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Advances in Nighttime Satellite Remote Advances in Nighttime Satellite Remote Sensing Capabilities via the VIIRS Sensing Capabilities via the VIIRS

Day/Night Band Low-Light Visible SensorDay/Night Band Low-Light Visible Sensor(and Tracing Evolution of these Capabilities Over the Lifetime of IGARSS)(and Tracing Evolution of these Capabilities Over the Lifetime of IGARSS)

Steve MillerSteve Miller11, Tom Lee, Tom Lee22, Bob Turner, Bob Turner33, Jeremy Solbrig, Jeremy Solbrig22, Rich , Rich BankertBankert22, Cindy Combs, Cindy Combs11, Stan Kidder, Stan Kidder11, and Chris Elvidge, and Chris Elvidge44

11 Cooperative Institute for Research in the AtmosphereCooperative Institute for Research in the AtmosphereColorado State University, Fort Collins, COColorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

22 Satellite Meteorological Applications SectionSatellite Meteorological Applications SectionNaval Research Laboratory, Monterey CANaval Research Laboratory, Monterey CA

33 Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Monterey, CAScience Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Monterey, CA

44 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)National Geophysical Data Center, (NGDC), Boulder, CONational Geophysical Data Center, (NGDC), Boulder, CO

IGARSS 2010, HawaiiIGARSS at 30: Perspectives on Remote Sensing Science and Sensors

WE4.L10.5 Paper 524828 July 2010

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Motivation Satellite detection/characterization of low cloud cover, Satellite detection/characterization of low cloud cover,

aerosols, snow cover, and other environmental parameters aerosols, snow cover, and other environmental parameters via optical-spectrum radiometers is limited in most cases to via optical-spectrum radiometers is limited in most cases to daytime observations, when sunlight is available.daytime observations, when sunlight is available.

The many new capabilities that the DNB will enable is one of the most novel and perhaps most important elements of VIIRS

Awareness of these parameters and their properties at night Awareness of these parameters and their properties at night is critical to a wide array operational users, and in particular is critical to a wide array operational users, and in particular to the general aviation community.to the general aviation community.

The “Day/Night Band” (DNB) sensor, capable of detecting The “Day/Night Band” (DNB) sensor, capable of detecting extremely low levels of visible light will be flown for the first extremely low levels of visible light will be flown for the first time on a civilian operational satellite (the Joint Polar Satellite time on a civilian operational satellite (the Joint Polar Satellite System; JPSS) as part of the Visible/Infrared System; JPSS) as part of the Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

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How Have Low-Light Applications How Have Low-Light Applications Evolved?Evolved?

Progress limited by technology which has been the same since the early years of the environmental satellite era…• 2-band VIS (0.4-1.1m), IR (10-13.4 m)• 8-bit digitization• Coarse spatial resolution (~ 3 km)• No practical calibration

1960’s 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s Today

Natural gas flares (Croft 1973)Aurora (Snyder et al, 1973)City lights (Akasofu et al., 1975) Fishing fleets and urban settlements (Croft 1978)

Lightning (Orville 1981)Snow cover (Foster, 1983)

Fires (Cahoon et al., 1993)Calibration, Energy Consumption, (Elvidge et al. 1997, 1998,1999)

Bioluminescence (Miller et al., 2005)Aerosol Retrievals (Zhang et al, 2008)

Designed for cloud imagery across day/twilight/night. Declassified in 1972.

The Operational Linescan System (OLS) on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) series.

OLS

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The VIIRS Day/Night BandThe VIIRS Day/Night Band****

• Panchromatic visible-band imaging radiometer to fly on JPSS as Panchromatic visible-band imaging radiometer to fly on JPSS as part of the VIIRS channel suitepart of the VIIRS channel suite

• 740m resolution (nearly constant along swath), via variable 740m resolution (nearly constant along swath), via variable aggregation of CCD elements both along track and scanaggregation of CCD elements both along track and scan

• 12-14 bit radiometric resolution, 3 stages of dynamically selected 12-14 bit radiometric resolution, 3 stages of dynamically selected gain to handle scene brightness across gain to handle scene brightness across 7 orders of magnitude7 orders of magnitude

• On-orbit calibration via transfer from HGS to MGS and LGSOn-orbit calibration via transfer from HGS to MGS and LGS• Minimal stray light (solar glare) effectsMinimal stray light (solar glare) effects• First opportunity to blend low-light sensor measurements with First opportunity to blend low-light sensor measurements with

numerous NIR/IR bands for multi-spectral applicationsnumerous NIR/IR bands for multi-spectral applications

**Lee, T. F., S. D. Miller, F. J. Turk, C. Schueler, R. Julian, S. Deyo, P. Dills, and S. Wang, 2006: The NPOESS/VIIRS day/night visible sensor, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 87(2), 191-199.

Presented here are examples of VIIRS/DNB multi-spectral Presented here are examples of VIIRS/DNB multi-spectral capabilities, demonstrated in a limited way via the DNB’s capabilities, demonstrated in a limited way via the DNB’s heritage sensor—the DMSP Operational Linescan Systemheritage sensor—the DMSP Operational Linescan System

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1) Lunar Reflection Methods

‘Harvesting the Moon’ for Day-Like Capabilities…

Miller, S. D., and R. E. Turner, 2009. Miller, S. D., and R. E. Turner, 2009. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Rem. SensIEEE Trans. Geosci. Rem. Sens., ., 4747(7), 2316-2329. (A code for quantifying lunar irradiance)(7), 2316-2329. (A code for quantifying lunar irradiance)

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Limited information on cloud layering is available from multi-spectral VIS/IR measurements: thin cirrus atop thick lower-level clouds

The VIIRS DNB will offer the only capability for detecting such two-layer cloud structures at night.

