HyperNAV Hyperspectral Radiometer

As remote sensing satellites orbit Earth, Sea-Bird Scientific and NASA are developing a tool to drift with ocean currents. The HyperNav, a combination of hyperspectral radiometers and a Navis profiling float, provides in-situ calibration and verification for ocean color satellites. Unlike fixed location radiometers, the HyperNav travels through optically diverse environments allowing for greater matchups with satellite measurements.

HyperNav, an amalgam of “hyperspectral radiometers” and “Navis profiling float,” is a tool in development by Sea-Bird Scientific in partnership with NASA to calibrate and verify the next generation of ocean color satellites. The idea is straightforward—a high-resolution hyperspectral radiometer installed on a Navis profiling float provides an autonomous, in-situ drifting radiometer to ground truth remote-sensing satellites as they orbit the earth.

As the HyperNav drifts with the current, it travels through optically diverse environments. Unlike standard moored radiometers, which are fixed in a single location, the HyperNav provides measurements from optically diverse environments for correlation with ocean color data from satellites. This provides more robust calibration data for satellite verification. Of course, a profiling float also provides a robust sensor platform capable of housing more than a radiometer; along for the ride is the typical Sea-Bird CTD package and biogeochemical sensors for comprehensive data collection.

Sea-Bird has tested the HyperNav in various conditions and locations, including The Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) off the Hawaiian island of Lanai for comparison to another in-situ radiometer designed for satellite calibration.

Watch the HyperNAV Hyperspectral Radiometer Development video.

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