Statistical estimation of a 13.3 μm Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite channel using multisensor data fusion

We describe an algorithm for creating a virtual, statistically estimated 13.3-mu m band for the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), an instrument aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) operational satellite, Suomi NPP. VIIRS does not have a 13.3-mu m band, although this band has important applications such as estimating cloud-top pressure. We demonstrate that a reliable estimate of the missing data can be created with a multisensor approach, using other VIIRS bands at 4, 9, 11, and 12 mu m, as well as input from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder, on board the same satellite, which produces data at a much finer spectral resolution but lower spatial resolution. In addition, we evaluate the algorithm by applying it to data from the Moderate Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), both on the Aqua satellite. MODIS and AIRS provide a benchmark for measuring the accuracy of the algorithm since, unlike VIIRS, MODIS makes measurements in the 13.3-mu m band. (C) 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)