Aqua MODIS TEB crosstalk correction improvement and image quality enhancement

The MODIS instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites have provided continuous global observations for science research and applications. The calibration accuracy and product quality have been maintained via routine monitoring and characterization of the instrument behavior. Electronic crosstalk in the thermal emissive bands (TEB) is a known issue, and its impact on the calibrated imagery has been mitigated via corrections derived from scheduled lunar observations. Mission-long crosstalk corrections for the Terra MODIS photovoltaic (PV) longwave infrared (LWIR) bands have been applied in Collection 6.1 (C6.1). In recent years, the electronic crosstalk between the Aqua PV LWIR bands has exhibited an increasing downward trend in the crosstalk coefficients. Just like Terra MODIS, this affects the Level-1B (L1B) product’s measurement accuracy and image quality. These artifacts were further amplified after the safe mode event in March 2022. Starting in April 2022, crosstalk corrections have been applied to the Aqua MODIS PV LWIR bands in the Level-1B product. However, due to the uncertainty associated with these crosstalk coefficients, an over- or under-correction was observed in the EV imagery in the form of residual striping. With the development of an Earth image assessment tool, the image striping has been quantified, and a subsequent correction was developed. The crosstalk coefficients for each receiving detector are additionally corrected to maintain the product’s image quality. Lastly, a crosstalk correction for select detectors in the MWIR bands is also applied to both MODIS missions in Collection 7.