The VIIRS Cirrus Reflectance Algorithm.

Area of Science:

• Earth Observation
• Atmospheric Science
• Remote Sensing

Background:

• The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite features an M9 channel optimized for thin cirrus cloud detection.
• The M9 channel's sensitivity to cirrus clouds is influenced by atmospheric water vapor absorption, necessitating correction for accurate quantitative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and describe an empirical technique for retrieving cirrus reflectances from VIIRS data.
• To account for water vapor absorption effects in the M9 channel for accurate cirrus detection and removal of cirrus effects in other spectral ranges.

Main Methods:

• Development of an empirical algorithm for cirrus reflectance retrieval in the visible, near-infrared (VNIR), and shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral regions.
• Detailed theoretical and mathematical descriptions of the algorithm's physics and operational implementation for VIIRS data.

Main Results:

• The study details the development of an operational VIIRS cirrus reflectance algorithm.
• Sample retrieval results demonstrate the algorithm's application to VIIRS data, providing cirrus reflectance values.

Conclusions:

• The developed empirical technique effectively retrieves cirrus reflectances by addressing water vapor absorption.
• The SNPP VIIRS cirrus reflectance data products are publicly available, supporting further research in atmospheric science.