NASA/TMm2000-209891, Vol. 101

Technical Report Series on the

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS)

Forrest G. Hall, Editor

Volume 101

BOREAS Level 3-b AVHRR-LAC Imagery:

Scaled At-sensor Radiance in LGSOWG Format

Jaime Nickeson and Jeffrey A. Newcomer, Raytheon ITSS,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Josef Cihlar, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

September 2000

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20010021968 2018-05-14T18:48:57+00:00Z
The NASA STI Program Office ... in Profile

Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to

the advancement of aeronautics and space

science. The NASA Scientific and Technical

Information (STI) Program Office plays a key

part in helping NASA maintain this important

role.

The NASA STI Program Office is operated by

Langley Research Center, the lead center for

NASA's scientific and technical information. The

NASA STI Program Office provides access to

the NASA STI Database, the largest collection of

aeronautical and space science STI in the world.

The Program Office is also NASA's institutional

mechanism for disseminating the results of its

research and development activities. These

results are published by NASA in the NASA STI

Report Series, which includes the following

report types:

• TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports of

completed research or a major significant

phase of research that present the results of

NASA programs and include extensive data or

theoretical analysis. Includes compilations of

significant scientific and technical data and

information deemed to be of continuing

reference value. NASA's counterpart of

peer-reviewed formal professional papers but

has less stringent limitations on manuscript

length and extent of graphic presentations.

• TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Scientific

and technical findings that are preliminary or

of specialized interest, e.g., quick release

reports, working papers, and bibliographies

that contain minimal annotation. Does not

contain extensive analysis.

• CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and

technical findings by NASA-sponsored

contractors and grantees.

CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected

papers from scientific and technical

conferences, symposia, seminars, or other

meetings sponsored or cosponsored by NASA.

SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, technical, or historical information from NASA

programs, projects, and mission, often concerned with subjects having substantial public

interest.

TECHNICAL TRANSLATION.

English-language translations of foreign scientific and technical material pertinent to NASA's

mission.

Specialized services that complement the STI

Program Office's diverse offerings include creating custom thesauri, building customized databases, organizing and publishing research results...

even providing videos.

For more information about the NASA STI Prograin Office, see the following:

Access the NASA STI Program Home Page at

http://www, sti.nasa.gov/STI-homepage.html

E-mail your question via the Internet to

help@ sti.nasa.gov

Fax your question to the NASA Access Help

Desk at (301) 621-0134

• Telephone the NASA Access Help Desk at

(301) 621-0390

Write to:

NASA Access Help Desk

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information

7121 Standard Drive

Hanover, MD 21076-1320
NASA/TMm2000-209891, Vol. 101

Technical Report Series on the

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS)

Forrest G. Hall, Editor

Volume 101

BOREAS Level 3-b AVHRR-LAC Imagery:

Scaled At-sensor Radiance in LGSOWG Format

Jaime Nickeson and Jeffrey A. Newcomer, Raytheon ITSS,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Josef Cihlar, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

September 2000
NASA Center for AeroSpace Information

7121 Standard Drive

Hanover, MD 21076-1320

Price Code: A17

Available from:

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

Price Code: A10
BOREAS Level-3b AVHRR-LAC Imagery: Scaled At-sensor Radiance in

LGSOWG Format

Jaime Nickeson, Jeffrey A. Newcomer, Josef Cihlar

Summary

The BOREAS Staff Science Satellite Data Acquisition Program focused on providing the research

teams with the remotely sensed satellite data products they needed to compare and spatially extend

point results. Data acquired from the AVHRR instrument on the NOAA-9, -11, -12, and -14 satellites

were processed and archived for the BOREAS region by the MRSC and BORIS. The data were

acquired by CCRS and were provided for use by BOREAS researchers. A few winter acquisitions are

available, but the archive contains primarily growing season imagery. These gridded, at-sensor

radiance image data cover the period of 30-Jan-1994 to 18-Sep-1996. Geographically, the data cover

the entire 1,000-kin x 1,000-kin BOREAS region. The data are stored in binary image format files.

Note: due to the large size of the images, the level-3b AVHRR-LAC data are not contained on the

BOREAS CD-ROM set. An inventory listing file is supplied on the CD-ROM to inform users of what

data were collected. The level-3b AVHRR-LAC image data are available from the Earth Observing

System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed

Active Archive Center (DAAC). See sections 15 and 16 for more information.

Table of Contents

1) Data Set Overview

2) Investigator(s)

3) Theory of Measurements

4) Equipment

5) Data Acquisition Methods

6) Observations

7) Data Description

8) Data Organization

9) Data Manipulations

10) Errors

11) Notes

12) Application of the Data Set

13) Future Modifications and Plans

14) Software

15) Data Access

16) Output Products and Availability

17) References

18) Glossary of Terms

19) List of Acronyms

20) Document Information

1. Data Set Overview

1.1 Data Set Identification

BOREAS Level-3b AVHRR-LAC Imagery: Scaled At-sensor Radiance in LGSOWG Format

Page 1
1.2 Data Set Introduction

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Staff Science effort covered those activities

that were BOREAS community-level activities or required uniform data collection procedures across

sites and time. These activities included the acquisition of the relevant satellite data. Data from the

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument on the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-9, -11, -12, and -14 satellites were acquired by the Canada

Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) and were provided for use by BOREAS researchers.

1.3 Objective/Purpose

For BOREAS, the level-3b AVHRR-Local Area Coverage (LAC) images, along with the other

remotely sensed images, were collected in order to provide spatially extensive information over the

1,000-km x 1,000-km BOREAS region at varying spatial scales. This information includes detailed

land cover and biophysical parameter maps such as Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation

(FPAR) and Leaf Area Index (LAI). The Manitoba Remote Sensing Centre (MRSC) and the BOREAS

Information System (BORIS) processed and archived the five-band level-3b AVHRR-LAC image

products.

1.4 Summary of Parameters

Level-3b NOAA AVHRR-LAC data in the BORIS contain the following parameters: original image

header information; subset coordinates; summary information for the subset area; geographic position,

view angle, and solar angle information; image bands 1 to 5.

1.5 Discussion

Level-3b data sets are single-date images produced by the CCRS GEOCOMP Geocoding and

Compositing (GEOCOMP) system specifically for BOREAS. The major differences, when compared

to the processing for the AVHRR level-4 products are:

• Projection. The level-3b data are in the Albers Equal-Area Conic (AEAC) projection; the

level-4 data are in the Lambert Conformal Conic (LCC) projection.

• Calibration coefficients. For the NOAA-14 data from 1995, the calibration coefficients used

for level-3b are different from those used for level-4c (but are identical to those used for

level-4b).

The remainder of the processing is the same; i.e., each single-date image is registered to a map

projection using high-resolution image chips, the image is then resampled, and output channels are

produced. There is no compositing involved for the level-3b product. Details of the level-3b

processing are described in Section 9.

BORIS staff processes the level-3b AVHRR-LAC images by: 1) extracting pertinent header

information from the level-3b image product and placing it in an American Standard Code for

Information Interchange (ASCII) file on disk, and 2) reading the information in the disk file and

loading the online data base with information.

