Generating Clear-Sky Composites Over Canada From VIIRS

The processing techniques for generating clear-sky composites over Canada for land applications from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite are described. The VIIRS processing system developed at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) is based on principles developed for MODIS processing (Klopenkov and Trishchenko, 2008, Luo et al, 2008, Trishchenko et al., 2009). It also includes several enhancements, particularly related to the cloud detection scheme and the extended set of multi-scale output layers. The processing system also contains quality assurance (QA) procedures to assess the geolocation accuracy and quality of scene identification. The CCRS VIIRS data processing system uses VIIRS SDRs and some EDR as input and generates output products as Canada-wide composites in Lambert Conformal Conic (LCC) projection at two spatial resolutions depending on spatial resolution of input imagery (I or M-bands). The re-projection is accomplished using concurrent gradient search, the fast algorithm adopted from CCRS MODIS processing (Khlopenkov and Trishchenko, 2008). The VIIRS clear-sky composites continue MODIS-derived time series started in 2000. This work constitutes part of CCRS project on production of the Long-Term Satellite Data Records (LTSDR) over Canada.

References:

Khlopenkov K.V., A.P.Trishchenko, 2008: Implementation and evaluation of concurrent gradient search method for re-projection of MODIS level 1B imagery. IEEE TGRS, 46 (7), art. no. 4538199, pp. 2016-2027

Luo, Y., A.P.Trishchenko, K.V. Khlopenkov, 2008: Developing clear-sky, cloud and cloud shadow mask for producing clear-sky composites at 250 m spatial resolution for seven MODIS land bands over Canada and North America. Rem. Sens.Environ., 112 (12), pp. 4167-4185.

Trishchenko, A.P., Y.Luo, K. Khlopenkov, W.M.Park, S.Wang, 2009: Arctic circumpolar mosaic at 250m spatial resolution for IPY by fusion of MODIS/TERRA land bands B1–B7. Int.J.Rem.Sens, 30, 1635-1641.