The Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) Radiometric Calibration and Uncertainty Budget for Ocean Color Satellite Sensor Vicarious Calibration

Published

December 31, 2008

Author(s)

M Feinholz, B. Carol Johnson, Steven W. Brown, S Flora, M Yarbrough, Terrance Houlihan, D Peters, Yong S. Kim, J Mueller, Dennis Clark

Abstract

For the past decade, the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY), an autonomous radiometric buoy stationed in the waters off Lanai, Hawaii, has been the primary in-water oceanic observatory for the vicarious calibration of the U. S. satellite ocean color sensors SeaWiFS and MODIS. The MOBY vicarious calibration of these sensors supports international efforts to develop a global, multi-year time series of consistently calibrated ocean color data products. A critical component of the MOBY program has been establishing robust radiometric traceability to the International System of Units (SI); a detailed uncertainty budget is a core component of traceable metrology. We present the MOBY uncertainty budget for up-welling radiance. Consideration of the vicarious calibration uncertainty budget is important as next generation vicarious calibration sensors are being discussed because it gives information about how the resources for the vicarious calibration facility should be allocated and to what extent the measurements may be utilized to address climate change research.

Proceedings Title

Ocean Optics Coference

Conference Dates

October 6-10, 2008

Conference Location

Barga, 1, IT

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

Calibration, Radiometry, Uncertainty, MOBY

Citation

Feinholz, M. , Johnson, B. , Brown, S. , Flora, S. , Yarbrough, M. , Houlihan, T. , Peters, D. , Kim, Y. , Mueller, J. and Clark, D. (2008), The Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) Radiometric Calibration and Uncertainty Budget for Ocean Color Satellite Sensor Vicarious Calibration, Ocean Optics Coference, Barga, 1, IT (Accessed October 7, 2025)