayabusa and Hayabusa 2 missions) have a very irregular surface; hence the spectra from those rough surfaces are difficult to compare with laboratory spectra, where the observing geometry is always close to "nadir". At the Planetary Emissivity Laboratory (PEL) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) we have set-up a series of spectral measurements to investigate this problem in the 1 - 16 µm spectral region. We measured the emissivity for two asteroid analog materials (meteorite Millbillillie and a synthetic enstatite) in vacuum and under purged air, at surface temperature of 100°C, for emergence angles of 0°, 5°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, and 60°. Emissivity of a serpentinite slab, already used as calibration target for the MARA instrument on Hayabusa 2 MASCOT lander, and for the Thermal Infrared Imager (TIR) spectrometer on Hayabusa 2 orbiter was measured under the same conditions. Additionally a second basalt slab was measured. Both slabs were not measured at 5° inclination. Complementary reflectance measurements of the four samples were taken. For all the samples measured, we found that for calibrated emissivity, significant variations from values obtained at nadir (0° emergence angle) appear only for emergence angles ≥ 40°. Reflectance measurements confirmed this finding, showing the same trend of variations.

Application of a neural network for reflectance spectrum classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gefei; Gartley, Michael

2017-05-01

Traditional reflectance spectrum classification algorithms are based on comparing spectrum across the electromagnetic spectrum anywhere from the ultra-violet to the thermal infrared regions. These methods analyze reflectance on a pixel by pixel basis. Inspired by high performance that Convolution Neural Networks (CNN) have demonstrated in image classification, we applied a neural network to analyze directional reflectance pattern images. By using the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data, we can reformulate the 4-dimensional into 2 dimensions, namely incident direction × reflected direction × channels. Meanwhile, RIT's micro-DIRSIG model is utilized to simulate additional training samples for improving the robustness of the neural networks training. Unlike traditional classification by using hand-designed feature extraction with a trainable classifier, neural networks create several layers to learn a feature hierarchy from pixels to classifier and all layers are trained jointly. Hence, the our approach of utilizing the angular features are different to traditional methods utilizing spatial features. Although training processing typically has a large computational cost, simple classifiers work well when subsequently using neural network generated features. Currently, most popular neural networks such as VGG, GoogLeNet and AlexNet are trained based on RGB spatial image data. Our approach aims to build a directional reflectance spectrum based neural network to help us to understand from another perspective. At the end of this paper, we compare the difference among several classifiers and analyze the trade-off among neural networks parameters.

Evaluation of the global MODIS 30 arc-second spatially and temporally complete snow-free land surface albedo and reflectance anisotropy dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qingsong; Wang, Zhuosen; Li, Zhan; Erb, Angela; Schaaf, Crystal B.

2017-06-01

Land surface albedo is an essential variable for surface energy and climate modeling as it describes the proportion of incident solar radiant flux that is reflected from the Earth's surface. To capture the temporal variability and spatial heterogeneity of the land surface, satellite remote sensing must be used to monitor albedo accurately at a global scale. However, large data gaps caused by cloud or ephemeral snow have slowed the adoption of satellite albedo products by the climate modeling community. To address the needs of this community, we used a number of temporal and spatial gap-filling strategies to improve the spatial and temporal coverage of the global land surface MODIS BRDF, albedo and NBAR products. A rigorous evaluation of the gap-filled values shows good agreement with original high quality data (RMSE = 0.027 for the NIR band albedo, 0.020 for the red band albedo). This global snow-free and cloud-free MODIS BRDF and albedo dataset (established from 2001 to 2015) offers unique opportunities to monitor and assess the impact of the changes on the Earth's land surface.

Effect of wildfires on surface reflectance from a savanna ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poudyal, R.; Gatebe, C. K.; Ichoku, C. M.; Varnai, T.

2015-12-01

During an airborne field campaign in South Africa in 2005, NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) flew aboard South Africa Weather Service, Aerocommander 690A and measured surface bidirectional reflectance-distribution function (BRDF) over savanna comprised mostly of grasses and a few scattered trees. Savannas cover half the surface of Africa, large areas of Australia, South America, and India. . The region that was studied is located in Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa, which was heavily affected by the wildfires. The CAR measured surface reflectance along its flight path covering both burned and unburned areas. . In this study, we compared surface reflectance between burnt and un-burnt areas at various wavelengths (340nm, 380nm, 472nm, 682nm, 870nm, 1036nm, 1219nm, 1273nm, and 2205nm) at satellite sub-pixel scales. We found a relative burnt surface reflectance decrease of between 8 and 65% due to fires. These results not only serve to highlight the importance of biomass burning and effects on the energy budgets, but also the need to determine the effects of albedo changes due to fires on soil moisture budget, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and runoff, all of which govern the land-surface component of the water cycle.

jasonSWIR Calibration of Spectralon Reflectance Factor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiev, Georgi T.; Butler, James J.; Cooksey, Cahterine; Ding, Leibo; Thome, Kurtis J.

2011-01-01

Satellite instruments operating in the reflective solar wavelength region require accurate and precise determination of the Bidirectional Reflectance Factor (BRF) of laboratory-based diffusers used in their pre-flight and on-orbit radiometric calibrations. BRF measurements are required throughout the reflected-solar spectrum from the ultraviolet through the shortwave infrared. Spectralon diffusers are commonly used as a reflectance standard for bidirectional and hemispherical geometries. The Diffuser Calibration Laboratory (DCaL) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is a secondary calibration facility with reflectance measurements traceable to those made by the Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For more than two decades, the DCaL has provided numerous NASA projects with BRF data in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS) and the Near infraRed (NIR) spectral regions. Presented in this paper are measurements of BRF from 1475nm to 1625nm obtained using an indium gallium arsenide detector and a tunable coherent light source. The sample was a 2 inch diameter, 99% white Spectralon target. The BRF results are discussed and compared to empirically generated data from a model based on NIST certified values of 6deg directional/hemispherical spectral reflectance factors from 900nm to 2500nm. Employing a new NIST capability for measuring bidirectional reflectance using a cooled, extended InGaAs detector, BRF calibration measurements of the same sample were also made using NIST's STARR from 1475nm to 1625nm at an incident angle of 0deg and at viewing angles of 40deg, 45deg, and 50deg. The total combined uncertainty for BRF in this ShortWave Infrared (SWIR) range is less than 1%. This measurement capability will evolve into a BRF calibration service in SWIR region in support of NASA remote sensing missions. Keywords: BRF, BRDF, Calibration, Spectralon, Reflectance, Remote Sensing.

Predictive factors of 18F-choline PET/CT positivity in patients with prostate cancer recurrence after radiation therapy: is the impact of PSA nadir underestimated?

PubMed

Johnson, Alison C; Dugué, Audrey Emmanuelle; Silva, Marlon; Moise, Laura; Tillou, Xavier; Joly, Florence; Aide, Nicolas

2016-12-01

The objective of this study is to explore the impact of PSA nadirs on detection rates of prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence with 18 F-choline (CH) PET/CT after external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). In this retrospective study, data were collected from 54 patients with suspicion of PCa biochemical recurrence after EBRT (28 patients treated initially with EBRT and 26 as salvage therapy in the absence of PSA decrease after initial treatment), who underwent 18 F-CH PET/CT between 2010 and 2015. PSA nadir and trigger PSA were collected from patient files. Relative PSA was calculated by subtracting the nadir from the trigger PSA. Median PSA nadir was 0.31 (0.01-13.31) ng/mL, trigger PSA was 7.85 (0.47-111.60) ng/mL, and relative PSA was 6.05 (0.24-104.59) ng/mL. Overall, 40 (74%) PET/CT scans were positive: recurrence was local and/or regional in 29 patients, distant in 15 and combined both in four, with no association between PSA values and sites of recurrence. In univariate analysis, trigger (p = 0.015) and relative (p = 0.0005) PSA values and PSA velocity (p = 0.01) were significantly linked to positive PET/CT, but PSA nadir was not. In subgroup analysis, these significant differences were only found in the salvage EBRT group. Akaike Information Criterion multivariate model comparison found that relative PSA was a better predictor of positive PET/CT than trigger PSA (PSAt). 18 F-CH PET/CT detection rates increased with trigger and relative PSA: 0% (0/4 patients), 71% (5/7 patients), and 81% (35/43 patients) for PSAt <2 ng/mL, 2≤ PSAt ≤4 ng/mL, and PSAt >4 ng/mL, respectively, and 14% (1/7 patients), 50% (5/10 patients), and 92% (34/37 patients) when relative PSA was taken into account instead of trigger PSA, with seven (13%) patients changing subgroups. We found a high overall detection rate and an increase in detection rates proportional to trigger and relative PSAs. Although relative PSA, taking into account PSA nadir, was a better predictive

Detection Method of Lightning and TLEs by JEM-GLIMS Nadir Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adachi, T.; Sato, M.; Ushio, T.; Yamazaki, A.; Suzuki, M.; Masayuki, K.; Takahashi, Y.; Inan, U.; Linscott, I.; Hobara, Y.

