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    VIIRS documentation Index

    NPOESS Instruments - VIIRS

    The Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite collects visible/infrared imagery and radiometric data. Data types include atmospheric, clouds, earth radiation budget, clear-air land/water surfaces, sea surface temperature, ocean color, and low light visible imagery. VIIRS contributes to 23 Environmental Data Records (EDRs) and is the primary instrument for 18 EDRs.

    The Visible Infrared Imager / Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will combine the radiometric accuracy of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) currently flown on the NOAA polar orbiters with the high (0.65 kilometer) spatial resolution of the Operational Linescan System (OLS) flown on DMSP. The VIIRS will provide imagery of clouds under sunlit conditions in about a dozen visible channels (or frequency bands), as well as provide coverage in a number of infrared channels for night and day cloud imaging applications.

    VIIRS will have multichannel imaging capabilities to support the acquisition of high resolution atmospheric imagery and generation of a variety of applied products including: visible and infrared imaging of hurricanes and detection of fires, smoke, and atmospheric aerosols.

    VIIRS will also provide capabilities to produce higher resolution and more accurate measurements of sea surface temperature than currently available from the heritage AVHRR instrument on POES, as well as an operational capability for ocean color observations and a variety of derived ocean color products.

    image: VIIRS Hurricane Bonnie
    Hurricane Bonnie 25 August 1998 17:53 UTC SeaWiFS Project/NASA/GSFC and ORBIMAGE
    image: VIIRS OCMID Sea Surface Temperature
    Sea Surface Temperature
    (infrared image)

    VIIRS Instrument Design

    Specifications
    graphic:VIIRS Design Exploded View
    Multiple VIS and IR channels between 0.3 and 14 microns
    Imagery Spatial Resolution: ~400m @ NADIR / 800m @ EOS

    Heritage and Risk Reduction

    POES Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
    (AVHRR/3)
    DMSP Operational Linescan System (OLS)
    EOS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
    (MODIS)
    NPP Early validation of operational instrument and algorithms

    VIIRS Key Characteristics and Performance

    Spectral Bands: Visible/ Near IR: 9 plus
    Day/Night Band
    Mid - Wave IR: 8
    Long - Wave IR: 4
    Imaging Optics: 19.1 cm Aperture, 114 cm Focal Length
    Band to Band Registration (All Bands, Entire Scan)
    < 80% per Axis
    Orbital Average Power: 134 Watts (55% Margin)
    Mass: 199 Kg

    		 image: VIIRS SBRS
    Artists concept of VIIRS instrument

    VIIRS Sensor — Photons In to Data Out
    graphic: viirs system diagram
    VIIRS Sensor Bands
    Band Name deltac(nm) delta(nm) ** Wavelength Type Radiance Type Spatial Resolution Type Focal Plane Assembly
    M1 412 20 VIS Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M2 445 18 VIS Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M3 488 20 VIS Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M4 555 20 VIS Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M5 672 20 VIS Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M6 746 15 NIR Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M7 865 39 NIR Reflective Moderate VISNIR
    M8 1240 20 SWIR Reflective Moderate SMWIR
    M9 1378 15 SWIR Reflective Moderate SMWIR
    M10 1610 60 SWIR Reflective Moderate SMWIR
    M11 2250 50 SWIR Reflective Moderate SMWIR
    M12 3700 180 MWIR Emissive Moderate SMWIR
    M13 4050 155 MWIR Emissive Moderate SMWIR
    M14 8550 300 LWIR Emissive Moderate LWIR
    M15 10763 1000 LWIR Emissive Moderate LWIR
    M16 12013 950 LWIR Emissive Moderate LWIR
    DNB 700 400 VIS Reflective Imaging DNB
    I1 640 80 VIS Reflective Imaging VISNIR
    I2 865 39 NIR Reflective Imaging VISNIR
    I3 1610 60 SWIR Reflective Imaging SMWIR
    I4 3740 380 MWIR Emissive Imaging SMWIR
    I5 11450 1900 LWIR Emissive Imaging LWIR
    		image: hurricane

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