Ground-Truth Surface Water and Paved Surface Temperature Measurements for DOE's MTI Satellite

In March 2000, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) Satellite. The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) is responsible for taking a wide array of ground-truth measurements at various target to verify the multispectral capabilities of the satellite. Two particular areas of the ground-truth verification measurement process encompass bulk surface water and paved surface temperatures. SRTC developed site-specific measurement systems that operate independently with minimal maintenance for months at a time. The design criteria were based on sensor accuracy, ease-of-use, minimal environmental impact, operational stability, and off-the-shelf availability. In both cases (water and paved surfaces), the selected sensor was surprisingly inexpensive making cost considerations easily manageable. The measurement methodologies used, including sensor calibration data, will be presented.