NOAA TIROS-N series satellite
showing location of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)
and the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS). This image
was provided courtesy of ITT Aerospace/Optical Division.
Abstract:
The solar reflectance
channels on the NOAA AVHRR instrument have no on-board calibration
source and are known to drift in sensitivity following launch. Various
methods have been developed for the post-launch calibration of these
channels. This document brings together the results of this work in
a form suited to the operational calibration of AVHRR data sets from
both historical and currently operational sensors. The CalWatch project
aims to provide users of the AVHRR solar reflectance channels with
a set of calibration coefficients maintained centrally, enabling uniform
generation of higher level products across the user community. Accordingly,
direct electronic access is provided to the data tables appearing
in this document so that processing software can be furnished with
current calibration coefficients.