1.6 Related Data Sets

BOREAS Level-4b AVHRR-LAC Ten-Day Composite Images: At-sensor Radiance

BOREAS Level-4c AVHRR-LAC Ten-Day Composite Images: Surface Parameters

2. Investigator(s)

2.1 Investigator(s) Name and Title

Josef Cihlar

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing

Page 2
2.2 Title of Investigation

BOREAS Staff Science Satellite Data Acquisition Program

2.3 Contact Information

Contact 1:

Josef Cihlar

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing

588 Booth Street, 4th Floor

Ottawa, Ontario

K1AOY7 Canada

(613) 947-1265

(613) 947-1406 (fax)

Josef.Cihlar@geocan.emr.ca

Contact 2:

Jaime Nickeson

Raytheon ITSS

Code 923

NASA GSFC

Greenbelt, MD 20771

(301) 286-3373

(301) 286-0239 (fax)

Jaime.Nickeson@ gsfc.nasa.gov

3. Theory of Measurements

The AVHRR is a four- or five-channel scanning radiometer capable of providing global daytime and

nighttime information about ice, snow, vegetation, clouds, and the sea surface. These data are obtained

on a daily basis primarily for use in weather analysis and forecasting; however, a variety of other

applications are possible. The AVHRR-LAC data collected for the BOREAS project were from

instruments onboard NOAA-9, -11, -12, and -14 polar orbiting platforms. The radiometers measured

emitted and reflected radiation in one visible, one near-infrared, one middle-infrared, and one or two

thermal channels (on some platforms the thermal channels were identical).

The primary use of each channel and spectral regions and bandwidths on the respective NOAA

platforms are given in the following tables:

Channel Wavelength [_m] Primary Use

i* 0.57 - 0

2 0.72 - 0

3 3.52 - 3

4** 10.3 - ii

5*** 11.4 - 12

69 Daytime Cloud and Surface Mapping

98 Surface Water Delineation, Vegetation Cover

95 Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Nighttime

Cloud Mapping

40 Surface Temperature, Day/Night Cloud Mapping

40 Surface Temperature

* Channel 1 wavelength for the Television and Infrared Observation Satellite

(TIROS)-N flight model was 0.55-0.90 _m.

** For NOAA-7 and -9, channel 4 was 10.3-11.3 _m.

*** For TIROS-N and NOAA-6, -8, -i0, and -12, channel 5 duplicates channel 4.

The wavelength ranges at 50 percent relative spectral response (pro) of the bands for the

platform-specific instruments are:

Page 3
Band NOAA-9 NOAA-II NOAA-12 NOAA-14

1 0.570 - 0.699 0.572 - 0.698 0.571 - 0.684 0.570 - 0.699

2 0.714 - 0.983 0.716 - 0.985 0.724 - 0.984 0.714 - 0.983

3 3.525 - 3.931 3.536 - 3.935 3.554 - 3.950 3.525 - 3.931

4 10.334 - 11.252 10.338 - 11.287 10.601 - 11.445 10.330 - 11.250

5 11.395 - 12.342 11.408 - 12.386 10.601 - 11.445 11.390 - 12.340

The AVHRR can operate in both real-time and recorded modes. Direct readout data were transmitted to

ground stations of the automatic picture transmission (APT) class at low resolution (4 x 4 km) and to

ground stations of the high-resolution picture transmission (HRPT) class at high resolution (1 x 1 km).

AVHRR HRPT data were received for the BOREAS region by the CCRS.

4. Equipment

4.1 Sensor/Instrument Description

The AVHRR is a cross-track scanning system featuring one visible, one near-infrared, one

middle-infrared, and two thermal channels. The analog data output from the sensors is digitized

onboard the satellite at a rate of 39,936 samples per second per channel. Each sample step corresponds

to an angle of scanner rotation of 0.95 milliradians. At this sampling rate, there are 1.362 samples per

instantaneous field of view (IFOV). A total of 2,048 samples is obtained per channel per Earth scan,

which spans an angle of +/-55.4 degrees from nadir.

4.1.1 Collection Environment

The NOAA satellites orbit Earth at an altitude of 833 kin. From this space platform, the data are

transmitted to a ground receiving station.

4.1.2 Source/Platform

Launch and available dates for the TIROS-N series of satellites from CCRS are:

Satellite Launch Date Date Range

TIROS-N 13-Oct-1978 19-Oct-1978 to 30-Jan-1980

NOAA-6 27-Jun-1979 21-Aug-1984 to 23-Jan-1986

NOAA-B 29-May-1980 Failed to achieve orbit

NOAA-7 23-Jun-1981 24-Jui-1983 to 30-Dec-1984

NOAA-8 28-Mar-1983 24-Jui-1983 to 13-Aug-1985

NOAA-9 12-Dec-1984 16-Sep-1985 to 19-Mar-1995

NOAA-10 17-Sep-1986 ii-Oct-1986 to 15-Nov-1993

NOAA-II 24-Sep-1988 28-Jun-1989 to 13-Sep-1994

NOAA-12 14-May-1991 ll-Aug-1993 to present

NOAA-14 30-Dec-1994 15-May-1995 to present

AVHRR-LAC data used in BOREAS were collected onboard the NOAA-9, -11, and -14 polar orbiting

platforms.

4.1.3 Source/Platform Mission Objectives

The AVHRR is designed for multispectral analysis of meteorologic, oceanographic, and

hydrologic parameters. The objective of the instrument is to provide radiance data for investigation of

clouds, land-water boundaries, snow and ice extent, ice or snow melt inception, day and night cloud

distribution, temperatures of radiating surfaces, and SST. It is an integral member of the payload on

the advanced TIROS-N spacecraft and its successors in the NOAA series, and as such contributes data

required to meet a number of operational and research-oriented meteorological objectives.

Page 4
4.1.4 Key Variables

Emitted radiation, reflected radiation.

4.1.5 Principles of Operation

The AVHRR is a four- or five-channel scanning radiometer that detects emitted and reflected

radiation from Earth in the visible, near-, middle-, and thermal-infrared regions of the electromagnetic

spectrum. A fifth channel was added to the follow-on instrument designated AVHRR/2 and flown on

NOAA-7, -9, -11, and -14 to improve the correction for atmospheric water vapor. Scanning is

provided by an elliptical beryllium mirror rotating at 360 rpm about an axis parallel to that of Earth. A

two-stage radiant cooler is used to maintain a constant temperature of 95 K for the infrared detectors.

The operating temperature is selectable at either 105 or 110 K. The telescope is an 8-inch afocal,

all-reflective Cassegrain system. Polarization is less than 10 percent. Instrument operation is controlled

by 26 commands and monitored by 20 analog housekeeping parameters.

4.1.6 Sensor/Instrument Measurement Geometry

The AVHRR is a cross-track scanning system. The IFOV of each sensor is approximately 1.4

milliradians, giving a resolution of 1.1 km at the satellite subpoint. There is about a 36 percent overlap

between IFOVs (1.362 samples per IFOV). The scanning rate of the AVHRR is six scans per second,

and each scan spans an angle of +/- 55.4 degrees from the nadir.

4.1.7 Manufacturer of Sensor/Instrument

ITT Aerospace

P.O. Box 3700

Fort Wayne, IN 46801-3700

4.2 Calibration

The thermal-infrared channels are calibrated in-flight using a view of a stable blackbody and space

as a reference. No in-flight visible channel calibration is performed. Channel 3 data are noisy because

of a spacecraft problem and may not be usable, especially when the satellite is in daylight (Kidwell,

1991).

4.2.1 Specifications

IFOV 1.4 mRad

RESOLUTION i.i km

ALTITUDE 833 km

SCAN RATE 360 scans/min

SCAN RANGE -55.4 to 55.4

SAMPLES/SCAN 2,048 samples

(1.362 samples per IFOV)

degrees

per channel per Earth scan

4.2.1.1 Tolerance

The AVHRR infrared channels were designed for a Noise Equivalent Differential Temperature

(NEDT) of 0.12 K (at 300 K), and a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1 at 0.5-percent albedo.

4.2.2 Frequency of Calibration

The Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL's) TIROS-N calibration overlay performs the calibration

on blocks of telemetry data. For LAC/HRPT acquisitions, a block consists of 20 scan lines.

