Theocharous, E; Fox, N P (2010) CEOS comparison of IR brightness temperature measurements in support of satellite validation. Part II: Laboratory comparison of the brightness temperature of blackbodies. NPL Report. OP 4

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Abstract

A comparison of terrestrial based Infrared (IR) radiometric instrumentation used to support calibration and validation of satellite borne sensors with emphasis on Sea/water surface temperature was completed at NPL and at the University of Miami during April and May 2009. The objectives of the 2009 comparison were to establish the 'degree of equivalence' between terrestrially based IR Cal/Val measurements made in support of satellite observations of the Earth's surface temperature and to establish their traceability to SI units through the participation of national standards laboratories. The 2009 comparison consisted of two stages in order to allow maximum participation and enable the traceability chain to be established to both NPL and NIST. Stage 1 took place at NPL in April 2009 and involved laboratory measurements of participants' blackbodies calibrated using the NPL reference transfer radiometer (AMBER), while participants' radiometers were calibrated using the NPL variable temperature blackbody. Stage 2 took place at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) in May 2009 and involved laboratory measurements of participants' blackbodies calibrated using the NIST Thermal-Infrared Transfer radiometer (TXR), while participants' radiometers were calibrated using the RSMAS and NIST water bath blackbodies. Stage 2 also included the testing of the same radiometers alongside each other, completing direct day-time and night-time measurements of the surface temperature of the Ocean. A previous report (Theocharous et al., 2010) provided the results, together with uncertainties as provided by the participants, for the comparison of the participant's radiometers, when they were monitoring the radiance temperature of the NPL variable temperature blackbody, the RSMAS water bath blackbody and NIST water bath blackbody. The same report also presented the results of the measurement of the Ocean surface temperature completed at RSMAS. The current report describes the comparison of the participants blackbodies at NPL using the NPL AMBER radiometer as well the comparison of the participants blackbodies at RSMAS using the NIST TXR radiometer. During the 2009 comparison, all participants were encouraged to develop uncertainty budgets for all measurements they reported. All measurements reported by the participants, along with their associated uncertainties were analysed by the pilot laboratory and presented in this report.

Item Type:	Report/Guide (NPL Report)
NPL Report No.:	OP 4
Subjects:	Optical Radiation and Photonics Optical Radiation and Photonics > Environment and Climate Change
Last Modified:	02 Feb 2018 13:14
URI:	http://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/4759

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