Calibration of 2D Hyperspectral Focal Planes

Current atmospheric correction programs (MODTRAN, ACORN, etc.) were designed for a single IFOV imager. They assume the spectral response for each element in a spectral band is the same. While this assumption is valid for a single IFOV instrument since there is a single detector element for each band, it is not valid for scanning instruments that use 2D FPA's. This proposal is to develop algorithms followed by software that performs radiometric calibration and atmopsheric correction on hyperspectral data taken with sensors using 2D focal planes. Phase I will use third party software (MODTRAN) to generate the atmospheric model. That model will be applied separately to each FPA element for improved calibration accuracy. The software will be written to accommodate other models (such as those using polarimetry) for incremental capability improvement. The processing time will be fast enough for near real time analysis. The design will include the use of in situ GPS and other (height over ground, etc.) data in the atmopsheric modeling. Intelligent decision making on the atmospheric modeling will also be supported, allowing automated changes in the atmospheric model based on collected data.