Calibration begins by reading the calibration parameters into memory. For each scan line of telemetry

in a block, the following process takes place:

• Telemetry data are extracted and unpacked

• Ramp calibration data for each of the five channels are decommutated

• A single Platinum Resistor Thermometer (PRT) count is extracted

• Ten samples of internal target, or blackbody, data are decommutated

• Ten samples of space view data are decommutated and filtered

Page 5
After theentireblockhasbeendecommutated,thePRTsarecheckedfor patterncorrectness.A valid

PRTpatternconsistsof aPRTreferencecountwhosevalueis lessthan10followedby 4 PRTcounts

whosevaluesaregreaterthan10.After decommutation,thePRTcountsarefiltered,andthemeanand

standarddeviationof eachPRTarecomputed.ThemeanPRTcountsarethenconvertedto temperature

usingtheformula:

T(1) = C(0)+ C(1)M(j) + C(2)[M(j)2]+ C(3)[M(j)3]+ C(4)[M(j)41

where: T(1) = thetemperatureof eachof thefour PRTs

C(i)= thePRTcoefficientsfrom CPIDS

M(j) = themeancountof eachof thefour PRTs

Themeanof thefourPRTtemperaturesis thencomputedto getthetemperatureof theblackbody.The

blackbodytemperatureis usedto calculatetheindexof thetemperature-to-radiancelookuptableusing

theformula:

INDEX = 10.0* PRTTEMPERATURE1798.5

Theblackbodyradiancesforinfraredchannelsareextractedfrom thetable,whichwasgeneratedfrom

CPIDS.Fromthedecommutatedblackbodydata,themeanandstandarddeviationof theinternaltarget

arecomputed.Thiscomputationis alsodonefor themeanandstandarddeviationof spaceview data.

Theslopesandinterceptsarethencalculatedusingthepreviouslycomputeddata.Theslopeand

interceptfor thevisiblechannelsareassignedconstants.Foreachof theinfraredchannels,theslope

andinterceptarecalculatedusingtheformula:

SLOPE=

SPACEVIEWRADIANCE- BLACKBODY RADIANCE

.....................................................................

SPACEVIEW MEAN - BLACKBODY MEAN

INTERCEPT = SPACEVIEW RADIANCE SLOPE * SPACEVIEW MEAN

The slopes and intercepts for all five channels are then stored in each scan line in the given block. The

calibration overlay then begins this process again for the next block. The final function of the

calibration overlay is to determine ramp linearity or nonlinearity. This process reverses the ramp on

infrared channels from descending to ascending. The ramp values are then adjusted according to data

type (i.e., LAC or Global Area Coverage (GAC)).

4.2.3 Other Calibration Information

None given.

5. Data Acquisition Methods

The BOREAS level-3b AVHRR-LAC images were acquired through the CCRS. Some radiometric

corrections along with geometric corrections are applied to produce the imagery in a spatially corrected

form (AEAC projection). A full level-3b AVHRR-LAC image for the BOREAS region contains

approximately 1,000 pixels in each of approximately 1,000 lines. Before geometric corrections, the

ground resolution ranges from 1.1 km at nadir to 5 km x 6.8 km at the scanning extreme of 55.4

degrees. The raw pixel values in the images can range from 0 to 1,024.

The level-3b image pixel values are scaled radiances stored in 16-bit (2-byte) fields and can range

from -32,768 to 32,767. The level-3b images were processed through the CCRS GEOCOMP system,

which applies both radiometric and spatial corrections to the imagery. Because of data volume and

pervasive cloudiness, only a limited number of single-date level-3b images were placed into BORIS.

Raw data are available from the CCRS Prince Albert Satellite Station (PASS).

Page 6
6.1 Data Notes

None.

6.2 Field Notes

None.

6. Observations

7. Data Description

7.1 Spatial Characteristics

7.1.1 Spatial Coverage

The AVHRR provides a global (pole to pole) onboard collection of data from all five spectral

channels. The 110.8-degree scan equates to a swath of 27.2 degrees in longitude (at the Equator)

centered on the subsatellite track. This swath width is greater than the 25.3-degree separation between

successive orbital tracks and provides overlapping coverage (side lap) anywhere on the globe.

The BOREAS level-3b AVHRR-LAC images essentially cover the entire 1,000-kin by 1,000-kin

BOREAS region. This contains both the Northern Study Area (NSA), the Southern Study Area

(SSA), the transect region between the SSA and NSA, and some surrounding area. The actual

coverage of each image depends on the position of the subsatellite track.

The North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

corner coordinates of the BOREAS region are

Latitude Longitude

Northwest 59.979°N III.000°W

Northeast 58.844°N 93.502°W

Southwest 51.000°N III.000°W

Southeast 50.089°N 96.970°W

The NAD83 corner coordinates of the SSA are

Latitude Longitude

Northwest 54.319°N I06.227°W

Northeast 54.223°N I04.236°W

Southwest 53.513°N I06.320°W

Southeast 53.419°N I04.368°W

The NAD83 corner coordinates of the NSA are

Latitude Longitude

Northwest 56.249°N 98.824°W

Northeast 56.083°N 97.241°W

Southwest 55.542°N 99.045°W

Southeast 55.379°N 97.489°W

7.1.2 Spatial Coverage Map

Not available at this time.

Page 7
7.1.3 Spatial Resolution

Beforeanygeometriccorrections,thespatialresolutionvariesfrom 1.1km atnadirto

approximately4.5km attheextremeedgesof thescan.Thelevel-3bAVHRR-LAC imageshavehad

geometriccorrectionsappliedsothatthesizefor all pixelsis 1km in all bands.

7.1.4 Projection

TheestablishedBOREASgrid systemisbasedontheellipsoidalversionof theAEACprojection

asdefinedwithin theNAD83.Theoriginof thegridis at 111° W, 51° N, andthestandardparallelsare

setto 52.5° N and58.5° N asprescribedin "MapProjections- A WorkingManual,"USGS

ProfessionalPaper1395,JohnP.Snyder,1987.All of theprojectionequationsusedto calculatethe

BOREASgrid coordinatesweretakenfrom thismanual.

7.1.5 Grid Description

The level-3b images are projected into the AEAC projection described in Section 7.1.4 at a grid cell

size of 1.0 km per pixel in both the X and Y directions.

7.2 Temporal Characteristics

7.2.1 Temporal Coverage

At BOREAS latitudes, at least daily coverage is provided by a given sensor. Virtually all raw data

from daytime overpasses were recorded during the BOREAS period (NOAA-11 daytime) and are

archived at PASS. Only mostly cloud-free images were processed and included in BORIS.

The overall time period of data acquisition for BOREAS in 1994 was from 30-Jan through 06-Oct.

CCRS acquired most AVHRR-LAC daytime images from NOAA-9 and - 11 for each satellite pass;

i.e., two images in each 24-hour cycle.

The overall time period of data acquisition for BOREAS in 1995 was from 05-Jan through 27-Sep.

CCRS acquired most AVHRR-LAC daytime images from NOAA-9 and -14 for each satellite pass;

i.e., two images in each 24-hour cycle.

The overall data holdings for BOREAS in 1996 are currently just two winter dates, 06-Mar and

22-Mar. CCRS acquired the AVHRR-LAC daytime images from NOAA-14 for each satellite pass;

i.e., two images in each 24-hour cycle.

BORIS contains relatively complete AVHRR-LAC coverage from NOAA-11 of central Canada

during the snow-free periods in 1994 and 1995. Scenes covering all or a significant part of the

BOREAS region were included in BORIS.

Historical AVHRR-LAC data have been acquired by CCRS routinely since 1991 and are kept in

the CCRS archive. These data can be obtained by contacting CCRS. Statistics Canada also has a

historical composite data set of visible, infrared, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

imagery. Contact the Statistics Canada Crop Condition Assessment Program office for more

information.

7.2.2 Temporal Coverage Map

Not available.

7.2.3 Temporal Resolution

There are generally two overpasses per day per satellite at approximately 0200 or 0900 and 1400 or

2100 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, not all of these data are processed and distributed

because of cloud cover and other data problems. Adjacent orbits can cause double coverage at an

interval of 90 minutes, increasing the number of scenes on some days.

