A thermal infrared imaging spectrometer for natural resources applications — First results

A new hyperspectral thermal infrared imaging facility has been setup at the Centre de Recherche Public-Gabriel Lippmann to measure spectral emissivity values of typical earth surface samples in the 8 to 12 μm range at a spectral resolution of up to 0.25 cm^-1. The instrument is based on a Hyper-Cam-LW built by Telops with a modified fore-optic for vertical measurements at ground level and a platform for airborne acquisitions. Here, we show first results on the retrieval of emissivity spectra of mineral and rock samples. Hyper-Cam spectra were compared to reference spectra obtained with a Bruker Vertex 70 instrument. Evaluation of retrieved emissivity spectra indicates good agreement with reference measurements. An assessment of the spatial variability of emissivity spectra of material surfaces reveals interesting features in a bunter sandstone and calcareous sinter sample.