Atmospheric optical parameter server for atmospheric corrections of remote sensing data

Significant atmospheric correction improvements can only be achieved by accurately representing the dynamic variability of the intrinsic atmospheric optical parameters that serve as input to the radiative transfer model. The challenge is to render the existing array of ground and satellite based (input) atmospheric optical measurements coherent and standard. This is accomplished by assimilating the atmospheric optical measurements and their expected errors with a spatiotemporal atmospheric model driven by meteorological-scale wind fields. Such models act as intelligent interpolators in space and time, and as a tool for product QA and standardization. The concept of a meteorological scale optical parameter prediction system for atmospheric corrections (NOMAD for "Networked On-line Mapping of Atmospheric Data") is presented in this communication along with examples of ongoing developmental work. The system is viewed as multi-level in that it will output atmospheric optical parameter estimates ranging from the meteorological to climatological scales and from the synoptic scale to the lower mesoscale (AVHRR scale to SPOT scale). The operational concept is that it will reside on a central server that will be accessible to any atmospheric correction system. Aside from the obvious advantage of atmospheric corrections operationalization, this concept will transfer the responsibility of quality assuring atmospheric parameters from the user to the science and technical staff maintaining the atmospheric server.