Low CloudsThin CirrusThick

Stratus

Cloud Overlap Detection at Night

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Low Clouds & Ship Tracks

Day/Night Band’s sensitivity to reflected moonlight will improve the detection of ship tracks and other low-cloud features at night…

DAYNIGHT

GOES VIS loop Courtesy CIMSS

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Low Clouds/Fog Over Cold Terrain

Detection enabled where conventional IR techniques often fail due to extremely cold surfaces…

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Multi-spectral techniques that include a nighttime visible band can separate cloud from snow cover and sea-ice.

We can simulate the capability of VIIRS via space/time matching of OLS and sensors possessing NIR channels…

SnowCover

Snow Cover Detection at Night

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ConceptConcept

NewMoon

City LightsCity Lights

SnowSnowLowLowCloudsClouds

High CloudsHigh Clouds

Nighttime Visible Band Only (DMSP/OLS)

Add Stable Night Lights MaskAdd Stable Night Lights Mask

Add HighHigh/Low Low Cloud Detection (GOES)

Combine LEO and time-matched GEO to provide augmented channel suite for improved discrimination.

1111

A “Poor-Man’s” VIIRS Simulation

CO

NE

KS

NM

WY

UT

SD

OK

MT

Low Cloud

High Cloud

CityLights

SnowCover

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Quasi-Looping CapabilityQuasi-Looping Capability

Low Cloud

High Cloud

CityLights

SnowCover

Potential for further blending with geostationary data for analysis of radiation fog development.

1313

Chaiten

Volcanic Ash Plumes

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Nighttime: IR Only Nighttime: IR Only

Dust Detection at NightDaytime: MODIS VIS + IR

3 March 2004, 1110 GMT

Nighttime: OLS VIS + IR Nighttime: OLS VIS + IR

3 March 2004, 2017 GMT

Moonlight reflectance highlights dust plumes at night. A mid-morning (0930/2130) orbit would be particularly valuable for tracking the advance of plumes after sunset.

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Dust Detection at Night

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DMSP/OLS 8/30/2004 0504 UTCDMSP/OLS 8/30/2004 0504 UTC11.0 11.0 µµm IR Windowm IR Window

GeorgetteGeorgette Eastern Eastern PacificPacific

15 N15 N

20 N20 N

125 W125 W 120 W120 W

Upper-LevelUpper-LevelCirculationCirculation

Lower-LevelLower-LevelCirculation Circulation ~200km SE~200km SE

Tropical Cyclone Fixes at Night

•Exposed low-level circulation occurs when storms enter a high vertical shear environment

•Decoupling of the upper and lower level cloud fields

•Displacements between upper and lower level centers can exceed 100 km in some cases

Helps avoid the “Sunrise Surprise”

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2) Terrestrial Emission Methods

The Night is Not as Dark as You Might Think…

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Yellow =No ChangeRed =Lights OutGreen =New Lights

Courtesy C. Elvidge, NOAA/NGDC

New Orleans

DMSP/OLS 8/28/2005 0220 UTCDMSP/OLS 8/28/2005 0220 UTCDMSP/OLS 8/30/2005 0154 UTCDMSP/OLS 8/30/2005 0154 UTC

?

Artificial Light Sources

The higher resolution (0.74 km) nighttime lights background from VIIRS/DNB will enable superior ‘residual light’ applications.

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Wildfire Smoke Plumes

Fire

Smoke PlumeIlluminated By Moonlight

JPL

2020

Ensenada

10/22/2007 2055 UTC (Aqua)

10/22/2007 0423 UTC (F-16)

10/23/2007 0620 UTC (Terra)

10/23/2007 0201 UTC (F-16)

Actively Burning Fires

Active fires produce significantly greater smoke flux, potentially impacting nighttime visibility (T&D).

Ferguson and Hardy, Int. J. Wildland Fire, 1994

ActiveActive

SmolderingSmoldering

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Correlation of dense flash zones with embedded convective rainfall region (vs. trailing stratiform).

Lightning Flashes

2222

Space Weather: AurorasSpace Weather: Auroras

Aleutian Chain

NORTH PACIFIC

Auroral boundaries are a VIIRS EDR

2323

Bioluminescence: ‘Bioluminescence: ‘Milky SeasMilky Seas’’

Miller et al., 2005 (Proc. Nat Acad. Sci.)

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100 km

(~ 150 km of travel)

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Conclusions The Day/Night Band will offer new and unique nighttime The Day/Night Band will offer new and unique nighttime

observing capabilities to the operational community. No observing capabilities to the operational community. No longer at the mercy of IR-only applications at night.longer at the mercy of IR-only applications at night.

The first VIIRS is slated to fly on the NPOESS (now The first VIIRS is slated to fly on the NPOESS (now JPSS) Preparatory Project.JPSS) Preparatory Project.

Beyond “near constant contrast” imagery, the DNB Beyond “near constant contrast” imagery, the DNB currently does not factor into the VIIRS Environmental currently does not factor into the VIIRS Environmental Data Records (EDRs).Data Records (EDRs).

A golden opportunity exists for the R&D community to augment A golden opportunity exists for the R&D community to augment the performance of the VIIRS EDRs through incorporation of the performance of the VIIRS EDRs through incorporation of calibrated, high spatial resolution nighttime visible data. calibrated, high spatial resolution nighttime visible data.

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