Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
Investigating the Relationship between Sea Surface Chlorophyll and Major Features of the South China Sea with Satellite Information
Published on: June 13, 2020
Initial analysis of ocean color data from the ocean color and temperature scanner. II. Geometric and radiometric
W W Gregg1, F S Patt, W E Esaias
1Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 971, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA. gregg@cabin.gsfc.nasa.gov
Abstract:
We assessed the geometric and radiometric performance of the ocean color and temperature scanner (OCTS) using data acquired over the United States. Initial results indicated a geometric offset in the along-track direction of 4-5 pixels that was attributed to a tilt bias. OCTS radiometric data appeared to suffer from near-field and possibly far-field scatter effects. Analysis of radiometric stability was inconclusive because of daily variability and the absence of a full seasonal cycle. Comparison of OCTS-computed water-leaving radiances with colocated in situ measurements showed that the prelaunch calibration required adjustment from -2% to +13%. Minor modification of OCTS data processing based on these results and avoidance of near-field scatter effects can enable improved and more-reliable OCTS data for quantitative scientific analyses.