2013-12-01

A scientific payload named JEM-GLIMS aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is aimed at observing lightning and Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) globally. Keeping its field-of-view toward the nadir direction, GLIMS clarifies the horizontal structures of lightning and TLEs, which is a crucial issue to understand the electrodynamic coupling between the troposphere and ionosphere. A difficult point, however, is that careful analyses are necessary to separate the emissions of lightning and TLEs which spatially overlap along the line-of-sights in the case of nadir observation. In this study, we analyze the multi-wavelength optical data obtained by GLIMS to identify lightning and TLEs. The main data analyzed are those of imager (LSI) and spectrophotometer (PH). LSI consists of two cameras equipped with a broadband red filter and a narrowband 762-nm filter, respectively, and obtains imagery at a spatial resolution of 400 m/pixel on the ground surface. PH detects time-resolved emission intensity at a sampling rate of 20 kHz by six photometer channels measuring at 150-280, 337, 762, 600-900, 316 and 392 nm, respectively. During a period between November 2012 and June 2013, GLIMS observed 815 lightning and/or TLE events, and in 494 of them, both LSI and PH data showed clear signals above the noise level. As the first step, we carried out case study using an event observed at 09:50:47UT on Jan 29 2013 which did not cause strong saturation on the LSI and PH data. The estimated peak irradiance was 1.38x10^(-3) W/m^(2) at 600-900 nm, which is equivalent to the top 10 % bright lightning events observed by FORTE satellite in the past. This finding suggests that GLIMS selectively observes the most optically-powerful events. The peak irradiance was estimated also for the other PH channels. At all visible channels other than a far ultra violet (FUV) channel, the peak irradiance was estimated to be in good agreement with the atmospheric transmittance curve calculated between 10

Earth-atmosphere system and surface reflectivities in arid regions from Landsat MSS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.; Fraser, R. S.

1976-01-01

Previously developed programs for computing atmospheric transmission and scattering of the solar radiation are used to compute the ratios of the earth-atmosphere system (space) directional reflectivities in the nadir direction to the surface Lambertian reflectivity, for the four bands of the Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS). These ratios are presented as graphs for two water vapor levels, as a function of the surface reflectivity, for various sun elevation angles. Space directional reflectivities in the vertical direction are reported for selected arid regions in Asia, Africa, and Central America from the spectral radiance levels measured by the Landsat MSS. From these space reflectivities, surface reflectivities are computed applying the pertinent graphs. These surface reflectivities are used to estimate the surface albedo for the entire solar spectrum. The estimated albedos are in the range 0.34-0.52, higher than the values reported by most previous researchers from space measurements, but are consistent with laboratory and in situ measurements.

[The study of aluminium diffuser calibration in the UV].

PubMed

Li, Cong; Wang, Yong-Mei; Zhang, Zhong-Mou

2008-04-01

A bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurement setup in the ultraviolet spectral range was established. The BRDF of the aluminium diffusers at a given orientation was measured. The relative accuracy of the BRDF measurement is better than 2.5%. The hemispheric reflectance of the aluminium diffusers was measured in the wavelength range from 250 to 650 nm. It increases with the wavelength, and changes about 6% from 300 to 360 nm. It decreases with the time. Since the diffuser was made (about one year ago), from 250 to 300 nm, the peak decrease in the hemispheric reflectance can reach 2.6%, and the average decrease is 1.5%. From 300 to 360 nm, it has an average decrease of 0.9% decrease, and 0.8% when wavelength is longer than 360 nm.

Evaluation of the Sensor Data Record from the Nadir Instruments of the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Xiangqian; Liu, Quanhua; Zeng, Jian; Grotenhuis, Michael; Qian, Haifeng; Caponi, Maria; Flynn, Larry; Jaross, Glen; Sen, Bhaswar; Buss, Richard H., Jr.;

Emissive and reflective properties of curved displays in relation to image quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boher, Pierre; Leroux, Thierry; Bignon, Thibault; Collomb-Patton, Véronique; Blanc, Pierre; Sandré-Chardonnal, Etienne

2016-03-01

Different aspects of the characterization of curved displays are presented. The limit of validity of viewing angle measurements without angular distortion on such displays using goniometer or Fourier optics viewing angle instrument is given. If the condition cannot be fulfilled the measurement can be corrected using a general angular distortion formula as demonstrated experimentally using a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge phone display. The reflective properties of the display are characterized by measuring the spectral BRDF using a multispectral Fourier optics viewing angle system. The surface of a curved OLED TV has been measured. The BDRF patterns show a mirror like behavior with and additional strong diffraction along the pixels lines and columns that affect the quality of the display when observed with parasitic lighting. These diffraction effects are very common on OLED surfaces. We finally introduce a commercial ray tracing software that can use directly the measured emissive and reflective properties of the display to make realistic simulation under any lighting environment.

[Reflectance of sea ice in Liaodong Bay].

PubMed

Xu, Zhan-tang; Yang, Yue-zhong; Wang, Gui-fen; Cao, Wen-xi; Kong, Xiang-peng

2010-07-01

In the present study, the relationships between sea ice albedo and the bidirectional reflectance distribution in Liaodong Bay were investigated. The results indicate that: (1) sea ice albedo alpha(lambda) is closely related to the components of sea ice, the higher the particulate concentration in sea ice surface is, the lower the sea ice albedo alpha(lambda) is. On the contrary, the higher the bubble concentration in sea ice is, the higher sea ice albedo alpha(lambda) is. (2) Sea ice albedo alpha(lambda) is similar to the bidirectional reflectance factor R(f) when the probe locates at nadir. The R(f) would increase with the increase in detector zenith theta, and the correlation between R(f) and the detector azimuth would gradually increase. When the theta is located at solar zenith 63 degrees, the R(f) would reach the maximum, and the strongest correlation is also shown between the R(f) and the detector azimuth. (3) Different types of sea ice would have the different anisotropic reflectance factors.

Interactive Acoustic Simulation in Urban and Complex Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-21

and validity of the solution given by the two methods. Transfer functions are used to model two-way couplings to allow multiple orders of acoustic...Function ( BRDF )[79, 137]. The ray models have also been applied to inhomogeneous outdoor media by numerical integration of the differential ray...surface, the interaction can be modeled by specular reflection, Snell’s law refraction, or BRDF -based reflection, depending on the surface properties

Pore-level determination of spectral reflection behaviors of high-porosity metal foam sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Xia, Xin-Lin; Ai, Qing; Sun, Chuang; Tan, He-Ping

2018-03-01

Open cell metal foams are currently attracting attention and their radiative behaviors are of primary importance in high temperature applications. The spectral reflection behaviors of high-porosity metal foam sheets, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and directional-hemispherical reflectivity were numerically investigated. A set of realistic nickel foams with porosity from 0.87 to 0.97 and pore density from 10 to 40 pores per inch were tomographied to obtain their 3-D digital cell network. A Monte Carlo ray-tracing method was employed in order to compute the pore-level radiative transfer inside the network within the limit of geometrical optics. The apparent reflection behaviors and their dependency on the textural parameters and strut optical properties were comprehensively computed and analysed. The results show a backward scattering of the reflected energy at the foam sheet surface. Except in the cases of large incident angles, an energy peak is located almost along the incident direction and increases with increasing incident angles. Through an analytical relation established, the directional-hemispherical reflectivity can be related directly to the porosity of the foam sheet and to the complex refractive index of the solid phase as well as the specularity parameter which characterizes the local reflection model. The computations show that a linear decrease in normal-hemispherical reflectivity occurs with increasing porosity. The rate of this decrease is directly proportional to the strut normal reflectivity. In addition, the hemispherical reflectivity increases as a power function of the incident angle cosine.

Correcting Bidirectional Effects in Remote Sensing Reflectance from Coastal Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamnes, K. H.; Fan, Y.; Li, W.; Voss, K. J.; Gatebe, C. K.

