Verification of AIRS boresight accuracy using coastline detection

The longitude and latitude of the centroids of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) infrared spectrometer footprints are calculated by the Level 1a calibration software based on transformations of scan angles, instrument alignment angles relative to the Earth Observing System Aqua spacecraft, and the spacecraft ephemeris. The detection of coastline crossings is used to determine the accuracy of these coordinates. Tests using simulated AIRS data derived from real Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra satellite 10-(mu)m window data indicate that an accuracy of 1.7 km is easily achievable with modest amounts of data, such as should be available from AIRS by launch +90 days. This accuracy is a small fraction of the 13.5-km AIRS footprint and is consistent with the accuracy required by the Level 2 software. Preliminary results from actual AIRS data indicate that the algorithm works as predicted. For combined use of the AIRS 13.5-km footprints with MODIS 1-km footprints, accuracy of the order of 0.5 km is desirable. This accuracy may be achievable with several months of data, but depends on the accuracy of the reference map and whether a sufficient number of large clear homogeneous surface scenes can be found.