Calibration and Validation Working Group for Surface Biology and Geology (SBG)

A calibration/validation (cal/val) working group (CVWG) was established as part of a US government study of the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) observing system priority identified in the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decadal survey of Earth sciences and applications [1]. The 2017 decadal survey recommended the SBG mission as a designated observable to improve measurements of Earth's surface characteristics important for habitation, food, water, and many other natural resources. The candidate approach presented in the 2017 decadal survey was an imaging spectrometer spanning the visible and shortwave infrared (VSWIR) wavelength region and multi- or hyperspectral imagery in the thermal infrared (TIR). The SBG study is evaluating the candidate approach and other potential architectures in meeting science and application objectives. The SBG-CVWG, started in late 2018, has begun to identify elements of cal/val related to potential mission architectures. With the input of CVWG members and by engagement with the broader scientific community, other components of a cal/val framework are being defined including, pre-launch characterization and calibration, on-orbit calibration and monitoring, vicarious terrestrial/celestial calibration, data product validation, and intercomparison and potentially inter-calibration when multiple platforms are used.