Abstract
The Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) is an automated facility developed and operated by the Remote Sensing Group at the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. It is located at Railroad Valley, Nevada, USA, and has been in operation in its current form since 2012. RadCaTS was originally developed in the mid-2000s in response to the ever increasing number of Earth observation sensors on orbit, and it includes instruments used to make surface reflectance and atmospheric measurements in order to determine the top-of-atmosphere quantities (e.g. spectral radiance and reflectance). In addition, the surface reflectance at Railroad Valley can be used to validate surface reflectance algorithms. The primary motivation for RadCaTS is the ability to make near-continuous measurements throughout the day during clear-sky conditions while retaining a level of uncertainty on par with the more traditional reflectance-based approach to vicarious calibration. RadCaTS is also one of the four instrumented sites that make up the CEOS WGCV Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet), which seeks to coordinate the efforts of space agencies to harmonize the SI traceability of satellite sensors. RadCaTS calibration and validation results for various Earth-observing sensors are presented for the period 2012–2017.
Satellite Intercomparison and Validation using the Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) at Railroad Valley, Nevada
The Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) is an automated facility developed and operated by the Remote Sensing Group at the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. It is located at Railroad Valley, Nevada, USA, and has been in operation in its current form since 2012. RadCaTS was originally developed in the mid-2000s in response to the ever increasing number of Earth observation sensors on orbit, and it includes instruments used to make surface reflectance and atmospheric measurements in order to determine the top-of-atmosphere quantities (e.g. spectral radiance and reflectance). In addition, the surface reflectance at Railroad Valley can be used to validate surface reflectance algorithms. The primary motivation for RadCaTS is the ability to make near-continuous measurements throughout the day during clear-sky conditions while retaining a level of uncertainty on par with the more traditional reflectance-based approach to vicarious calibration. RadCaTS is also one of the four instrumented sites that make up the CEOS WGCV Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet), which seeks to coordinate the efforts of space agencies to harmonize the SI traceability of satellite sensors. RadCaTS calibration and validation results for various Earth-observing sensors are presented for the period 2012–2017.