Each scan of the AVHRR views Earth for a period of 51.282 msec. During this period each channel

of the analog data output is digitized to obtain a total of 2048 samples at intervals of 25.0 microseconds

(the sampling rate of the AVHRR sensors is 39,936 samples/sec/channel). Successive scans occur at

the rate of 6 per second, or at intervals of 167 msec. These data provide LAC and HRPT.

For BOREAS, the level-3b scenes that are available were selected based on the amounts of cloud

cover and image quality.

Page 8
7.3 Data Characteristics

7.3.1 Parameter/Variable

The values in the image data files are scaled at-sensor radiance values. See Section 7.3.2 for

equations to calculate radiance values. The parameters contained in the data files on the CD-ROM are:

Column Name

SPATIAL COVERAGE

DATE OBS

START TIME

END TIME

PLATFORM

INSTRUMENT

NUM BANDS

BAND QUALITY

CLOUD COVER

ORBIT NUM

NW LATITUDE

NW LONGITUDE

NE LATITUDE

NE LONGITUDE

SW LATITUDE

SW LONGITUDE

SE LATITUDE

SE LONGITUDE

PLATFORM ALTITUDE

MIN SOLAR ZEN ANG

MAX SOLAR ZEN ANG

MIN SOLAR AZ ANG

MAX SOLAR AZ ANG

CRTFCN CODE

7.3.2 Variable Description/Definition

At-sensor radiance is the radiant energy determined to be observed by the sensor from its position

relative to the target. In this case, it is derived from the signal recorded by the AVHRR sensor, which

is then calibrated by the processes described in Section 9 of this document. The following equations

must be used to calculate the physical at-sensor radiance in a given band from the standardized counts

given in the image files:

R(1) = (625/1023) * DN(1) - 25.0

R(2) = (415/1023) * DN(2) - 15.0

R(3) = -(1.508988/1023) * DN(3) + 1.504

R(4) = -(175.898/1023) * DN(4) + 170.8

R(5) = -(183.863/1023) * DN(5) + 179.1

where R(i) is the resulting radiance for band (i), and

DN(i) is the count from band (i) in the digital imag

Page 9
AVHRR Band Units DN=0 DN=I023

1 Radiance -25 600.0

2 Radiance -15 400.0

3 Radiance 1.504 -0.004988

4 Radiance 170.8 -5.098

5 Radiance 179.1 -4.763

The descriptions of the parameters contained in the data files on the CD-ROM are:

Column Name Description

SPATIAL COVERAGE

DATE OBS

START TIME

END TIME

PLATFORM

INSTRUMENT

NUM BANDS

BAND QUALITY

CLOUD COVER

PATH NUM

ROW NUM

NW LATITUDE

NW LONGITUDE

NE LATITUDE

NE LONGITUDE

SW LATITUDE

SW LONGITUDE

The general term used to denote the spatial area

over which the data were collected.

The date on which the data were collected.

The starting Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the

data collected.

The ending Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the

data collected.

The object (e.g., satellite, aircraft, tower,

person) that supported the instrument.

The name of the device used to make the

measurements.

The number of spectral bands in the data.

The data analyst's assessment of the quality of

the spectral bands in the data.

The data analyst's assessment of the cloud cover

that exists in the data.

For Landsat and SPOT, the sequential number

given to the orbital paths trending from

northeast to southwest and extending around the

earth.

For Landsat and SPOT, the sequential number

given to the nominal scene acquisition points

along the orbital paths which trend from

northeast to southwest.

The NAD83 based latitude coordinate of the northwest corner of the minimum bounding rectangle

for the data.

The NAD83 based longitude coordinate of the

northwest corner of the minimum bounding

rectangle for the data.

The NAD83 based latitude coordinate of the north

east corner of the minimum bounding rectangle for

the data.

The NAD83 based longitude coordinate of the

north east corner of the minimum bounding

rectangle for the data.

The NAD83 based latitude coordinate of the south

west corner of the minimum bounding rectangle for

the data.

The NAD83 based longitude coordinate of the

southwest corner of the minimum bounding

rectangle for the data.

Page 10
SE LATITUDE

SE LONGITUDE

PLATFORM ALTITUDE

MIN SOLAR ZEN ANG

MAX SOLAR ZEN ANG

MIN SOLAR AZ ANG

MAX SOLAR AZ ANG

CRTFCN CODE

The NAD83 based latitude coordinate of the south

east corner of the minimum bounding rectangle for

the data.

The NAD83 based longitude coordinate of the

southeast corner of the minimum bounding

rectangle for the data.

The nominal altitude of the data collection plat

form above the target.

The minimum angle from the surface normal

(straight up) to the sun during the data

collection.

The maximum angle from the surface normal

(straight up) to the sun during the data

collection.

The minimum azimuthal direction of the sun

during data collection expressed in clockwise

increments from North.

The maximum azimuthal direction of the sun

during data collection expressed in clockwise

increments from North.

The BOREAS certification level of the data.

Examples are CPI (Checked by PI), CGR (Certified

by Group), PRE (Preliminary), and CPI-??? (CPI

but questionable).

7.3.3 Unit of Measurement

The maximum range of digital numbers in each AVHRR image band is -32,768 to 32,767 so that

the values can be stored in a 2-byte field. The measurement units for the parameters contained in the

inventory files on the CD-ROM are:

Column Name Units

SPATIAL COVERAGE

DATE OBS

START TIME

END TIME

PLATFORM

INSTRUMENT

NUM BANDS

BAND QUALITY

CLOUD COVER

ORBIT NUM

NW LATITUDE

NW LONGITUDE

NE LATITUDE

NE LONGITUDE

SW LATITUDE

SW LONGITUDE

SE LATITUDE

SE LONGITUDE

PLATFORM ALTITUDE

MIN SOLAR ZEN ANG

MAX SOLAR ZEN ANG

MIN SOLAR AZ ANG

[none]

[DD-MON-YY]

[HHMM GMT]

[HHMM GMT]

[none]

[none]

[counts]

[none]

[none]

[unitless]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[meters]

[degrees]

[degrees]

[degrees]

Page 11
MAX SOLAR AZ ANG [degrees]

CRTFCN CODE [none]

7.3.4 Data Source

The source of the parameter values contained in the inventory files on the CD-ROM are:

Column Name Data Source

SPATIAL COVERAGE

DATE OBS

START TIME

END TIME

PLATFORM

INSTRUMENT

NUM BANDS

BAND QUALITY

CLOUD COVER

ORBIT NUM

NW LATITUDE

NW LONGITUDE

NE LATITUDE

NE LONGITUDE

SW LATITUDE

SW LONGITUDE

SE LATITUDE

SE LONGITUDE

PLATFORM ALTITUDE

MIN SOLAR ZEN ANG

MAX SOLAR ZEN ANG

MIN SOLAR AZ ANG

MAX SOLAR AZ ANG

CRTFCN CODE

[Assigned by BORIS]

[AVHRR image files]

[AVHRR image files]

[AVHRR image files]

[AVHRR image files]

[AVHRR image files]

[AVHRR image files]

[Assigned by BORIS]

[Assigned by BORIS]

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

[AVHRR lmac

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

e files]

[Assigned by BORIS]

7.3.5 Data Range

The following table gives information about the parameter v_ues found inthe data files on the

CD-ROM.