2016-02-01

Understanding bidirectional effects including sunglint is important for GEO-CAPE for several reasons: (i) correct interpretation of ocean color data; (ii) comparing consistency of spectral radiance data derived from space observations with a single instrument for a variety of illumination and viewing conditions; (iii) merging data collected by different instruments operating simultaneously. We present a new neural network (NN) method to correct bidirectional effects in water-leaving radiance for both Case 1 and Case 2 waters. We also discuss a new BRDF and 2D sun-glint model that was validated by comparing simulated surface reflectances with Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) data. Finally, we present an extension of our marine bio-optical model to the UV range that accounts for the seasonal dependence of the inherent optical properties (IOPs).

View angle effects on relationships between leaf area index in wheat and vegetation indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H.; Li, W.; Huang, W.; Niu, Z.

2016-12-01

The effects of plant types and view angles on the canopy-reflected spectrum can not be ignored in the estimation of leaf area index (LAI) using remote sensing vegetation indices. While vegetation indices derived from nadir-viewing remote sensors are insufficient in leaf area index (LAI) estimation because of its misinterpretation of structural characteristecs, vegetation indices derived from multi-angular remote sensors have potential to improve detection of LAI. However, view angle effects on relationships between these indices and LAI for low standing crops (i.e. wheat) has not been fully evaluated and thus limits them to applied for consistent and accurate monitoring of vegetation. View angles effects of two types of winter wheat (wheat 411, erectophile; and wheat 9507, planophile) on relationship between LAI and spectral reflectance are assessed and compared in this study. An evaluation is conducted with in-situ measurements of LAI and bidirectional reflectance in the principal plane from -60° (back-scattering direction ) ot 60° (forward scattering direction) in the growth cycle of winter wheat. A variety of vegetation indices (VIs) published are calculated by BRDF. Additionally, all combinations of the bands are used in order to calculate Normalized difference Spectral Indices (NDSI) and Simple Subtraction Indices (SSI). The performance of the above indices along with raw reflectance and reflectance derivatives on LAI estimation are examined based on a linearity comparison. The results will be helpful in further developing multi-angle remote sensing models for accurate LAI evaluation.

Adjusting measured peak discharges from an urbanizing watershed to reflect a stationary land use signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beighley, R. Edward; Moglen, Glenn E.

2003-04-01

A procedure to adjust gauged streamflow data from watersheds urbanized during or after their gauging period is presented. The procedure adjusts streamflow to be representative of a fixed land use condition, which may reflect current or future development conditions. Our intent is to determine what an event resulting in a peak discharge in, for example, 1950 (i.e., before urbanization) would produce on the current urban watershed. While past approaches assumed uniform spatial and temporal changes in urbanization, this study focuses on the use of geographic information systems (GIS) based methodologies for precisely locating in space and time where land use change has occurred. This information is incorporated into a hydrologic model to simulate the change in discharge as a result of changing land use conditions. In this paper, we use historical aerial photographs, GIS linked tax-map data, and recent land use/land cover data to recreate the spatial development history of eight gauged watersheds in the Baltimore-Washington, D. C., metropolitan area. Using our procedure to determine discharge series representative of the current urban watersheds, we found that the increase of the adjusted 2-year discharge ranged from 16 to 70 percent compared with the measured annual maximum discharge series. For the 100-year discharge the adjusted values ranged from 0 to 47 percent greater than the measured values. Additionally, relationships between the increase in flood flows and four measures of urbanization (increase in urban land, decrease in forested land, increase in high-density development, and the spatial development pattern) are investigated for predicting the increase in flood flows for ungauged watersheds. Watersheds with the largest increases in flood flows typically had more extensive development in the areas far removed from the outlet. In contrast, watersheds with development located nearer to the outlet typically had the smallest increases in peak discharge.

New Methods for the Computational Fabrication of Appearance

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

disadvantage is that it does not model phenomena such as retro-reflection and grazing-angle e↵ects. We find that previously proposed BRDF metrics performed well...Figure 3.15-right shows the mean BRDF in blue and the corresponding error bars. In order to interpret our data, we fit a parametric model to slices of the...and Wojciech Matusik. Image-driven navigation of analytical brdf models . In Eurographics Symposium on Rendering, 2006. 107 [40] F. E. Nicodemus, J. C

Phenological monitoring of Acadia National Park using Landsat, MODIS and VIIRS observations and fused data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; McDonough MacKenzie, C.; Primack, R.; Zhang, X.; Schaaf, C.; Sun, Q.; Wang, Z.

2015-12-01

Monitoring phenology with remotely sensed data has become standard practice in large-plot agriculture but remains an area of research in complex terrain. Landsat data (30m) provides a more appropriate spatial resolution to describe such regions but may only capture a few cloud-free images over a growing period. Daily data from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite(VIIRS) offer better temporal acquisitions but at coarse spatial resolutions of 250m to 1km. Thus fused data sets are being employed to provide the temporal and spatial resolutions necessary to accurately monitor vegetation phenology. This study focused on Acadia National Park, Maine, attempts to compare green-up from remote sensing and ground observations over varying topography. Three north-south field transects were established in 2013 on parallel mountains. Along these transects, researchers record the leaf out and flowering phenology for thirty plant species biweekly. These in situ spring phenological observations are compared with the dates detected by Landsat 7, Landsat 8, MODIS, and VIIRS observations, both separately and as fused data, to explore the ability of remotely sensed data to capture the subtle variations due to elevation. Daily Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectances(NBAR) from MODIS and VIIRS are fused with Landsat imagery to simulate 30m daily data via the Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model(ESTARFM) algorithm. Piecewise logistic functions are fit to the time series to establish spring leaf-out dates. Acadia National Park, a region frequently affected by coastal clouds, is a particularly useful study area as it falls in a Landsat overlap region and thus offers the possibility of acquiring as many as 4 Landsat observations in a 16 day period. With the recent launch of Sentinel 2A, the community will have routine access to such high spatial and temporal data for phenological monitoring.

Spectral scattering characteristics of space target in near-UV to visible bands.

PubMed

Bai, Lu; Wu, Zhensen; Cao, Yunhua; Huang, Xun

2014-04-07

In this study, the spectral scattering characteristics of a space target are calculated in the near-UV to visible bands on the basis of measured data of spectral hemispheric reflectivity in the upper half space. Further, the bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF) model proposed by Davies is modified to describe the light scattering properties of a target surface. This modification aims to improve the characteristics identifying ability for different space targets. By using this modified Davies spectrum BRDF model, the spectral scattering characteristics of each subsurface can be obtained. A mathematical model of spectral scattering properties of the space target is built by summing all the contributing surface grid reflection scattering components, considering the impact of surface shadow effect.Moreover, the spectral scattering characteristics of the space target calculated with both the traditional and modified Davies BRDF models are compared. The results show that in the fixed and modified cases, the hemispheric reflectivity significantly affects the spectral scattering irradiance of the target.

Barycentric parameterizations for isotropic BRDFs.

PubMed

Stark, Michael M; Arvo, James; Smits, Brian

2005-01-01

A bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is often expressed as a function of four real variables: two spherical coordinates in each of the the "incoming" and "outgoing" directions. However, many BRDFs reduce to functions of fewer variables. For example, isotropic reflection can be represented by a function of three variables. Some BRDF models can be reduced further. In this paper, we introduce new sets of coordinates which we use to reduce the dimensionality of several well-known analytic BRDFs as well as empirically measured BRDF data. The proposed coordinate systems are barycentric with respect to a triangular support with a direct physical interpretation. One coordinate set is based on the BRDF model proposed by Lafortune. Another set, based on a model of Ward, is associated with the "halfway" vector common in analytical BRDF formulas. Through these coordinate sets we establish lower bounds on the approximation error inherent in the models on which they are based. We present a third set of coordinates, not based on any analytical model, that performs well in approximating measured data. Finally, our proposed variables suggest novel ways of constructing and visualizing BRDFs.

Influence of Aerosols And Surface Reflectance On NO2 Retrieval Over China From 2005 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, M.; Lin, J.

