JPSS-2 VIIRS polarization sensitivity comparison with Heritage VIIRS sensors

Abstract

The Joint Polar Satellite System 2 (JPSS-2) is the follow-on for the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and JPSS-1 missions. These spacecrafts provide critical weather and global climate products to the user community. A primary sensor on both JPSS and S-NPP is the Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) with Earth observations covering the Reflective Solar Band (RSB), Thermal Emissive Band (TEB) and Day Night Band (DNB) spectral regions. The VIIRS Sensor Data Records (SDRs) contain the calibrated Earth observations that are used to generate numerous Environmental Data Record (EDR) products such as Ocean Color/Chlorophyll (OCC), Global Land Cover, Aerosol and Land/Sea Surface Temperature (LST/SST). This SDR calibration is performed using unpolarized sources such as the Solar Diffuser (SD) for the RSBs and an On-Board Calibrator BlackBody (OBCBB) for the TEBs. Therefore, polarized Earth scenes will have radiometric bias errors within the SDRs based on how sensitive VIIRS is to polarized illumination and is corrected in some EDR algorithms. In addition to VIIRS polarization characterization methodology, this paper will discuss the JPSS-2 polarization sensitivity results and compare its performance to its predecessors S-NPP and JPSS-1 VIIRS. Optical modifications to the JPSS-2 VIIRS sensor to address heritage polarization sensitivity issues will be discussed.