Minimum Maximum Missng Unrel Below Data

Data Data Data Data Detect Not

Column Name Value Value Value Value Limit Cllctd

SPATIAL COVERAGE N/A N/A None None None None

DATE OBS 30-JAN-94 18-SEP-96 None None None None

START TIME 125 2344 None None None None

END TIME 128 2347 None None None None

PLATFORM NOAA-9 NOAA-14 None None None None

INSTRUMENT N/A N/A None None None None

NUM BANDS 5 5 None None None None

BAND QUALITY N/A N/A None None None None

CLOUD COVER N/A N/A None None None None

ORBIT NUM 1451 52655 None None None None

NW LATITUDE 55.99521 59.96559 None None None None

NW LONGITUDE -113.05302 -110.17355 None None None None

NE LATITUDE 54.87326 60.12128 None None None None

NE LONGITUDE -95.06478 -93.51707 None None None None

Page 12
SW LATITUDE

SW LONGITUDE

SE LATITUDE

SE LONGITUDE

PLATFORM ALTITUDE

MIN SOLAR ZEN ANG

MAX SOLAR ZEN ANG

MIN SOLAR AZ ANG

MAX SOLAR AZ ANG

CRTFCN CODE

47.00085

-110.99289

46.07361

-97.46993

827754

27 3

36 6

32

51 8

PRE

50.9955 None None None None

-109.13777 None None None None

50.97096 None None None None

-95.05019 None None None None

870733 None None None None

117.5 None None None None

129.6 None None None None

292.3 None None None None

309.8 None None None None

PRE None None None None

Minimum Data Value -- The minimum value found in the column.

Maximum Data Value -- The maximum value found in the column.

Missng Data Value -- The value that indicates missing data. This is used to

indicate that an attempt was made to determine the

parameter value, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

Unrel Data Value -- The value that indicates unreliable data. This is used

to indicate an attempt was made to determine the

parameter value, but the value was deemed to be

unreliable by the analysis personnel.

Below Detect Limit -- The value that indicates parameter values below the

instruments detection limits. This is used to

indicate that an attempt was made to determine the

parameter value, but the analysis personnel determined

that the parameter value was below the detection

limit of the instrumentation.

Data Not Cllctd -- This value indicates that no attempt was made to

determine the parameter value. This usually

indicates that BORIS combined several similar but

not identical data sets into the same data base table

but this particular science team did not

measure that parameter.

Blank -- Indicates that blank spaces are used to denote that type of value.

N/A -- Indicates that the value is not applicable to the respective column.

None -- Indicates that no values of that sort were found in the column.

7.4 Sample Data Record

A sample data record for the level-3b AVHRR images is not available here. The following is a

sample of the first few records from the data table on the CD-ROM:

SPATIAL COVERAGE,DATE OBS,START TIME,END TIME,PLATFORM, INSTRUMENT,NUM BANDS,

BAND QUALITY,CLOUD COVER, ORBIT NUM, NW LATITUDE,NW LONGITUDE,NE LATITUDE,

NE LONGITUDE,SW LATITUDE,SW LONGITUDE,SE LATITUDE,SE LONGITUDE,

PLATFORM ALTITUDE,MIN SOLAR ZEN ANG,MAX SOLAR ZEN ANG,MIN SOLAR AZ ANG,

MAX SOLAR AZ ANG,CRTFCN CODE

'REGION',30-JAN-94,2202,2206, 'NOAA-II', 'AVHRR',5, 'NOT ASSESSED', 'NOT ASSESSED',

27582,59.96559,-110.99107,58.83186,-93.51707,50.9955,-110.99289,50.08562,

-96.97773,858222.0,76.2,88.6,216.4,231.i, 'PRE'

Page 13
8. Data Organization

8.1 Data Granularity

The smallest unit of data for level-3b AVHRR-LAC is an image. The level-3b AVHRR-LAC

images from CCRS are stored in band interleaved by line (BIL) form. General information on this

format is provided in the subsequent sections. Detailed information on this can be obtained from the

CCRS documents referenced in Section 17.1.

8.2 Data Format(s)

The CD-ROM inventory listing file consists of numerical and character fields of varying length

separated by commas. The character fields are enclosed with single apostrophe marks. There are no

spaces between the fields.

The AVHRR-LAC level-3b data are supplied in Landsat Ground Station Operational Working

Group (LGSOWG) BIL format.

File 1 -- Physical Volume Directory

File 2 -- Logical Volume Directory

File 3 -- Leader File Bands 1-5

File 4 -- Image Data File for AVHRR-LAC Bands 1-5

File 5 -- Trailer

File 6 -- Null Volume File

If there are multiple scenes on a tape, the subsequent scene would occupy files 7-11 (five files), as

files 2-6 above (there is only one physical volume directory per physical tape). The image files in BIL

format contain image data for all five spectral bands.

8.2.1 BIL Logical Volume Directory File

This file contains:

• Volume descriptor record

• File pointer records for the leader, image data, and trailer files

• Text record

8.2.2 BIL Leader Files

The contents of leader files have been defined in detail by the LGSOWG Technical Working Group

(LTWG). The contents of the leader files are as follows:

• File descriptor record

• Scene header record

• Ancillary records (map projection, ground control points, ephemeris, and radiometric

transformation)

All leader files contain fixed-length records of 2,520 bytes and contain both ASCII and binary data.

For specific details, see the CCRS documentation referenced in Section 17.1.

8.2.3 BIL Imagery File

The single BIL image file has 5,001 records, with each record containing 2,808 bytes. The first

record in the file is the file descriptor record, followed by 5,000 image records for a total of 1,000

lines of the scene for all five bands (1,000 lines x 5 bands = 5,000 records). In a BIL image file, the

first five image records are line 1, bands 1-5, respectively; the next five image records are line 2, bands

1-5, respectively; and so on. Each image record contains 36 bytes (18 pixels) of prefix data, 2,000

bytes (1,000 pixels) of image data, and 772 bytes of suffix data (36 + 2,000 + 772 = 2,808 bytes).

The image is oriented so that pixel 1, line 1 is in the upper left-hand comer (i.e., northwest) of the

screen display. Pixels and lines progress from left to right and top to bottom so that pixel n, line n is in

the lower right-hand comer. Each pixel value is contained in a 2-byte (16-bit) field ordered as most

significant (high-order) byte first.

Page 14
8.2.4 BIL Trailer File

The trailer file contains information associated with the image data that is not always available

before writing the image data, such as data and recording quality and data summaries. Each trailer file

contains a file descriptor record and trailer records for all bands of imagery in the associated imagery

file. All trailer files contain fixed length records of 4,140 bytes and contain both ASCII and binary

data. For specific details, see the CCRS documentation referenced in Section 17.1.

8.2.5 BIL Null Volume File

The null volume file contains one record that designates the end of the data volume. The BOREAS

level-3b AVHRR-LAC tapes contain null volume files after each image because multiple scenes were

copied to a tape from several original tapes.

9. Data Manipulations

9.1 Formulae

9.1.1 Derivation Techniques and Algorithms

The AVHRR-LAC processing is carried out by GEOCOMP (Robertson et al., 1992). Designed to

produce AVHRR-LAC composite images over continental areas, GEOCOMP operates in two steps.

First, individual images are registered and resampled to coregister with one another and with a baseline

map. Second, the images are composited to find the most cloud-free pixels for the period of interest.

Level-3b images are the result of step 1. The requirement for high throughput was handled in

GEOCOMP by giving the operator an option to divide the orbit into smaller scenes (thus reducing the

number of empty pixels after geometric correction). Buffam (1994) provides detailed documentation of

the GEOCOMP products from the user viewpoint.

All five AVHRR-LAC channels are calibrated by GEOCOMP. Channels 3-5 are calibrated using

onboard calibration data (Planet, 1979). Data for the reflective channels i (i = 1,2) are calibrated in two

steps (Teillet and Holben, 1994): first by converting the raw digital signal level (DSL) Di(raw) into

apparent sensor radiance L'i, and then by representing the resulting L*i on a fixed 10-bit output scale

as calibrated DSL Di(cal). The formulas used are:

Li*

Di(cal)

Gi(cal)

D0i(cal)

= (Di(raw)-DOI(d))/Gi(d) [1]

= Gi(cal) * (Li*) + DOI(cal) [2]

= 1023/(Li*max - Li*min) [3]

= -Gi(cal) * Li*min [4]

where: Li* is the radiance at the top-of-the-atmosphere in channel i (i=1,2) [(W/(m2 sr _am)].

