The airborne remote earth sensing (ARES) program: An operational airborne MWIR imaging spectrometer and applications

Since 1993, the Airborne Remote Earth Sensing (ARES) Program has collected a wide variety of mid-wave infrared hyperspectral data on an interesting assortment of atmospheric, geologic, urban and chemical emission/absorption features. Flown in NASA's high altitude WB-57F aircraft the ARES sensor is a 75 channel cryo-cooled prism spectrometer covering the 2-6 mu m spectral region, and is capable of up or down-looking measurements over a wide range of collection geometries. Sensor characteristics, pointing capabilities, and overall performance are discussed Highlights from some of the recent data collections, such as the 1993 and 95 thermal mapping of the active lava now areas from the Kilauea volcano, the 1993 collection of the direct solar specular reflection off high altitude (ice) cloud layers over West Texas; upper atmospheric H2O vapor sounding using the 6 mu m solar absorption spectra; Sulfur Dioxide detection from a coal burning power plant in Page, AZ (SO2 in emission) and from the Pu'u O'o vent of the Kilauea volcano (SO2 in absorption); and MWIR imagery from various terrestrial and urban background scenes, including West Los Angeles, and the Capitol area of Washington, D. C. Supporting spectral, analysis and radiometric modeling are presented.