Western Mindanao State University

College of Engineering
Geodetic Engineering Department
Normal Rd. Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

Remote Sensing
Topic 7: Radiometric Calibration

Submitted by:
Rayhana Ahmad
Fatima-ayra A. Mohammad
Edsel Anne Aquino
Alwaleed Abdulhari
 Western Mindanao State University
College of Engineering
Geodetic Engineering Department
Normal Rd. Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

RADIOMETRIC CALIBRATION
Is a critical aspect of remote sensing that ensures accurate and reliable measurements
from imaging systems.
It refers to the ability to convert the digital numbers recorded by satellite imaging systems
into physical units.

How to tell if your imagery is lacking a radiometric workflow:

Without Radiometric calibration, you may see the following effects:
 Underexposed images, especially surrounding bright objects on the landscape.
 Irregular coloration.
 Index values that appear to change dramatically and unexpectedly near roads or
buildings.
 Extreme banding or patchiness in your mosaic.

RADIOMETRIC CORRECTION
 Refers to the process of adjusting remote sensing data to account for various factors that
can influence the recorded radiance values.
 These Corrections Aim to remove or reduce distortions caused by atmospheric effects,
sensor characteristics, and other factors, ensuring that the data accurately represents the
true radiance values of the Earth's surface. Instrument response characteristics.
 It is done to calibrate the pixel values and/ correct for errors in the values. The process
improves the interpretability and quality of remote sensed data.
 Radiometric calibration and corrections are particularly important when comparing
multiple data sets over a period of time.

The radiance measured by any given system over a given object is influenced by:
 Changes in scene illumination.
 Atmospheric condition
 Viewing geometry variations: Greater in the case of airborne data collection than
in satellite image acquisition.

THE PROCESS OF RADIOMETRIC CORRECTION

 Is important to successfully convert raw digital image data from satellite or aerial
sensors to a common physical scale based on known reflectance measurements
taken from objects on the ground’s surface. 
 This type of correction is important for reliable quantitative measurements of the
imagery.

[DN VALUES RECORDED BY SENSOR]

STEP 3
STEP 1
Removal of atmospheric effects due
Conversion of DN values to spectral radiance
to absorption and scattering
(At the sensor)
(Atmospheric correction)
STEP 2
Conversion of spectral radiance to apparent
[REFLECTANCE OF PIXELS AT THE
reflectance
EARTH’S SURFACE]
(At the sensor)
 Western Mindanao State University
College of Engineering
Geodetic Engineering Department
Normal Rd. Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

USES OF RADIOMETRIC CORRECTIONS

Radiometric corrections are essential for obtaining accurate and consistent information from
remote sensing data.
 Land cover and land use classification
 Vegetation health assessment
 Monitoring changes in urban areas
 Geological and environmental studies
 Agriculture and forestry management
 Land cover and land use classification
 Vegetation health assessment
 Monitoring changes in urban areas
 Geological and environmental studies
 Agriculture and forestry management
 Land cover and land use classification
 Vegetation health assessment
 Monitoring changes in urban areas
 Geological and environmental studies
 Agriculture and forestry management

SOURCE OF RADIOMETRIC CORRECTIONS

 Atmospheric Effects
 Sensor Calibration Issues
 Sun Angle and Geometry
 Saturation
 Stray Light
 Electronic Noise
 Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)
 Land cover and land use classification
 Vegetation health assessment
 Monitoring changes in urban areas
 Geological and environmental studies
 Agriculture and forestry management

ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS AND CORRECTIONS

 Atmospheric correction algorithms use mathematical models to estimate the atmospheric
effects and remove them from the imagery.
 The goal of atmospheric correction is to retrieve accurate and reliable information about
the Earth's surface, such as land cover, vegetation, and water quality.
 Western Mindanao State University
College of Engineering
Geodetic Engineering Department
Normal Rd. Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

Figure example of Atmospheric correction:

Atmospheric effects, such as scattering and absorption, can distort remote sensing data.
Common atmospheric correction methods include:
Dark Object Subtraction:
Compensates for atmospheric scattering by identifying the darkest objects in the scene.

Radiative Transfer Models:

Physically-based models simulate the interaction of light with the atmosphere to correct
for its effects.

Atmospheric Correction Software:

Specialized software tools apply algorithms to remove atmospheric influences from the
data.

LAPP=PTE/𝜋+𝐿𝑃
LAPP = APPARENT RADIANCE MEASURED BY SENSOR.
P = REFLECTANCE OF OBJECT.
T = ATMOSPHERIC TRANSMITTANCE.
E = IRRIDIANCE ON OBJECT, INCOMING.
LP = PATH RADIANCE/HAZE, FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND NOT FROM THE
OBJECT.

LAB: RADIOMETRIC CALIBRATION

Radiometric calibration is a critical step in ensuring the accuracy of remote sensing data. This lab
involves:
 Target Calibration: Using known radiance targets to calibrate sensor responses.
 Relative Calibration: Comparing different sensor bands to account for sensor variations.
 Radiance-to-Reflectance
Conversion: Converting radiance values to reflectance values using atmospheric
correction information.