Cloud detection performance of spaceborne visible-to-infrared multispectral imagers

Takashi Y. Nakajima; Takumi Tsuchiya; Haruma Ishida; Takashi N. Matsui; Haruhisa Shimoda

doi:10.1364/AO.50.002601

Applied Optics
Vol. 50,
Issue 17,
pp. 2601-2616
(2011)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.50.002601

Cloud detection performance of spaceborne visible-to-infrared multispectral imagers

Takashi Y. Nakajima, Takumi Tsuchiya, Haruma Ishida, Takashi N. Matsui, and Haruhisa Shimoda

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Takashi Y. Nakajima, Takumi Tsuchiya, Haruma Ishida, Takashi N. Matsui, and Haruhisa Shimoda, "Cloud detection performance of spaceborne visible-to-infrared multispectral imagers," Appl. Opt. 50, 2601-2616 (2011)

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Abstract

We investigate the cloud detection efficiency of existing and future spaceborne visible-to-infrared imagers, focusing on several threshold tests for cloud detection over different types of ground surfaces, namely, the ocean, desert, vegetation, semibare land, and cryosphere. In this investigation, we used the CLoud and Aerosol Unbiased Decision Intellectual Algorithm (CLAUDIA), which was developed for unbiased cloud detection. It was revealed that imagers with fewer bands than the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer tend to have cloudy shifts. An imager without any infrared bands could yield cloudy shifts up to 17% over the ocean. To avoid false recognition of Sun glint as clouds, the 0.905 and $0.935 μm$ bands are needed in addition to the infrared bands. In reflectance ratio tests, the 0.87 and $1.6 μm$ bands can effectively distinguish clouds from desert. In the case of desert, thermal–infrared bands are ineffective when the desert surface temperature is low during winter. The 3.9 and $11 μm$ bands are critical for distinguishing between clear and cloudy pixels over snow-/ice-covered areas. The results and discussions of this research can guide CLAUDIA users in the optimization of thresholds. Here, we propose a virtual imager called the cloud detection imager, which has seven or eight bands for efficient cloud detection.

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Band No.	Wavelength ( $μm$ )	IFOV (km)	Band No.	Wavelength ( $μm$ )	IFOV (km)
1	0.64	0.25	19	0.940	1.0
2	0.86	0.25	20	3.75	1.0
3	0.47	0.5	20	3.96	1.0
4	0.56	0.5	22	3.96	1.0
5	1.24	0.5	23	4.05	1.0
6	1.64	0.5	24	4.47	1.0
7	2.13	0.5	25	4.52	1.0
8	0.412	1.0	26	1.38	1.0
9	0.443	1.0	27	6.7	1.0
10	0.488	1.0	28	7.3	1.0
11	0.530	1.0	29	8.6	1.0
12	0.551	1.0	30	9.7	1.0
13	0.667	1.0	31	11.0	1.0
14	0.678	1.0	32	12.0	1.0
15	0.748	1.0	33	13.34	1.0
16	0.853	1.0	34	13.64	1.0
17	0.905	1.0	35	13.94	1.0
18	0.936	1.0	36	14.24	1.0

Band No.	Wavelength ( $μm$ )	IFOV (km)
VN1	0.380	0.25
VN2	0.412	0.25
VN3	0.443	0.25
VN4	0.490	0.25
VN5	0.530	0.25
VN6	0.565	0.25
VN7	0.670	0.25
VN8	0.670	0.25
VN9	0.763	1.0
VN10	0.865	0.25
VN11	0.865	0.25
P1	0.670	1.0
P2	0.865	1.0
SW1	1.05	1.0
SW2	1.38	1.0
SW3	1.63	0.25
SW4	2.21	1.0
T1	10.8	0.5
T2	12.0	0.5

Band No.	Wavelength ( $μm$ )	IFOV (km)
1	0.67	0.5
2	0.87	0.5
3	1.67	0.5
4	2.21	0.5
5	8.8	0.5
6	10.8	0.5
7	12.0	0.5

Band No.	Wavelength ( $μm$ )	IFOV (km)
1	0.64	1.1
2	0.87	1.1
3	3.74	1.1
4	10.8	1.1
5	12.0	1.1