Di(raw) is the measured value for channel i (in 10 bits) [counts].

D0i(d) is the calibration offset coefficient on day d [counts].

Gi(d) is the calibration gain coefficient on day d [(counts m2 sr _am)/W].

Di(cal) is the final digital signal level (DSL) on GEOCOMP product for channel i.

Gi(cal) is time-independent calibration gain coefficient [(counts m2 sr _am)/W].

D0i(cal) is time-independent calibration offset coefficient [counts].

Li*max, Li*min are the (time-independent) maximum and minimum Li* values.

The values of Li* used in GEOCOMP are [W/(m2 sr _am)])

Ll*min = -25

L2*min = - 15

Ll*max = 600

L2*max = 400

Page 15
GEOCOMPusestime-dependent(definedasdayssincelaunch)correctionof theAVHRR-LAC gain

Gi andoffsetD0i of eachof thechannels1and2 (TeilletandHolben,1994)asseenabove,and

onboardblackbodycalibrationtargetsfor channels3, 4, and5.Theresultingvaluesarein radiance

units [W/(m2sr_am)]for channels1and2, andmW/(m2 srcm) for channels3-5.Thus,for channeli,

i=1,2thegainandoffsetare:

Gi(d) = A*d +B [5]

DOI(cal)= Gi(cal)* (Li*) + D0i(cal) [6]

whereA, B,D, Earechannel-dependent coefficients.

ThecoefficientsA, B, D, andEin equations[5] and[6] describingthetemporaldependenceof

Gi(d) andD0i(d) arestoredin a separateGEOCOMPdatabase.Thevaluesusedfor processing1994

AVHRR-LAC datafor BOREASby CihlarandTeillet(1995)for NOAA-9and-11arereproduced

below.Coefficientsfor NOAA- 14werebasedonprelaunchcalibrationsuppliedby NOAA. Rws

A1-D1representchannel1,androwsA2-D2 representChannel2.

Calibrationcoefficientsusedtoproducelevel-3andproducts:

NOAA-9 1994 NOAA-II NOAA-14 1995 NOAA-14 1995 NOAA-14 1996

Level-3b Levels-3, -4 Levels-3b, -4b Level-4c Levels-3, -4

A1 -1.721E-04 -5.601E-05 0 -3.527E-04 -3.047E-04

B1 1.6376157 1.815337 1.81 1.795 1.778

Cl 0 0 0 0 0

D1 37 40 35.8 41.0 41.0

A2 -1.828E-04 -1.331E-0 0 -6.16E-04 -5.088E-04

B2 2.503063 2.700631 2.80 2.364 2.324

C2 0 0 0 0 0

D2 39.6 40 33.7 41.0 41,0

Note: For NOAA-14 in 1995, a distinction needs to be made between data processed as level-3b,

which used prelaunch calibration, and as levels-4b and -4c, which used postlaunch with sensor

degradation.

Angular information is encoded in the GEOCOMP format to allow calculation of the solar zenith,

view zenith, and relative azimuth angles for each resampled pixel. This information is located in the

suffix of the image file. In each image line, 65 tie-points are encoded for the four angles: solar zenith,

solar azimuth, satellite zenith, and satellite azimuth. After extracting these angles on tie-point pixels (65

pixels within each image line), linear interpolation is applied to get the angles for each pixel within the

line. The relative azimuth angle is given by:

Relative Azimuth = abs(Solar Zenith - Satellite Zenith)

9.2 Data Processing Sequence

9.2.1 Processing Steps

GEOCOMP created the level-3b HRPT image by:

• Inputting the geocoding work order and associated auxiliary data

• Inputting raw image data from 8-mm tape

• Viewing the input image and defining products interactively (optional)

• Generating a spacecraft model

• Generating image correction parameters

• Correcting imagery (sensor calibration, three-pass image resampling)

• Estimating quality or allowing the image to be viewed

• Outputting imagery

Page 16
BORISprocessedalevel-3bAVHRR-LAC imageby:

• Extractingpertinentheaderinformationfrom thelevel-3imageproductandwriting it to adisk

file

• Readingtheinformationin thediskfile andloadingtheonlinedatabasewith needed

information

9.2.2 Processing Changes

None.

9.3 Calculations

9.3.1 Special Corrections/Adjustments

None.

9.3.2 Calculated Variables

None.

9.4 Graphs and Plots

None.

10. Errors

10.1 Sources of Error

There has been a serious noise problem caused by a spacecraft malfunction with data from channel

3 on the TIROS-N series spacecraft. This problem is especially obvious when the satellite is in

daylight, and may render some data unusable. See Section 4.2.

Users of LAC/HRPT data should be aware that the satellite's onboard clock experiences a small

drift in time over a period of several months. Specifically, that time drift may be defined by dt, where

dt is the spacecraft clock time minus the actual GMT. Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC)

monitors this time error and corrects dt to +0.5 second when it reaches -0.5 second. The Earth data

that are appended to the level-0 data are based on the spacecraft clock time. Therefore, an error in dt

will be reflected as an error in Earth location. The error in Earth location caused by this timing error

could be as much as 4 kilometers at the satellite subpoint. SOCC applies the correction to dt just before

an orbital recording begins, so a user would never see a jump in the Earth location of a particular data

set. This does not influence the accuracy of the level-3b data; the effect is taken out during GEOCOMP

registration and processing.

Some uncertainties remain in the geometric location of the level-3b resampled pixels. The root

mean square (rms) error in the location of control points is most often less than 1,000 meters (typically

600-800 meters rms).

10.2 Quality Assessment

10.2.1 Data Validation by Source

Not available.

10.2.2 Confidence Level/Accuracy Judgment

The AVHRR reflective channels 1 and 2 are designed to accommodate a dynamic range of 200 to

1. A full-scale signal corresponds to 100 percent albedo; that is, the radiance from a diffuse

(Lambertian) reflector (a bright cloud) under full solar illumination. A minimum detectable signal

corresponds to 0.5 percent albedo with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 3 to 1. The thermal channels

3, 4, and 5 are calibrated in-flight using a view of a stable blackbody and space as a reference. These

channels are designed to measure emitted thermal radiation with an accuracy better than 0.14 °C for a

source blackbody temperature of 300 K.

Page 17
10.2.3 Measurement Error for Parameters

The sensor view zenith and azimuth angles calculated for use in atmospheric correction have a

resolution of 0.01 degrees.

10.2.4 Additional Quality Assessments

GEOCOMP uses the information embedded in the downlinked data stream to perform a partial

evaluation of input data quality. The operator checks the general quality of the input and output images.

Band quality is judged and the quality level is included in the BORIS database inventory table. Images

are screened for cloud cover, and different levels of cover are assigned in processing.

10.2.5 Data Verification by Data Center

BORIS staff has extracted header information and inventoried the AVHRR data acquisition

information in the data base. BORIS staff has also viewed some of the imagery and confirmed the use

of scaling information provided in Section 7.3.2.

11.1 Limitations of the Data

None.

11.2 Known Problems with the Data

None.

11.3 Usage Guidance

None.

11.4 Other Relevant Information

None.

11. Notes

12. Application of the Data Set

These data could be used to investigate regional land cover and land cover change over the BOREAS

time period.

Not available.

13. Future Modifications and Plans

14. Software

14.1 Software Description

The GEOCOMP software is written in Pascal and FORTRAN and runs on Digital's VAX

computers. Special code also exists for the GEOCOMP array processor. The GEOCOMP software is

proprietary.

