A relational database management system for atmospheric compensation research

Atmospheric compensation is a key step in the processing of most remotely sensed Earth images, but is particularly important in Hyperspectral Imagery (HSI) analysis. The state of atmospheric sensible variables at the time of the image is a key driver of atmospheric path radiance and transmissivity effects. A thorough assessment of the state of the atmosphere is rarely conducted in HSI analysis, however, even in rigorous scientific literature. This is due in part to the historical lack of meteorological data associated with imagery collects, and the difficulty in accessing and analyzing the data that is available. With the expanding availability of online climatological and observational atmospheric data and the advent of web enabled search and retrieval tools, easy access to worldwide atmospheric data relevant to atmospheric compensation is possible. In this project, a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is developed that automatically retrieves relevant atmospheric data from several online data stores based on input image metadata. The RBDMS provides researchers with a single, easily accessible repository of meteorological data to aid in researching atmospheric effects. System design considerations and available data sources are reviewed, and example research applications are presented.