Remote sensing of atmospheric properties with the modular optical scanner (MOS)

Abstract

Satellite remote sensing of atmospheric properties is important for the investigation of atmospheric pollution and also for remote sensing of the underlying surface, where an atmospheric correction is needed. For the proof of new methodical concepts the multispectral imaging spectrometer MOS was developed in the DLR Institute of Space Sensor Technology and launched on the Indian satellite IRS-P3. It has 13 bands in the VIS/NIR region with 10nm bandwidth. MOS successfully provides data for more than 2 years over European and Northern African coasts. The paper will introduce a standard atmospheric correction scheme for MOS data over water regions using measurements in the near infrared from 685nm to 1000nm. This method is based on a 2-channel correction, estimating the aerosol optical depth and the Angstroem coefficient for the spectral behavior of the optical thickness. After extrapolation to the visible region the atmospheric correction is applied. Examples will be shown from the Baltic and North Sea regions. The obtained results will be compared and discussed with available in situ measurements taken simultaneously with MOS overflights. Last this algorithm is applied to an observation of forest fire smoke over Malaysia.