Page 18
BORISstaffhasdevelopedsoftwareandcommandproceduresfor:

• Extractingheaderinformationfromlevel-3AVHRR-LAC imagesontapeandwriting it to

ASCII files ondisk

• ReadingtheASCII diskfile andloggingthelevel-3AVHRR-LACimageproductsintothe

Oracledatabasetables

• 3)Convertingbetweenthegeographicsystemsof (latitude,longitude),UniversalTransverse

Mercator(UTM) (northing,easting),andBOREAS(x,y) grid locations

Thesoftwarementionedunderitems1and2 is writtenin C andis operationalonVAX 6410and

MicroVAX 3100systemsatGoddardSpaceFlightCenter(GSFC).Theprimarydependenciesin the

softwarearethetapeinput/output(I/O)libraryandtheOracledatabaseutility routines.

Thegeographiccoordinateconversionutility developedfor BOREAS(BOR_CORD)hasbeen

testedandusedonMacintosh,IBM PC,VAX, SiliconGraphics,andSunworkstations.

14.2 Software Access

Mostof theGEOCOMPsoftwareisproprietary.Forfurtherinformation,contact:

MacDonaldDettwilerandAssociates13800CommerceParkwayRichmond,BC VGV2J3(604)

278-3411

All thesoftwaredescribedaboveis availableuponrequest.BORISstaffwouldappreciateknowingof

anyproblemsdiscoveredwith thesoftware,butcannotpromiseto fix them.

15. Data Access

The level-3b AVHRR-LAC imagery is available from the Earth Observing System Data and

Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive

Center (DAAC).

15.1 Contact Information

For BOREAS data and documentation please contact:

ORNL DAAC User Services

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

P.O. Box 2008 MS-6407

Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6407

Phone: (423) 241-3952

Fax: (423) 574-4665

E-mail: ornldaac@oml.gov or oml@eos.nasa.gov

15.2 Data Center Identification

Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory

(ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for Biogeochemical Dynamics

http://www-eosdis.ornl.gov/.

15.3 Procedures for Obtaining Data

Users may obtain data directly through the ORNL DAAC online search and order system

[http://www-eosdis.oml.gov/] and the anonymous FTP site [ftp://www-eosdis.ornl.gov/data/] or by

contacting User Services by electronic mail, telephone, fax, letter, or personal visit using the contact

information in Section 15.1.

Page 19
15.4 Data Center Status/Plans

The ORNL DAAC is the primary source for BOREAS field measurement, image, GIS, and

hardcopy data products. The BOREAS CD-ROM and data referenced or listed in inventories on the

CD-ROM are available from the ORNL DAAC.

16. Output Products and Availability

16.1 Tape Products

The level-3b AVHRR imagery can be made available on 8-ram magnetic media.

16.2 Film Products

None.

16.3 Other Products

Although the inventory is contained on the BOREAS CD-ROM set, the actual AVHRR-LAC

imagery is not. See Section 15 for information about how to obtain the data.

17. References

17.1 Platform/Sensor/Instrument/Data Processing Documentation

Buffam, A. 1994. GEOCOMP User Manual. Internal Report, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing,

Ottawa, Ontario.

Cihlar, J. and F. Huang. 1993. User guide for the 1993 GEOCOMP products. NBIOME Internal

Report, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Ontario. 9 p.

Hussey, J.W. 1977. The TIROS-N NOAA Operational Satellite System. U.S. Department of

Commerce, NOAA/NESS.

Kidwell, K. 1991. NOAA Polar Orbiter Data User's Guide, NCDC/SDSD. (Updated from original

1984 edition.)

Lauritson, et al. 1979. Data Extraction and Calibration of TIROS N/NOAA Radiometers. NOAA

Technical Memorandum NESS 107, U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA/NESS.

Snyder, J.P. 1987. Map Projections - A Working Manual. USGS Professional Paper 1395.

17.2 Journal Articles and Study Reports

Brown, O.B., J.W. Brown, and R.H. Evans. 1985. Calibration of Advanced Very High Resolution

Radiometer Infrared Observations. Journal of Geophysical Research, 90:11,667-11,677.

Brown, R.J., Bernier, and G. Fedosejevs. 1982. Geometric and Radiometric Considerations of NOAA

AVHRR Imagery. Proc. of the 8th International Symposium on Machine Processing of Remotely

Sensed Data. Purdue University, Indiana. p. 374-381.

Cicone, R.C. and M.D. Metzer. 1982. Comparisons of Landsat MSS, Nimbus-7 CZCS, and

NOAA-6/7 AVHRR sensors for Land Use Analysis. Proc. of the 8th International Symposium on

Machine Processing of Remotely Sensed Data. Purdue University, Indiana. p. 291-297.

Cihlar, J. and F. Huang. 1994. Effect of atmospheric correction and viewing angle restriction on

AVHRR composites. Canadian Journal for Remote Sensing 20: 132-137.

Page 20
Cihlar,J.andP.M.Teillet. 1995.Forwardpiecewiselinearcalibrationmodelfor quasi-realtime

processingof AVHRR data.CanadianJournalof RemoteSensing21:22-27.

Duggin,M.J., D.Piwinshi,V. Whitehead,andG.Tyland.1982.Evaluationof NOAA-AVHRR Data

for CropAssessment.Appl. Opt.21:1873-1875.

Gray,T.I. andD.G.McCrary.1981.MeteorologicalSatelliteData- A Tool to DescribetheHealthof

theWorld'sAgriculture.AgRISTARSReportEW-N1-04042.NASA/JSC.Houston,Texas.7 p.

Greegor,D.H. andJ.Norwine.1981.A GradientModel ofVegetationandClimateUtilizing NOAA

SatelliteImagery- PhaseI: TexasTransect.AgRISTARSReportJSC-17435.FC-J1-04176.

NASA/JSC.Houston,Texas.58p.

Inoue,T. 1987.A CloudTypeClassificationwith NOAA-7 Split-WindowMeasurements.Journalof

GeophysicalResearch92:3,991-4,000.

Newcomer,J.,D. Landis,S.Conrad,S.Curd,K. Huemmrich,D. Knapp,A. Morrell, J.Nickeson,

A. Papagno,D. Rinker,R.Strub,T. Twine,F. Hall, andP.Sellers,eds.2000.CollectedDataof The

BorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy.NASA. CD-ROM.

Ormsby,J.P.1982.ClassificationofSimulatedandActualNOAA-6 AVHRR Datafor Hydrological

Land-SurfaceFeatureDefinition.IEEETransactionsonGeoscienceandRemoteSensing.

GE-20:262-268.

Robertson,B., A. Erickson,J.Friedel,B. Guindon,T. Fisher,R.Brown, P.Teillet, M. D'Iorio, J.

Cihlar,andA. Sancz.1992.GEOCOMP,aNOAA AVHRR geocodingandcompositingsystem.

Proceedingsof theISPRSConference,Commission2, Washington,DC,223-228.

Schneider,S.R.andD.F.McGinnis.1982.TheNOAA/AVHRR: A New SatelliteSensorfor

Monitoring CropGrowth.Proc.of the8thInternationalSymposiumonMachineProcessingof

RemotelySensedData.PurdueUniversity,Indiana.p. 281-290.

Sellers,P.andF.Hall. 1994.BorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy:ExperimentPlan.Version

1994-3.0,NASA BOREASReport(EXPLAN 94).

Sellers,P.andF.Hall. 1996.BorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy:ExperimentPlan.Version

1996-2.0,NASA BOREASReport(EXPLAN 96).

Sellers,P.,F. Hall, andK.F. Huemmrich.1996.BorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy:1994

Operations.NASA BOREASReport(OPSDOC94).

Sellers,P.,F. Hall, andK.F. Huemmrich.1997.BorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy:1996

Operations.NASA BOREASReport(OPSDOC96).

Sellers,P.,F. Hall, H. Margolis,B. Kelly, D. Baldocchi,G. denHartog,J.Cihlar, M.G. Ryan,B.

Goodison,P.Crill, K.J.Ranson,D. Lettenmaier,andD.E. Wickland. 1995.Theboreal

ecosystem-atmospherestudy(BOREAS):anoverviewandearlyresultsfrom the1994field year.

