Radiometric characterization and validation for the KOMPSAT-3 sensor

A radiometric characterization of the Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT) Series multispectral imagery was performed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Pukyong National University Remote Sensing Group (PKNU RSG). This paper presents a vicarious radiometric calibration performed by KARI and PKNU RSG in 2012 and 2014. Correlations between top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiances and the spectral band responses of the KOMPSAT-3 sensors at Zuunmod, Mongolia and Goheung, South Korea, were significant for multispectral bands. KOMPSAT-3 calibration coefficients for all bands estimated in 2012 continued to agree well with calibration coefficients estimated in 2014 (within 1.5%). As a result of this study, KARI will update and publish the KOMPSAT-3 multispectral radiometric calibration coefficients as official values. The average difference in TOA reflectance between KOMPSAT-3 and Landsat-8 images over the Libya 4, Libya and Railroad Valley Playa, USA, in the red-green-blue region was under 3%, whereas in the near-infrared band, the TOA reflectance of KOMPSAT-3 was lower than that of Landsat-8 due to the difference in the bandwidths of two sensors. The KOMPSAT-3 sensor includes a bandwidth near 940 nm that can be strongly absorbed by water vapour and therefore displayed low reflectance. © 2015 © 2015 Taylor & Francis.