Intercomparison of Landsat Operational Land Imager and Terra Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Radiometric Calibrations Using Radiometric Calibration Network Data

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive intercomparison study investigating the radiometric performance of and concurrence among the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (L8 OLI), and Landsat 9 OLI (L9 OLI) instruments. This study leverages data sourced from the Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet) and focuses on spectral bands relevant for vegetation analysis and land cover classification, encompassing a thorough assessment of data quality, uncertainties, and underlying influencing factors. This study’s outcomes underscore the efficacy of RadCalNet in evaluating the precision and reliability of remote sensing data, offering valuable insights into the strengths and limitations of ASTER, L8 OLI, and L9 OLI. These insights serve as a foundation for informed decision making in environmental monitoring and resource management, highlighting the pivotal role of RadCalNet in gauging the radiometric performance of remote sensing sensors. Results from RadCalNet sites, namely Railroad Valley Playa and Gobabeb, show their possible suitability for sensors with spatial resolutions down to 15 m. The results indicate that the measurements from both ASTER and OLI closely align with the data from RadCalNet, and the observed agreement falls comfortably within the total range of potential errors associated with the sensors and the test site information.