Bulletinof theAmericanMeteorologicalSociety.76(9):1549-1577.

Sellers,P.J.,F.G.Hall, R.D.Kelly, A. Black, D. Baldocchi,J. Berry, M. Ryan,K.J. Ranson,P.M.

Crill, D.P.Lettenmaier,H. Margolis,J.Cihlar, J.Newcomer,D. Fitzjarrald,P.G.Jarvis,S.T.

Gower,D. Halliwell, D. Williams, B. Goodison,D.E.Wickland, andF.E.Guertin.1997.BOREAS

in 1997:ExperimentOverview,ScientificResultsandFutureDirections.Journalof Geophysical

Research102(D24):28,731-28,770.

Page21
Taconet,O.,R.Bernard,andD.Vidal-Madja.1986.EvapotranspirationOveranAgriculturalRegion

Usinga SurfaceFlux/TemperatureModelBasedonNOAA-AVHRR Data.J.ClimateAppl.Meteor.

25:284-307.

Teillet,P.M.andB.N. Holben.1994.Towardsoperationalradiometriccalibrationof NOAA AVHRR

imageryin thevisibleandnear-infraredchannels.CanadianJournalof RemoteSensing20: 1-10.

Townshend,J.(Ed.).1995.Globaldatasetsfor thelandfrom AVHRR. InternationalJournalof

RemoteSensing15:3315-3639(specialissue).

Townshend,J.R.G.andC.J.Tucker.1981.Utility of AVHRR of NOAA-6 and-7 for Vegetation

Mapping.In MatchingRemoteSensingTechnologiesandtheirApplicationsProceedings.Remote

SensingSociety.London.p. 97-109.

Yates,H.W. andJ.D.Tarpley.1982.TheRoleof MeteorologicalSatellitesin AgriculturalRemote

Sensing.Proc.of the8thInternationalSymposiumonMachineProcessingof RemotelySensedData.

PurdueUniversity,Indiana.p. 23-32.

17.3 Archive/DBMS Usage Documentation

None.

None.

18. Glossary of Terms

AEAC

APT

ASCII

AVHRR

BIL

BOREAS

BORIS

BPI

CCRS

CCT

CD-ROM

CPIDS

DAAC

DAT

DSL

EOS

EOSDIS

EROS

FPAR

GAC

GEOCOMP

GIS

GMT

GSFC

HRPT

19. List of Acronyms

- Albers Equal-Area Conic

- Automatic Picture Transmission

- American Standard Code for Information Interchange

- Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer

- Band Interleaved by Line

- BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study

- BOREAS Information System

- Bytes Per Inch

- Canada Centre for Remote Sensing

- Computer Compatible Tape

- Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory

- Calibration Parameter Input Dataset

- Distributed Active Archive Center

- Digital Archive Tape

- Digital Signal Level

- Earth Observing System

- EOS Data and Information System

- Earth Resources Observation System

- Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation

- Global Area Coverage

- Geocoding and Compositing System

- Geographic Information System

- Greenwich Mean Time

- Goddard Space Flight Center

- High-Resolution Picture Transmission

Page 22
I/O

IFC

IFOV

LAC

LAI

LCC

LGSOWG

LTWG

MRSC

NAD83

NASA

NDVI

NEdT

NOAA

NRL

NSA

ORNL

PANP

PASS

PRT

RMS

SOCC

SSA

SST

TIROS

URL

UTM

- Input/Output

- Intensive Field Campaign

- Instantaneous Field-Of-View

- Local Area Coverage

- Leaf Area Index

- Lambert Conformal Conic

- Landsat Ground Station Operational Working Group

- LGSAWG Technical Working Group

- Manitoba Remote Sensing Centre

- North American Datum of 1983

- National Aeronautics and Space Administration

- Normalizes Difference Vegetation Index

- Noise Equivalent Differential Temperature

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

- Naval Research Laboratory

- Northern Study Area

- Oak Ridge National Laboratory

- Prince Albert National park

- Prince Albert Satellite Station

- Platinum Resistor Thermometer

- Root Mean Square

- Satellite Operations Control Center

- Southern Study Area

- Sea Surface Temperature

- Television and Infrared Observation Satellite

- Uniform Resource Locator

- Universal Transverse Mercator

20. Document Information

20.1 Document Revision Date

Written: 25-Jul- 1995

Last Updated: 16-Ju1-1999

20.2 Document Review Date(s)

BORIS Review: 11-Sep- 1997

Science Review: 05-Jan- 1998

20.3 Document ID

20.4 Citation

When using these data, please include the following acknowledgment as well as citations of

relevant papers in Section 17.2:

The AVHRR-LAC level-3b images resulted from a joint development and processing effort

between BOREAS staff at CCRS and NASA GSFC. The data were acquired by CCRS and processed

by MRSC in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The respective contributions of the above individuals and agencies

to completing this data set are greatly appreciated.

Page 23
If usingdatafromtheBOREASCD-ROM series,alsoreferencethedataas:

Cihlar,J.,"BOREASStaffScienceSatelliteDataAcquisitionProgram."In CollectedDataof The

BorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy.Eds.J.Newcomer,D. Landis,S.Conrad,S.Curd,K.

Huemmrich,D. Knapp,A. Morrell, J.Nickeson,A. Papagno,D. Rinker, R.Strub,T. Twine, F.

Hall, andP.Sellers.CD-ROM.NASA, 2000.

Also,citetheBOREASCD-ROMsetas:

Newcomer,J.,D. Landis,S.Conrad,S.Curd,K. Huemmrich,D. Knapp,A. Morrell, J.

Nickeson,A. Papagno,D. Rinker,R.Strub,T. Twine,F. Hall, andP.Sellers,eds.CollectedDataof

TheBorealEcosystem-AtmosphereStudy.NASA. CD-ROM.NASA, 2000.

20.5 Document Curator

20.6 Document URL

Page 24
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE FormApproved

OMB No. 0704-0188

Public reporting burden for this collection of informationis estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,

gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this

collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.

1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

September 2000 Technical Memorandum

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS

Technical Report Series on the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS)

BOREAS Level 3-b AVHRR-LAC hnagery: Scaled At-sensor Radiance in

LGSOWG Format 923

6. AUTHOR(S) RTOP: 923-462-33-01

Jaime Nickeson, Jeffrey A. Newcomer, and Josef Cihlar

Forrest G. Hall, Editor

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS (ES)

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS (ES)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC 20546-0001

8. PEFORMING ORGANIZATION

REPORT NUMBER

2000-03136-0

10. SPONSORING / MONITORING

AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

TM--2000-209891

Vol. 101

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

J. Nickeson, J.A. Newcomer: Raytheon ITSS, Greenbelt, Maryland;

J. Cihlar: Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Unclassifie_Unlimited

Subject Category: 43

Report available from the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information,

7121 Standard Drive, Hanover, MD 21076-1320. (301) 621-0390.

12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

The BOREAS Staff Science Satellite Data Acquisition Program focused on providing the research

teams with the remotely sensed satellite data products they needed to compare and spatially extend

point results. Data acquired from the AVHRR instrument on the NOAA-9, - 11, - 12, and - 14 satellites

were processed and archived for the BOREAS region by the MRSC and BORIS. The data were

acquired by CCRS and were provided for use by BOREAS researchers. A few winter acquisitions are

available, but the archive contains primarily growing season imagery. These gridded, at-sensor radiance image data cover the period of 30-Jan-1994 to 18-Sep-1996. Geographically, the data cover the

entire 1,000-km x 1,000-km BOREAS region. The data are stored in binary image format files.

14. SUBJECT TERMS

BOREAS, remote sensing science, AVHRR.

17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF REPORT

Unclassified

NSN 7540-01-280-5500

18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF THIS PAGE

Unclassified

19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF ABSTRACT

Unclassified

15. NUMBER OF PAGES

24

16. PRICE CODE

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

UL

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)

Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18

298-102