2016-12-01

Satellite observation is a powerful way to analysis annual and seasonal variations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). However, much retrieval of vertical column densities (VCDs) of normally do not explicitly account for aerosol optical effects and surface reflectance anisotropy that vary with space and time. In traditional retrieval, aerosols' effects are often considered as cloud. However, China has complicated aerosols type and aerosol loading. Their optical properties may be very different from the cloud. Furthermore, China has undergone big changes in land use type in recent 10 years. Traditional climatology surface reflectance data may not have representation. In order to study spatial-temporal variation of and influences of these two factors on variations and trends, we use an improved retrieval method of VCDs over China, called the POMINO, based on measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and we compare the results of without aerosol, without surface reflectance treatments and without both to the original POMINO product from 2005 to 2015. Furthermore, we will study correspondent spatial-temporal variations of aerosols, represented by MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) data and CALIOP extinction data; surface reflectance, represented by MODIS bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data.

Normalization of time-series satellite reflectance data to a standard sun-target-sensor geometry using a semi-empirical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yongguang; Li, Chuanrong; Ma, Lingling; Tang, Lingli; Wang, Ning; Zhou, Chuncheng; Qian, Yonggang

2017-10-01

Time series of satellite reflectance data have been widely used to characterize environmental phenomena, describe trends in vegetation dynamics and study climate change. However, several sensors with wide spatial coverage and high observation frequency are usually designed to have large field of view (FOV), which cause variations in the sun-targetsensor geometry in time-series reflectance data. In this study, on the basis of semiempirical kernel-driven BRDF model, a new semi-empirical model was proposed to normalize the sun-target-sensor geometry of remote sensing image. To evaluate the proposed model, bidirectional reflectance under different canopy growth conditions simulated by Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model were used. The semi-empirical model was first fitted by using all simulated bidirectional reflectance. Experimental result showed a good fit between the bidirectional reflectance estimated by the proposed model and the simulated value. Then, MODIS time-series reflectance data was normalized to a common sun-target-sensor geometry by the proposed model. The experimental results showed the proposed model yielded good fits between the observed and estimated values. The noise-like fluctuations in time-series reflectance data was also reduced after the sun-target-sensor normalization process.

Light reflecting apparatus including a multi-aberration light reflecting surface

DOEpatents

Sawicki, Richard H.; Sweatt, William

1987-01-01

A light reflecting apparatus including a multi-aberration bendable light reflecting surface is disclosed herein. This apparatus includes a structural assembly comprised of a rectangular plate which is resiliently bendable, to a limited extent, and which has a front side defining the multi-aberration light reflecting surface and an opposite back side, and a plurality of straight leg members rigidly connected with the back side of the plate and extending rearwardly therefrom. The apparatus also includes a number of different adjustment mechanisms, each of which is connected with specific ones of the leg members. These mechanisms are adjustably movable in different ways for applying corresponding forces to the leg members in order to bend the rectangular plate and light reflecting surface into different predetermined curvatures and which specifically include quadratic and cubic curvatures corresponding to different optical aberrations.

Generating Land Surface Reflectance for the New Generation of Geostationary Satellite Sensors with the MAIAC Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.; Wang, Y.; Hashimoto, H.; Li, S.; Takenaka, H.; Higuchi, A.; Lyapustin, A.; Nemani, R. R.

2017-12-01

The latest generation of geostationary satellite sensors, including the GOES-16/ABI and the Himawari 8/AHI, provide exciting capability to monitor land surface at very high temporal resolutions (5-15 minute intervals) and with spatial and spectral characteristics that mimic the Earth Observing System flagship MODIS. However, geostationary data feature changing sun angles at constant view geometry, which is almost reciprocal to sun-synchronous observations. Such a challenge needs to be carefully addressed before one can exploit the full potential of the new sources of data. Here we take on this challenge with Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm, recently developed for accurate and globally robust applications like the MODIS Collection 6 re-processing. MAIAC first grids the top-of-atmosphere measurements to a fixed grid so that the spectral and physical signatures of each grid cell are stacked ("remembered") over time and used to dramatically improve cloud/shadow/snow detection, which is by far the dominant error source in the remote sensing. It also exploits the changing sun-view geometry of the geostationary sensor to characterize surface BRDF with augmented angular resolution for accurate aerosol retrievals and atmospheric correction. The high temporal resolutions of the geostationary data indeed make the BRDF retrieval much simpler and more robust as compared with sun-synchronous sensors such as MODIS. As a prototype test for the geostationary-data processing pipeline on NASA Earth Exchange (GEONEX), we apply MAIAC to process 18 months of data from Himawari 8/AHI over Australia. We generate a suite of test results, including the input TOA reflectance and the output cloud mask, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and the atmospherically-corrected surface reflectance for a variety of geographic locations, terrain, and land cover types. Comparison with MODIS data indicates a general agreement between the retrieved surface reflectance

Synergy Between Occultation, Limb and Nadir Satellite Data to Study Atmospheric Ozone, Aerosols and Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhartia, P. K.; Loughman, R. P.; Ziemke, J. R.

2017-12-01

There is a widespread concern in the atmospheric chemistry community about the continuity of long-term datasets of ozone and related species needed to understand changes in Earth's atmospheric composition, particularly in the climate-sensitive upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric (UTLS) region. The MLS instrument on NASA 's Aura satellite designed to make such measurements is now more than 13 years old. The Canadian ACE-FTS solar occultation instrument is even older, and ESA's MIPAS instrument ceased operation in 2012. There are currently no plans to replace these instruments. Yet, at the same time for some of the atmospheric composition products we are arguably entering a golden era in space-based measurements. New generation of nadir-viewing instruments operating in IR, VIS and UV wavelengths are already flying and soon there will be 3 UV/VIS instruments in geostationary orbits. The limb-viewing component of the OMPS instrument launched on the Suomi NPP satellite in 2011 is capable of measuring ozone and aerosols at 2 km vertical resolution down to about 12 km. NASA is building another copy of this instrument for launch on JPSS-2 in 2022 and there are plans to build more. The SAGE III instrument installed on the International Space Station earlier this year has restarted the venerable time series of ozone and aerosols that ended in 2005 with the demise of SAGE II. However, we argue that to make best use of these assets it is desirable to take advantage of the synergies between these instruments. Several multi-instrument tropospheric ozone products are already available. We expect continued efforts to improve these products by doing joint retrieval of limb, IR and UV nadir data. Another promising area is to combine solar occultation and limb-scattered data to produce aerosol extinction profiles at high spatial resolution, and to constrain aerosol size distribution parameters and refractive indices- an approach similar to the almucantar technique pioneered by the

Near-nadir scan overlap in Earth observations from VIIRS and MODIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blonski, Slawomir; Cao, Changyong

2017-09-01

Satellite multi-detector cross-track scanners, such as MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and VIIRS (Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), require synchronization of optical and orbital characteristics to avoid gaps in Earth coverage between scans. Prelaunch tests have revealed that such scan-to-scan gaps will occur near nadir in VIIRS observations from the future JPSS-1 (Joint Polar Satellite System) and JPSS-2 satellites. Our analysis of VIIRS geolocation products shows that the gaps do not occur for the instrument currently on orbit onboard the S-NPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership) spacecraft. When the same analysis is applied to the MODIS data products, it reveals that small, near-nadir gaps exist in MODIS observations from both Aqua and Terra satellites. Although magnitude of the MODIS scan overlap gaps (up to 100 m for Terra and 25/175 m for Aqua) is quite small in comparison to the 1-km pixels, it is rather significant for the bands with the 250-m and 500-m pixels. Despite the size of the gaps, it appears that their effects on scientific analyses (e.g., NDVI) have not been reported since launch of the MODIS instruments. Because the gaps currently predicted for the JPSS-1 and -2 VIIRS are similar in size to the ones occurring for MODIS, one can expect that their effects on science data will be similarly negligible. A model that uses S-NPP orbit data as well as the S-NPP VIIRS telescope's focal length and scan rate predicts the overlap that agrees very well with the analysis of the geolocation data. For JPSS-1/-2 VIIRS focal length and scan rate, the model predicts scan overlap gaps of more than 100 m. With a shorter focal length and a faster scan rate than for the JPSS-1/-2 VIIRS, the scan overlap gaps are expected to be avoided altogether for VIIRS on the future JPSS-3 and -4 satellites.

