ARES - A New Reflective / Emissive Imaging Spectrometer for Terrestrial Applications

Abstract

This paper introduces application possibilities for a new airborne imaging spectrometer, the ARES (Airborne Reflective Emissive Spectrometer)currently being built by Integrated Spectronics, Sydney, Australia, and co-financed by DLR German Aerospace Center and the GFZ GeoResearch Center Potsdam, Germany. This instrument shall feature a high performance over the entire optical wavelength range and will be available to the scientific community from 2004 on. The ARES sensor will provide approx. 160 channels in the solar reflective region (0.45-2.45 µm) and the thermal region (8-13 µm). It will consist of four co-registered individual spectrometers, three of them for the reflective and one for the thermal part of the spectrum. The spectral resolution will be between 12 and 15 nm in the solar wavelength range and less then 150 nm in the thermal. ARES will be used mainly for environmental applications in terrestrial ecosystems. The thematic focus is thought to be on soil sciences, geology, agriculture and forestry. Limnologic applications should be possible but will not play a key role in the thematic applications. For all above mentioned key application scenarios the spectral response of soils, rocks, and vegetation as well as their mixtures contain the valuable information to be extracted and quantified. The instrument will be offered to the scientific community on a commercial basis as well as through planned national and international programs from 2005 onwards. One of the major goals of ARES is to prepare the ground for a future global spaceborne hyperspectral mission.