Validation of GOES-16 ABI VNIR Channel Radiometric Performance with NPP VIIRS and AQUA MODIS over the Sonoran Desert

The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard GOES-16 provides high quality visible and near-infrared (VNIR) imagery data. In this paper, radiometric performance of the GOES-16 ABI multiple VNIR bands (B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6) are evaluated over the Sonoran Desert by comparing measurements with Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) equivalent bands M3, M5, M7, M10, and M11 and Aqua MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) equivalent bands b3, b1, b2, b6 and b7, respectively. Spectral Band Adjustment Factor (SBAF) derived from Hyperion data over Sonoran Desert is used. The large viewing angle at the Sonoran Desert by ABI (56.34 degrees) and a lack of comprehensive BRDF model at such viewing geometry and angular dependence of atmospheric scattering are the main challenges for the comparison. To address this issue, a radiative transfer modeling-based (RTM) method to account for atmospheric effects is developed to facilitate the comparison. The time series trending and mean bias of reflectance ratio between ABI and VIIRS and MODIS measurements over the Sonoran Desert after SBAF and BRDF corrections are derived to evaluate the radiometric performance of ABI w.r.t. VIIRS and MODIS. The analysis shows that the radiometric biases of the first four VNIR channels of GOES-16 ABI are all within 6% in comparison to the matched channels of VIIRS or MODIS after applying the RTM correction. Only the reflectance consistency of the VIIRS M11 and MODIS b7 is similar to 0.09, which dues to the center wavelength difference and different H2O absorption effects. The analysis also detects similar to 6% drop in the radiometric bias of GOES-16 ABI 0.64 mu m channel after April 23, 2019, which can be traced to the implementation of a correction of the ABI B2 calibration coefficient around this date.