The influence of aerosols and land-use type on NO2 satellite retrieval over China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mengyao; Lin, Jintai; Boersma, Folkert; Eskes, Henk; Chimot, Julien

2017-04-01

Both aerosols and surface reflectance have a strong influence on the retrieval of NO2 tropospheric vertical column densities (VCDs), especially over China with its heavy aerosol loading and rapid changes in land-use type. However, satellite retrievals of NO2 VCDs usually do not explicitly account for aerosol optical effects and surface reflectance anisotropy (BRDF) that varies in space and time. We develop an improved algorithm to derive tropospheric AMFs and VCDs over China from the OMI instrument - POMINO and DOMINO. This method can also be applied to TropOMI NO2 retrievals in the future. With small pixels of TropOMI and higher probability of encountering clear-sky scenes, the influence of BRDF and aerosol interference becomes more important than for OMI. Daily aerosol information is taken from the GEOS-Chem chemistry transport model and the aerosol optical depth (AOD) is adjusted via MODIS AOD climatology. We take the MODIS MCD43C2 C5 product to account for BRDF effects. The relative altitude of NO2 and aerosols is critical factor influencing the NO2 retrieval. In order to evaluate the aerosol extinction profiles (AEP) of GEOS-Chem improve our algorithm, we compare the GEOS-Chem simulation with CALIOP and develop a CALIOP AEP climatology to regulate the model's AEP. This provides a new way to include aerosol information into the tracer gas retrieval for OMI and TropOMI. Preliminary results indicate that the model performs reasonably well in reproducing the AEP shape. However, it seems to overestimate aerosols under 2km and underestimate above. We find that relative humidity (RH) is an important factor influencing the AEP shape when comparing the model with observations. If we adjust the GEOS-Chem RH to CALIOP's RH, the correlations of their AEPs also improve. Besides, take advantage of our retrieval method, we executed sensitivity tests to analyze their influences on NO2 trend and spatiotemporal variations in retrieval. It' the first time to investigate

Backscattering enhancement for Marshall-Palmer distributed rains for a W-band nadir-pointing radar with a finite beam width

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kobayashi, Satoru; Tanelli, Simone; Im, Eastwood; Oguchi, Tomohiro

2005-01-01

In this paper, we expand the previous theory to be applied to a generic drop size distribution with spheroidal raindrops including spherical raindrops. Results will be used to discuss the multiple scattering effects on the backscatter measurements acquired by a W-band nadir-pointing radar.

Making limb and nadir measurements comparable: A common volume study of PMC brightness observed by Odin OSIRIS and AIM CIPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benze, Susanne; Gumbel, Jörg; Randall, Cora E.; Karlsson, Bodil; Hultgren, Kristoffer; Lumpe, Jerry D.; Baumgarten, Gerd

2018-01-01

Combining limb and nadir satellite observations of Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) has long been recognized as problematic due to differences in observation geometry, scattering conditions, and retrieval approaches. This study offers a method of comparing PMC brightness observations from the nadir-viewing Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and the limb-viewing Odin Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS). OSIRIS and CIPS measurements are made comparable by defining a common volume for overlapping OSIRIS and CIPS observations for two northern hemisphere (NH) PMC seasons: NH08 and NH09. We define a scattering intensity quantity that is suitable for either nadir or limb observations and for different scattering conditions. A known CIPS bias is applied, differences in instrument sensitivity are analyzed and taken into account, and effects of cloud inhomogeneity and common volume definition on the comparison are discussed. Not accounting for instrument sensitivity differences or inhomogeneities in the PMC field, the mean relative difference in cloud brightness (CIPS - OSIRIS) is -102 ± 55%. The differences are largest for coincidences with very inhomogeneous clouds that are dominated by pixels that CIPS reports as non-cloud points. Removing these coincidences, the mean relative difference in cloud brightness reduces to -6 ± 14%. The correlation coefficient between the CIPS and OSIRIS measurements of PMC brightness variations in space and time is remarkably high, at 0.94. Overall, the comparison shows excellent agreement despite different retrieval approaches and observation geometries.

A light reflecting apparatus including a multi-aberration light reflecting surface

DOEpatents

Sawicki, R.H.; Sweatt, W.

1985-11-21

A light reflecting apparatus including a multi-aberration bendable light reflecting surface is disclosed herein. This apparatus includes a structural assembly comprised of a rectangular plate which is resiliently bendable, to a limited extent, and which has a front side defining the multi-aberration light reflecting surface and an opposite back side, and a plurality of straight leg members rigidly connected with the back side of the plate and extending rearwardly therefrom. The apparatus also includes a number of different adjustment mechanisms, each of which is connected with specific ones of the leg members. These mechanisms are adjustably movable in different ways for applying corresponding forces to the leg members in order to bend the rectangular plate and light reflecting surface into different predetermined curvatures and which specifically include quadratic and cubic curvatures corresponding to different optical aberrations.

Simultaneous Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth and Surface Reflectance over Land within Short Temporal Interval Using MSG Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Xue, Y.; Li, Y. J.; Yang, L. K.; Hou, T. T.

2012-04-01

Aerosols cause a major uncertainty in the research of climatology and global change, whereas satellite aerosol remote sensing over land still remains a big challenge. Due to their short time repeat cycle, geostationary satellites are capable of monitoring the temporal features of aerosols, while its limited number of visible bands is an obstacle. On the other hand, a main uncertainty in aerosol retrieval is the difficulty to separate the relatively weaker contribution of the atmosphere to the signal received by the satellite from the contribution of the Earth's surface. In this paper, an analytical retrieval strategy is presented to solve the both problems above. For the lack of surface reflectance, we use the Ross-Li BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) model and assume that the surface reflective property changes mainly due to the change of illumination geometry in a short time interval while the kernals of Ross-Li model remain the same. For the limited visible band, we take advantage of the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) consistence within short distances, thus to reduce the number of unknown parameters. A parameterization of the atmospheric radiative transfer model is used which is proved to be proper to retrieve aerosol and surface parameters by sensitivity analysis. Taking the three kernels of kernel-driven BRDF model and AOD as unknown parameters and based on prior knowledge of aerosol types, a series of nonlinear equations can be established then. Both AOD and surface reflectance can be obtained by using a numerical method to solve these equations. By applying this method, called LABITS-MSG (Land Aerosol and Bidirectional reflectance Inversion by Time Series technique for MSG), to data from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) observations on board Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), we obtain regional maps of AOD and surface reflectance in July 11, 2010 within a temporal interval of as short as 1 hour, and a spatial

Visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of planetary analog materials. Experimental facility at Laboratoire de Planetologie de Grenoble.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommerol, A.; Brissaud, O.; Schmitt, B.; Quirico, E.; Doute, S.

2007-08-01

We have developed an original experimental facility designed to measure the bidirectional reflectance spectra of planetary analog materials. These measurements are helpful to interpret the observations of the spectrometers on board space probes in orbit around various Solar System bodies. The central part of the facility is the LPG spectrogonio- radiometer (Brissaud et al., 2004). This instrument provides measurements of samples BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) with high photometric and spectrometric accuracy in the spectral range of visible and near-infrared (0.3 - 4.8 microns). Measurements can be made at any value of incidence and emergence angle up to 80°. Azimuth angle is allowed to vary between 0 and 180°. The instrument was recently installed in a cold room allowing ambient temperatures as low as -20°C. This makes possible the measurements on different kinds of water ice samples (slab ice, frost, snow...) and mixtures of minerals and water ice with unprecedented accuracy. We also have designed and built a simulation chamber to measure spectra of samples (water ice and/or minerals) under an atmosphere with perfectly controlled temperature, pressure and composition. The main objective of this last improvement is the study of water exchange between planetary regolith analogs and atmosphere (adsorption/ desorption, condensation/sublimation). Experimental results will mainly apply to Martian water cycle and hydrated mineralogy. This simulation chamber also provides an efficient way to obtain bidirectional reflectance spectra of dry materials (removal of adsorbed water) with implications for planetary bodies without atmospheric or surface water (Titan, asteroids...). The reflectance spectroscopy facility is part of a large panel of instruments and techniques available at Laboratoire de Planetologie de Grenoble that provide complementary measurements on the same samples: infrared transmission spectroscopy of thin ice films, thick liquid and

Effect of Nadir CD4+ T Cell Count on Clinical Measures of Periodontal Disease in HIV+ Adults before and during Immune Reconstitution on HAART

PubMed Central

Vernon, Lance T.; Demko, Catherine A.; Babineau, Denise C.; Wang, Xuelei; Toossi, Zahra; Weinberg, Aaron; Rodriguez, Benigno

