BackForwardInstrument:  VIIRS 

Instrument details
Acronym VIIRS
Full name Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite
Purpose Multi-purpose imagery, including ocean colour
Short description

22 channels, including a day/night 0.7 µm channel [see detailed characteristics below]. More details here: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/jpss/VIIRS.php

Background

New development, developed in the NPOESS framework

Scanning Technique

Cross-track: 16 parallel lines sampled by 2048 pixel of 750 m s.s.p. and 32 parallel lines sampled by 4096 pixel of 370 m s.s.p.; swath 3000 km.  Along-track: one 11.9-km strip of 16 or 32 lines in 1.786 s

Resolution 375 m for five AVHRR-like channels and the VIS day/night channel, 750 m for all other channels. See table
Coverage / Cycle Global coverage twice/day (IR and day/night VIS/NIR channel) or once/day (VIS)
Mass 275 kg Power 240 W Data Rate 5.9 Mbps

 

Providing Agency NOAA
Instrument Maturity Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period: 2012 to 2041
Last update: 2024-11-21
Detailed characteristics

Central wavelength

Bandwidth

SNR or NEΔT @ specified input (High or single gain)

SNR or NEΔT @ specified input (Low gain)

Resolution

412 nm

20 nm

352 @ 45 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

316 @ 155 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

750 m

445 nm

18 nm

380 @ 40 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

409 @ 146 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

750 m

488 nm

20 nm

416 @ 32 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

414 @ 123 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

750 m

555 nm

20 nm

362 @ 21 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

315 @ 90 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

750 m

672 nm

20 nm

242 @ 10 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

360 @ 68 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

750 m

746 nm

15 nm

199 @ 9.6 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

750 m

865 nm

39 nm

215 @ 6.4 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

340 @ 33.4 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

750 m

1240 nm

20 nm

101 @ 5.4 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

750 m

1378 nm

15 nm

83 @ 6.0 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

750 m

1610 nm

60 nm

342 @ 7.3 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

750 m

2250 nm

50 nm

10 @ 0.12 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

750 m

3.70 µm

0.18 µm

0.40 K @ 270 K

 

750 m

4.05 µm

0.155 µm

0.11 K @ 300 K

0.42 K @ 380 K

750 m

8.55 µm

0.30 µm

0.09 K @ 270 K

 

750 m

10.763 µm

1.00 µm

0.07 K @ 300 K

 

750 m

12.013 µm

0.95 µm

0.07 K @ 300 K

 

750 m

0.7 µm (day/night)

0.5-0.9 µm

6 @ 6.70 10-5 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

375 m

0.64 µm

0.60-0.68 µm

119 @ 22 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

375 m

0.865 µm

0.845-0.884 µm

150 @ 25 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

375 m

1.61 µm

1.58-1.64 µm

6 @ 7.3 W m-2 sr-1 µm-1

 

375 m

3.74 µm

3.55-3.93 µm

2.50 K @ 270 K

 

375 m

11.45 µm

10.5-12.4 µm

1.50 K @ 210 K

 

375 m

Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Earth observation instrument
  • Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer
  • Moderate resolution optical imager
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • VIS/IR imagery; realisation of a Day/Night band [in SSO]
  • VIS/IR imager [in SSO]
  • VIS/IR imager with day/night capability [in SSO]]
  • Narrow-band or hyperspectral imagers
  • Narrow-band imager (for ocean colour)
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Biomass
  • Cloud cover
  • Cloud optical depth
  • Cloud top height
  • Cloud top temperature
  • Cloud type
  • Fraction of Absorbed PAR (FAPAR)
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
  • Leaf Area Index (LAI)
  • Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
  • Sea surface temperature
  • Sea-ice cover
Evaluation of Measurements