A dual-spectrometer approach to reflectance measurements under sub-optimal sky conditions

Opt Express. 2012 Apr 9;20(8):8959-73. doi: 10.1364/OE.20.008959.

Abstract

This paper presents a practical method for the development of spectral reflectance libraries under sub-optimal sky conditions. Although there are commercially available spectrometers which simultaneously measure both downwelling and upwelling radiance to mitigate the impact of sub-optimal sky conditions, these spectrometers only record in the visible and near infra-red. There are presently no commercially available spectrometers with this capability that can record the visible through short-wave infra-red. This paper presents a practical method of recording and processing data using coordinated measurements from two full-range spectrometers and discusses potential pitfalls and solutions required to achieve accurate reflectance spectra. Results demonstrate that high-quality spectral reflectance libraries can be developed with this approach.