2013-01-01

Background The contribution of HIV-infection to periodontal disease (PD) is poorly understood.  We proposed that immunological markers would be associated with improved clinical measures of PD. Methods We performed a longitudinal cohort study of HIV-infected adults who had started highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) <2 years. PD was characterized clinically as the percent of teeth with ≥1 site with periodontal probing depth (PPD) ≥5.0mm, recession (REC) >0mm, clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥4.0mm, and bleeding on probing (BOP) at ≥4 sites/tooth and microbiologically as specific periodontopathogen concentration. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the associations between immune function and PD. Results Forty (40) subjects with median 2.7 months on HAART and median nadir CD4+ T-cell count of 212 cells/μl completed a median 3 visits. Over 24 months, CD4+ T-cell count increased by a mean 173 cells/µl (p<0.001) and HIV RNA decreased by 0.5 log10 copies/ml (p<0.001); concurrently, PPD, CAL and BOP decreased by a mean 11.7%, 12.1%, and 14.7% respectively (all p<0.001). Lower nadir CD4+ T-cell count was associated with worse baseline REC (-6.72%; p=0.04) and CAL (9.06%; p<0.001). Further, lower nadir CD4+ T-cell count was associated with a greater relative longitudinal improvement in PPD in subjects with higher baseline levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis (p=0.027), and BOP in subjects with higher baseline levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis or Treponema denticola (p=0.001 and p=0.006 respectively). Longitudinal changes from baseline in CD4+ T-cell count and level of HIV RNA were not independently associated with longitudinal changes in any clinical markers of PD. Conclusion Degree of immunosuppression was associated with baseline gingival recession. After HAART initiation, measures of active PD improved most in those with lower nadir CD4+ T-cell counts and higher baseline levels of specific periodontopathogens. Nadir CD4+ T-cell count

Performance of the Enhanced Vegetation Index to Detect Inner-annual Dry Season and Drought Impacts on Amazon Forest Canopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brede, B.; Verbesselt, J.; Dutrieux, L.; Herold, M.

2015-04-01

The Amazon rainforests represent the largest connected forested area in the tropics and play an integral role in the global carbon cycle. In the last years the discussion about their phenology and response to drought has intensified. A recent study argued that seasonality in greenness expressed as Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) is an artifact of variations in sun-sensor geometry throughout the year. We aimed to reproduce these results with the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD43 product suite, which allows modeling the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and keeping sun-sensor geometry constant. The derived BRDF-adjusted EVI was spatially aggregated over large areas of central Amazon forests. The resulting time series of EVI spanning the 2000-2013 period contained distinct seasonal patterns with peak values at the onset of the dry season, but also followed the same pattern of sun geometry expressed as Solar Zenith Angle (SZA). Additionally, we assessed EVI's sensitivity to precipitation anomalies. For that we compared BRDF-adjusted EVI dry season anomalies to two drought indices (Maximum Cumulative Water Deficit, Standardized Precipitation Index). This analysis covered the whole of Amazonia and data from the years 2000 to 2013. The results showed no meaningful connection between EVI anomalies and drought. This is in contrast to other studies that investigate the drought impact on EVI and forest photosynthetic capacity. The results from both sub-analyses question the predictive power of EVI for large scale assessments of forest ecosystem functioning in Amazonia. Based on the presented results, we recommend a careful evaluation of the EVI for applications in tropical forests, including rigorous validation supported by ground plots.

Apparatus for and method of correcting for astigmatism in a light beam reflected off of a light reflecting surface

DOEpatents

Sawicki, R.H.; Sweatt, W.

1985-11-21

A technique for adjustably correcting for astigmatism in a light beam is disclosed herein. This technique defines a flat, rectangular light reflecting surface having opposite reinforced side edges and which is resiliently bendable, to a limited extent, into different concave and/or convex cylindrical curvatures about a particular axis and provides for adjustably bending the light reflecting surface into one of different curvatures depending upon the astigmatism to be corrected and for fixedly maintaining the curvature selected. In the embodiment disclosed, the light reflecting surface is adjustably bendable into the selected cylindrical curvature by application of a particular bending moment to the reinforced side edges of the light reflecting surface.

NASA ER-2 Doppler radar reflectivity calibration for the CAMEX project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caylor, I. J.; Heymsfield, G. M.; Bidwell, S. W.; Ameen, S.

1994-01-01

The NASA ER-2 Doppler radar (EDOP) was flown aboard the ER-2 high-altitude aircraft in September and October 1993 for the Convection and Moisture Experiment. During these flights, the first reliable reflectivity observations were performed with the EDOP instrument. This report details the procedure used to convert real-time engineering data into calibrated radar reflectivity. Application of the calibration results produces good agreement between the EDOP nadir pointing reflectivity and ground truth provided by a National Weather Service WSR-88D radar. The rms deviation between WSR-88D and EDOP is 6.9 dB, while measurements of the ocean surface backscatter coefficient are less than 3 dB from reported scatterometer coefficients. After an initial 30-minute period required for the instrument to reach thermal equilibrium, the radar is stable to better than 0.25 dB during flight. The range performance of EDOP shows excellent agreement with aircraft altimeter and meteorological sounding data.

Determine the optimum spectral reflectance of juniper and pistachio in arid and semi-arid region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadaei, Hadi; Suzuki, Rikie

2012-11-01

Arid and semi-arid areas of northeast Iran cover about 3.4 million ha are populated by two main tree species, the broadleaf Pistacia vera. L (pistachio) and the conifer Juniperus excelsa ssp. polycarpos (Persian juniper). Natural stands of pistachio in Iran are not only environmentally important but genetically essential as seed sources for pistachio production in orchards. In this study, we estimated the optimum spectral reflectance of juniper forests and natural pistachio stands using remote sensing to help in the sustainable management and production of pistachio in Iran. In this research spectral reflectance are able to specify of multispectral from Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) that provided by JAXA. These data included PRISM is a panchromatic radiometer with a 2.5 m spatial resolution at nadir, has one band with a wavelength of 0.52-0.77 μm and AVNIR-2 is a visible and near infrared radiometer for observing land and coastal zones with a 10 m spatial resolution at nadir, has four multispectral bands: blue (0.42-0.50 μm), green (0.52-0.60 μm), red (0.61-0.69 μm), and near infrared (0.76-0.89 μm). Total ratio vegetation index (TRVI) of optimum spectral reflectance of juniper and pistachio have been evaluated. The result of TRVI for Pistachio and juniper were (R2= 0.71 and 0.55). I hope this research can provide decision of managers to helping sustainable management for arid and semi-arid regions in Iran.

20 CFR 345.118 - Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., without interest, in subsequent contribution payments by the same employer, as provided for in this... by an employer on Form BA-4. See part 209 of this chapter. (c) Adjustment of contributions. (1) All... contribution report for the same quarter in which the Form BA-4 reflecting the compensation adjustments is...

20 CFR 345.118 - Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., without interest, in subsequent contribution payments by the same employer, as provided for in this... by an employer on Form BA-4. See part 209 of this chapter. (c) Adjustment of contributions. (1) All... contribution report for the same quarter in which the Form BA-4 reflecting the compensation adjustments is...

Compensation of power drops in reflective semiconductor optical amplifier-based passive optical network with upstream data rate adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Chien-Hung; Chow, Chi-Wai; Chiang, Ming-Feng; Shih, Fu-Yuan; Pan, Ci-Ling

2011-09-01

In a wavelength division multiplexed-passive optical network (WDM-PON), different fiber lengths and optical components would introduce different power budgets to different optical networking units (ONUs). Besides, the power decay of the distributed optical carrier from the optical line terminal owing to aging of the optical transmitter could also reduce the injected power into the ONU. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a carrier distributed WDM-PON using a reflective semiconductor optical amplifier-based ONU that can adjust its upstream data rate to accommodate different injected optical powers. The WDM-PON is evaluated at standard-reach (25 km) and long-reach (100 km). Bit-error rate measurements at different injected optical powers and transmission lengths show that by adjusting the upstream data rate of the system (622 Mb/s, 1.25 and 2.5 Gb/s), error-free (<10-9) operation can still be achieved when the power budget drops.

Apparatus for and method of correcting for astigmatism in a light beam reflected off of a light reflecting surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sawicki, R.H.; Sweatt, W.