Band No.	Wavelength ( $μm$ )	IFOV (km)
1	0.38	0.5
2	0.67	0.5
3	0.87	0.5
4	1.64	1.5

Tests	Ocean		Land		Polar
	Group	Threshold	Group	Threshold	Group	Threshold
R0.67 (land or polar) or R0.87 ocean)	1	$R \min + 0.12 \mp 0.075$	1	$R \min + 0.18 \mp 0.075$	1	$R \min + 0.16 \mp 0.04$
$R 0.87 / R 0.67$	1	$0.78 \pm 0.12$ $1.25 \mp 0.1$	1	$0.78 \pm 0.12$ $1.4 \mp 0.3$	—	—
$NDVI = (R 0.87 - R 0.67) / (R 0.87 + R 0.67)$	1	$- 0.16 \pm 0.06$ $0.34 \mp 0.12$	1	$- 0.16 \pm 0.06$ $0.34 \mp 0.12$	1	$- 0.2 \pm 0.02$ $0.4 \mp 0.05$
$R 0.87 / R 1.64$	—	—	1	$0.96 \pm 0.1$	—	—
$R 1.24 / R 0.55$ SW BT3.9-BT3.7 SW BT11-BT3.7	—	—	1	$1.86 \mp 0.12$ $> - 11 [K]$ $> - 15 [K]$	—	—
$R 0.905 / R 0.935$ SW BT11-BT3.7 SW R0.905	1	$2.9 \mp 0.1$ $> - 15 [K]$ $< 0.08$	—	—	—	—
BT11	2	$267 [K] \mp 6 [K]$	R	$297.5 [K] \mp 5 [K]$	—	—
R1.38	2	$0.04 \mp 0.01$	—	—	—	—
BT6.7	2	$220 [K] \mp 10 [K]$	2	$220 [K] \mp 10 [K]$	—	—
BT11-BT3.9	2	$- 8 [K] \mp 4 [K]$	2	$- 20 [K] \mp 4 [K]$	1	$- 7 [K] \mp 3 [K]$ -
BT13.9	2	$226 [K] \mp 4 [K]$	2	$224 [K] \mp 4 [K]$	—	—

Test	Primary Objective	MODIS (13 bands)^b	SGLI (5)	MSI (4)	AVHRR (3)	CAI (3)	2BI (2)	CDI ^c (8)
R0.67 or R0.87	Thick clouds detection	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
$R 0.87 / R 0.67$	Thick clouds detection	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
NDVI^d	Find clear over vegetations	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
$R 0.87 / R 1.64$	Find clear over desert	X	X	X	—	X	—	X
$R 1.24 / R 0.55$ SW BT3.9-BT3.7 SW BT11-BT3.7	Find clear over semibare ground	X	—	—	—	—	—	—
$R 0.905 / R 0.935$ SW BT11-BT3.7 SW R0.905	Sun glint detection	X	—	—	—	—	—	X
BT11	Find clear, high-altitude clouds	X	X	X	X	—	—	X
R1.38	Cirrus over ocean	X	X	—	—	—	—	—
BT6.7	Thin high-altitude clouds	X	—	—	—	—	—	—
BT11-BT3.9	Thin high-altitude clouds except for cryosphere, or cryosphere	X	—	—	—	—	—	X
BT13.9	Thin high-altitude clouds	X	—	—	—	—	—	—

		JAN	APR	JUL	OCT	Remarkable Bands ( $μm$ )
Area 1a	Pacific Ocean (without Sun glint)	10	7	8	10	0.67, 0.87, 11
Area 1b	Pacific Ocean (with Sun glint)	11	15	11	13	0.905, 0.935, 3.7, 11
Area 2	The Sahara	9	18	13	17	0.87, 1.64, 11
Area 3	The Amazon	13	15	17	18	3.9, 6.7, 11, 13.9
Area 4	Australia	9	9	10	8	0.55, 1.24, 3.9, 11, 13.9
Area 5	Greenland	—	8	12	11	0.67, 0.87, 3.9, 11

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Applied Optics