Ground viewing radiometer equipped with autonomous linear motion: Two Year field deployment summary and analysis

Abstract

In March 2020, the Remote Sensing Group (RSG) of the Wyant College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona deployed a ground-viewing radiometer (GVR) equipped with linear motion to support its Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS). Prior to the development and deployment of a GVR with linear motion, all GVRs were stationary radiometers. The GVRs consist of 8 spectral channels covering a wavelength range of 400 nm to 1550 nm. Each GVR, including the one with linear motion, are automated systems designed for long-term standalone operation. This paper presents a two-year post-deployment summary and analysis of the GVR fitted with autonomous daily linear motion, GVR 23. Incorporating linear motion to a GVR increases the spatial sample size of the GVR. A larger spatial sample provides RSG with an improved representation of the surface under measurement. The current linear motion system operates autonomously between 16:00 UTC and 22:00 UTC. This work describes the current system design, the data acquired from the radiometer, issues that have risen, and future improvements. © 2022 SPIE.