1985-11-21

A technique for adjustably correcting for astigmatism in a light beam is disclosed herein. This technique defines a flat, rectangular light reflecting surface having opposite reinforced side edges and which is resiliently bendable, to a limited extent, into different concave and/or convex cylindrical curvatures about a particular axis and provides for adjustably bending the light reflecting surface into one of different curvatures depending upon the astigmatism to be corrected and for fixedly maintaining the curvature selected. In the embodiment disclosed, the light reflecting surface is adjustably bendable into the selected cylindrical curvature by application of a particular bending moment tomore » the reinforced side edges of the light reflecting surface.« less

Simulation of laser beam reflection at the sea surface modeling and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwenger, Frédéric; Repasi, Endre

2013-06-01

A 3D simulation of the reflection of a Gaussian shaped laser beam on the dynamic sea surface is presented. The simulation is suitable for the pre-calculation of images for cameras operating in different spectral wavebands (visible, short wave infrared) for a bistatic configuration of laser source and receiver for different atmospheric conditions. In the visible waveband the calculated detected total power of reflected laser light from a 660nm laser source is compared with data collected in a field trial. Our computer simulation comprises the 3D simulation of a maritime scene (open sea/clear sky) and the simulation of laser beam reflected at the sea surface. The basic sea surface geometry is modeled by a composition of smooth wind driven gravity waves. To predict the view of a camera the sea surface radiance must be calculated for the specific waveband. Additionally, the radiances of laser light specularly reflected at the wind-roughened sea surface are modeled considering an analytical statistical sea surface BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function). Validation of simulation results is prerequisite before applying the computer simulation to maritime laser applications. For validation purposes data (images and meteorological data) were selected from field measurements, using a 660nm cw-laser diode to produce laser beam reflection at the water surface and recording images by a TV camera. The validation is done by numerical comparison of measured total laser power extracted from recorded images with the corresponding simulation results. The results of the comparison are presented for different incident (zenith/azimuth) angles of the laser beam.

Retrieving cloud, dust and ozone abundances in the Martian atmosphere using SPICAM/UV nadir spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willame, Y.; Vandaele, A. C.; Depiesse, C.; Lefèvre, F.; Letocart, V.; Gillotay, D.; Montmessin, F.

2017-08-01

We present the retrieval algorithm developed to analyse nadir spectra from SPICAM/UV aboard Mars-Express. The purpose is to retrieve simultaneously several parameters of the Martian atmosphere and surface: the dust optical depth, the ozone total column, the cloud opacity and the surface albedo. The retrieval code couples the use of an existing complete radiative transfer code, an inversion method and a cloud detection algorithm. We describe the working principle of our algorithm and the parametrisation used to model the required absorption, scattering and reflection processes of the solar UV radiation that occur in the Martian atmosphere and at its surface. The retrieval method has been applied on 4 Martian years of SPICAM/UV data to obtain climatologies of the different quantities under investigation. An overview of the climatology is given for each species showing their seasonal and spatial distributions. The results show a good qualitative agreement with previous observations. Quantitative comparisons of the retrieved dust optical depths indicate generally larger values than previous studies. Possible shortcomings in the dust modelling (altitude profile) have been identified and may be part of the reason for this difference. The ozone results are found to be influenced by the presence of clouds. Preliminary quantitative comparisons show that our retrieved ozone columns are consistent with other results when no ice clouds are present, and are larger for the cases with clouds at high latitude. Sensitivity tests have also been performed showing that the use of other a priori assumptions such as the altitude distribution or some scattering properties can have an important impact on the retrieval.

HIV quality report cards: impact of case-mix adjustment and statistical methods.

PubMed

Ohl, Michael E; Richardson, Kelly K; Goto, Michihiko; Vaughan-Sarrazin, Mary; Schweizer, Marin L; Perencevich, Eli N

2014-10-15

There will be increasing pressure to publicly report and rank the performance of healthcare systems on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) quality measures. To inform discussion of public reporting, we evaluated the influence of case-mix adjustment when ranking individual care systems on the viral control quality measure. We used data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) HIV Clinical Case Registry and administrative databases to estimate case-mix adjusted viral control for 91 local systems caring for 12 368 patients. We compared results using 2 adjustment methods, the observed-to-expected estimator and the risk-standardized ratio. Overall, 10 913 patients (88.2%) achieved viral control (viral load ≤400 copies/mL). Prior to case-mix adjustment, system-level viral control ranged from 51% to 100%. Seventeen (19%) systems were labeled as low outliers (performance significantly below the overall mean) and 11 (12%) as high outliers. Adjustment for case mix (patient demographics, comorbidity, CD4 nadir, time on therapy, and income from VHA administrative databases) reduced the number of low outliers by approximately one-third, but results differed by method. The adjustment model had moderate discrimination (c statistic = 0.66), suggesting potential for unadjusted risk when using administrative data to measure case mix. Case-mix adjustment affects rankings of care systems on the viral control quality measure. Given the sensitivity of rankings to selection of case-mix adjustment methods-and potential for unadjusted risk when using variables limited to current administrative databases-the HIV care community should explore optimal methods for case-mix adjustment before moving forward with public reporting. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Variable area light reflecting assembly

DOEpatents

Howard, Thomas C.

1986-01-01

Device for tracking daylight and projecting it into a building. The device tracks the sun and automatically adjusts both the orientation and area of the reflecting surface. The device may be mounted in either a wall or roof of a building. Additionally, multiple devices may be employed in a light shaft in a building, providing daylight to several different floors. The preferred embodiment employs a thin reflective film as the reflecting device. One edge of the reflective film is fixed, and the opposite end is attached to a spring-loaded take-up roller. As the sun moves across the sky, the take-up roller automatically adjusts the angle and surface area of the film. Additionally, louvers may be mounted at the light entrance to the device to reflect incoming daylight in an angle perpendicular to the device to provide maximum reflective capability when daylight enters the device at non-perpendicular angles.

Synchronous scattering and diffraction from gold nanotextured surfaces with structure factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Min-Jhong; Lee, Ming-Tsang; Huang, Chien-Hsun; Wu, Chi-Chun; Chen, Yu-Bin

2018-05-01

Synchronous scattering and diffraction were demonstrated using reflectance from gold nanotextured surfaces at oblique (θi = 15° and 60°) incidence of wavelength λ = 405 nm. Two samples of unique auto-correlation functions were cost-effectively fabricated. Multiple structure factors of their profiles were confirmed with Fourier expansions. Bi-directional reflectance function (BRDF) from these samples provided experimental proofs. On the other hand, standard deviation of height and unique auto-correlation function of each sample were used to generate surfaces numerically. Comparing their BRDF with those of totally random rough surfaces further suggested that structure factors in profile could reduce specular reflection more than totally random roughness.

Apparatus for and method of correcting for astigmatism in a light beam reflected off of a light reflecting surface

DOEpatents

Sawicki, Richard H.; Sweatt, William

1987-01-01

A technique for adjustably correcting for astigmatism in a light beam is disclosed herein. This technique utilizes first means which defines a flat, rectangular light reflecting surface having opposite reinforced side edges and which is resiliently bendable, to a limited extent, into different concave and/or convex cylindrical curvatures about a particular axis and second means acting on the first means for adjustably bending the light reflecting surface into a particular selected one of the different curvatures depending upon the astigmatism to be corrected for and for fixedly maintaining the curvature selected. In the embodiment disclosed, the light reflecting surface is adjustably bendable into the selected cylindrical curvature by application of a particular bending moment to the reinforced side edges of the light reflecting surface.

Modeling the influence of the BRDF characteristics of vegetation on the retrieval of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence under different illumination conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinjie; Liu, Liangyun

2017-04-01

The Fraunhofer Line Discrimination (FLD) principle is the main approach used for the retrieval of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF). The basic assumption of the FLD principle is that the apparent reflectance spectra without SIF in-filling are smooth in the region of the absorption bands. However, in fact, this assumption is not valid due to the so-called "direct radiation in-filling" effect caused by the non-linear contribution of direct and diffuse radiation at the oxygen absorption bands, which are widely used for ground-based SIF retrieval. In this study, we first analyzed the physical mechanism of the direct radiation in-filling effect on the oxygen absorption bands and found that the bias in the SIF retrieval caused by the direct radiation in-filling effect at the O2-A band was less than 20% based on the use of a simulated dataset. Secondly, we established a simple correction model of the direct radiation in-filling effect. We found that the direct radiation in-filling effect at the O2-A band was directly proportional to the difference between the reflectance of the direct and diffuse radiation, and that the coefficient of proportionality was well correlated with the diffuse-to-global radiation ratio in the form of a quadratic function. The coefficient of determination (R-squared) for this correlation was 0.97. Finally, the model was validated using both simulated and field datasets. The validation results show that the bias in the SIF retrieval caused by the direct radiation in-filling effect can be efficiently corrected using the model proposed in this paper. This study thus provides a possible approach to estimating and correcting for the direct radiation-infilling effect using prior knowledge of the BRDF characteristics of direct and diffuse radiation for specific targets.

