Abstract
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key Earth-observing satellite sensor utilized to generate nearly 30 products for environmental studies and weather forecasting. Fourteen of the 22 VIIRS spectral bands are reflective solar bands (RSBs), which are calibrated on orbit through a sunlit solar diffuser (SD). Upon exposure to the Sun, the SD’s bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) changes its value, quantified by the H-factor. We observe that the H-factor depends on the location of the SD surface. Here, we compare the H-factor SD positional dependence across the three VIIRS instruments currently in operation, aboard the SNPP, the N20, and the N21 satellites. We determine the relative amount of solar exposure using the temporal trend difference in the H-factor before and after the nadir door is opened. Using the relative amount of solar exposure, we derive the striping model coefficients which generally agree well with the published values. Hence, our methodology can be applied early to destripe future VIIRS RSBs.