Patterns in the Land Surface Phenology of North American Mountain Systems from 2000 to 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson Dunn, A.; de Beurs, K. M.; Prisley, S. P.

2011-12-01

Mountain and alpine ecosystems cover more than twenty percent of the Earth's land surface spanning an area from the equator to just near the poles. In addition to the commonly known characteristics of a marked topographic variation resulting in steep slopes and varied aspects, mountains are highly diverse systems in flora, fauna, and human ethnicity, and are found, at varying altitudes, on every continent. These regions experience unique climate patterns aiding in the creation of niche vegetation zones; the development of alpine and tundra environments; as well as glaciers; and are expected to experience growing impacts due to shifts in climate patterns currently being seen in all ecosystems worldwide. In order to understand future natural and anthropogenic impacts on these high elevation areas it is essential that we first capture the spatial and temporal patterns and processes that are occurring there. One vital step in this process is the understanding of vegetation phenology throughout. Here, we use the MODIS/Terra satellite 16-day Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectance product, to assess the annual seasonality of a diverse variety of North American mountain environments from Alaska to the Appalachian Mountains and down to Sierra Madres in Mexico for the years of 2000 to 2011. Independent data for elevation, slope, aspect, solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation as well as longitude and latitude were related to the seasonal outputs for start of season (SOS), end of season (EOS), maximum photosynthetic activity (MPA), and growing season length (GSL). Preliminary results of these analyses show that the seasonal vegetation pattern within these zones is primarily controlled by elevation, aspect, latitude, and temperature.

Variable area light reflecting assembly

DOEpatents

Howard, T.C.

1986-12-23

Device is described for tracking daylight and projecting it into a building. The device tracks the sun and automatically adjusts both the orientation and area of the reflecting surface. The device may be mounted in either a wall or roof of a building. Additionally, multiple devices may be employed in a light shaft in a building, providing daylight to several different floors. The preferred embodiment employs a thin reflective film as the reflecting device. One edge of the reflective film is fixed, and the opposite end is attached to a spring-loaded take-up roller. As the sun moves across the sky, the take-up roller automatically adjusts the angle and surface area of the film. Additionally, louvers may be mounted at the light entrance to the device to reflect incoming daylight in an angle perpendicular to the device to provide maximum reflective capability when daylight enters the device at non-perpendicular angles. 9 figs.

Pettit runs a drill while looking through a camera mounted on the Nadir window in the U.S. Lab

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-04-05

ISS006-E-44305 (5 April 2003) --- Astronaut Donald R. Pettit, Expedition Six NASA ISS science officer, runs a drill while looking through a camera mounted on the nadir window in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). The device is called a “barn door tracker”. The drill turns the screw, which moves the camera and its spotting scope.

Ultra-wideband, Wide Angle and Polarization-insensitive Specular Reflection Reduction by Metasurface based on Parameter-adjustable Meta-Atoms.

PubMed

Su, Jianxun; Lu, Yao; Zhang, Hui; Li, Zengrui; Lamar Yang, Yaoqing; Che, Yongxing; Qi, Kainan

2017-02-09

In this paper, an ultra-wideband, wide angle and polarization-insensitive metasurface is designed, fabricated, and characterized for suppressing the specular electromagnetic wave reflection or backward radar cross section (RCS). Square ring structure is chosen as the basic meta-atoms. A new physical mechanism based on size adjustment of the basic meta-atoms is proposed for ultra-wideband manipulation of electromagnetic (EM) waves. Based on hybrid array pattern synthesis (APS) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, the selection and distribution of the basic meta-atoms are optimized simultaneously to obtain the ultra-wideband diffusion scattering patterns. The metasurface can achieve an excellent RCS reduction in an ultra-wide frequency range under x- and y-polarized normal incidences. The new proposed mechanism greatly extends the bandwidth of RCS reduction. The simulation and experiment results show the metasurface can achieve ultra-wideband and polarization-insensitive specular reflection reduction for both normal and wide-angle incidences. The proposed methodology opens up a new route for realizing ultra-wideband diffusion scattering of EM wave, which is important for stealth and other microwave applications in the future.

Analysis of the In-Water and Sky Radiance Distribution Data Acquired During the Radyo Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

radiative transfer to model the BRDF of particulate surfaces. OBJECTIVES The major objective of this research is to understand the downwelling...of image and radiative transfer models used in the ocean. My near term ocean optics objectives have been: 1) to improve the measurement capability...directional Reflectance Distribution Function ( BRDF ) of benthic surfaces in the ocean, and 4) to understand the capabilities and limitations of using

Changes in Optical Properties of Spacecraft Materials Due to Combined Effects of Aging Factors in a Space Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 16-07-2013 2...Bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF) and Bidirectional reflectance distribution function ( BRDF ) measurements were conducted for the...radiation (visible, ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet and soft X-ray radiation) at an altitude of 400 km 4) BSDF/ BRDF measurements have been conducted for

Variation in spectral response of soybeans with respect to illumination, view, and canopy geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. J.; Biehl, L. L.; Bauer, M. E.

1984-01-01

Comparisons of the spectral response for incomplete (well-defined row structure) and complete (overlapping row structure) canopies of soybeans indicated a greater dependence on Sun and view geometry for the incomplete canopies. Red and near-IR reflectance for the incomplete canopy decreased as solar zenith angle increased for a nadir view angle until the soil between the plant rows was completely shaded. Thereafter for increasing solar zenith angle, the red reflectance leveled off and the near-IR reflectance increased. A 'hot spot' effect was evident for the red and near-IR reflectance factors. The 'hot spot' effect was more pronounced for the red band based on relative reflectance value changes. The ratios of off-nadir to nadir acquired data reveal that off-nadir red band reflectance factors more closely approximated straightdown measurements for time periods away from solar noon. Normalized difference generally approximated straightdown measurements during the middle portion of the day.

Direct estimation of land surface albedo from VIIRS data: Algorithm improvement and preliminary validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dongdong; Liang, Shunlin; He, Tao; Yu, Yunyue

2013-11-01

surface albedo (LSA), part of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) surface albedo environmental data record (EDR), is an essential variable regulating shortwave energy exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere. Two sub-algorithms, the dark pixel sub-algorithm (DPSA) and the bright pixel sub-algorithm (BPSA), were proposed for retrieving LSA from VIIRS data. The BPSA estimates LSA directly from VIIRS top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance through simulation of atmospheric radiative transfer. Several changes have been made to improve the BPSA since the deployment of VIIRS. A database of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is collected and converted to bidirectional reflectance at VIIRS bands. The converted reflectance is then used as input to the atmospheric radiative transfer model to generate a look-up table (LUT) of regression coefficients with consideration of surface BRDF. Before its implementation in the operational system, the new BPSA is tested on the local infrastructure. The incorporation of the surface BRDF improves the accuracy of LSA estimation and reduces the temporal variation of LSA over stable surfaces. VIIRS LSA retrievals agree well with the MODIS albedo products. Comparison with field measurements at seven Surface Radiation (SURFRAD) Network sites shows that VIIRS LSA retrieved from the LUT with surface BRDF has an R2 value of 0.80 and root mean square error of 0.049, better than MODIS albedo products. The VIIRS results have a slight negative bias of 0.004, whereas the MODIS albedo is underestimated with a larger negative bias of 0.026.

Seasonal variation in the structure of red reflectance of leaves from yellow poplar, red oak, and red maple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brakke, Thomas W.; Wergin, William P.; Erbe, Eric F.; Harnden, Joann M.

1993-01-01

The light scattered from leaves was measured as a function of view angle in the principal plane for yellow poplar, red oak, and red maple. The source was a parallel-polarized helium-neon laser. Yellow poplar leaves had the highest reflectance of the three species, which may have been due to its shorter palisade cells and more extensive spongy mesophyll. Prior to senescence, there was a significant decrease, but not total extinction, in the reflectance of the beam incident at 60 deg from nadir on the adaxial side of the leaves of all three species. Low-temperature SEM observations showed differences in the surface wax patterns among the three species but did not indicate a cause of the reflectance changes other than possibly the accumulation and aging of the wax.