Technical guide.

GEO-EYE1 FLAASH CONFIGURATION IN ENVI 5.X

By MSc. Diego Soza Z.
MSc. In Remote Sensing
Date: 2020/04/20. Version 1

Correspondence to:
soza.diego@gmail.com
contacto@praxisgeomatica.com

Note: this document intends to fill a gap between the needs from the end-user and the
accumulated procedural orientations provided either by the technical software assistance and
the users' community. This work tries to explain by a step by step guide the procedures to
perform a successful atmospherically correction of a high-resolution GeoEye-1 multispectral
image, using the FLAASH (included in the Atmospheric Correction Module: QUAC and FLAASH).

Any comments or suggestions to improve this guide will be very pleased.

Summary
1. Background ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1. Study area........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Materials ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
1.2.1. FLAASH Atmospherical correction ..............................................................................................................................................................2
1.2.2. Multispectral images .................................................................................................................................................................................................3
2. A first approach for ms 4 bands product .............................................................................................................................................3
2.1. Define the workspace and dir structure ................................................................................................................................................3
2.2. Preparation the input data.................................................................................................................................................................................3
2.2.1. Open the data from metadata .......................................................................................................................................................................3
2.2.2. Calibrating the input images.............................................................................................................................................................................4
2.3. FLAASH configuration.............................................................................................................................................................................................5
2.3.1. General configuration ..............................................................................................................................................................................................5
2.3.2. Advanced settings.......................................................................................................................................................................................................7
2.3.3. Execution ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
3. A second approach for pan band product .......................................................................................................................................12
4. Results ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................12
5. References........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17

1. Background
1.1. Study area
The study area, upper Cachapoal basin is located 30 km from the eastern outskirts of the middle-
city Rancagua (in stricter terms the distance is referred to as the sub-urban satellite Machalí),
the seventh most populated city in Chile. The 499 [sq.km] drainage upper area of the Cachapoal
River (which refers to micro-basin level) extends from the international boundary until the
junction with Cortaderal River (N.W.B code 06000, sub-basin level), as part of Rapel River basin.
The debris-covered Gran Cachapoal glacier is located in the upper catchment area as a natural
element between Chile and Argentina frontier in the southern Andes Cordillera.
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Figure 1. The Cachapoal and Las Leñas river basins

The Glaciar Cachapoal is the third glacier with the largest surface covered in Chilean
Glaciological Central Zone (DGA,2011) with 8 [km] major-axis longitude, and a difference of
altitude between the base and top level of 2500 [m]. Besides that, there are pieces of evidence
of recent surge which demonstrates it’s an active mixed glacier.

1.2. Materials
1.2.1. FLAASH Atmospherical correction
A total customizable atmospheric correction software should provide to the end-user the option
to provide to a model the required parameters. A quick review of the software alternatives
confirms the idea that they offer a closed solution to interpolate radiation transfer properties
from a pre-calculated database of modeling results. The Envi FLAASH® incorporates the
MODTRAN® version 5.2 (MODTRAN5v2r1) radiation transfer code and their model atmospheres
and aerosol types to represent the scene conducting a unique MODTRAN solution computed for
each image (L3Harris Geospatial Solutions, 2020b).

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1.2.2. Multispectral images

In this guide, a GeoEye-1 scene provided by Digital Globe Foundation was processed. As a
reference DEM, the tile 34710 from AlosWorld 3d-30 v2.1 DEM supply the height references. This
open-access and free DEM is the most vertical and horizontal accurate option. The mission and
scene metadata were resumed in tables 1 and 2.

Table 1. GeoEye-1 general specifications

Item variable unit value item variable unit value

cat. param. ID adim. 105001000317B600 year year 2016
adquistion
flight alt. km 681 month month 2
date
n.looks 1,000 day day 17
scan mode adim. FullSwath hour hour 14
adquisition
scan direction reverse min min 32
time
(*) sun az. 6,41 sec sec 33,89
adquisition
(*) sat az. 9,15 Long. dec. -70,075
parameter
(*) sun elev. 5,09 central Lat. degree -34,336
dec.
(*) sat elev. 5,89 coordinates epsg code 4326
degree
(*) inTrack v.ang. 4,80 altitude meter 3.098
(*) crTrack v.ang. 2,73 standar rad. corr. already
(*) offNadir v.ang. 2,77 quality cloudcover adim. 0,00
proc. level 2A file format extension GeoTiff
stand. quality adim.
ortocorr. none
(*) equal to mean value

Table 2. GeoEye-1 scene characteristics

item variable unit value product spec. subsyst. channel cent_wl bw FWHM
ms GSD px 2,000 Blue 0,480 0,060 0,465
spat. resolution meter
pan GSD px 0,500 Green 0,545 0,070 0,484
M2AS
rad. resolution bits/px. adim. 16,000 VNIR Red 0,660 0,060 0,547
abs. scale factor adim. 6,225 NIR 0,828 0,135 0,676
spec. resolution
bandwidth μm 0,350 P2AS PAN 0,625 0,350 0,628

where, subsyst. = subsystem; spat. = spatial; rad.= radiometric; spec. = spectral: wl = wavelength in [ɥm]; cent_wl =
central wavelength; bw= bandwidth.

2. A first approach for ms 4 bands product

2.1. Define the workspace and dir structure
First, create a work directory named “flash”, with the following folders:

2.2. Preparation the input data

2.2.1. Open the data from metadata
a) Open the “16FEB17143240-M2AS-057673405020_01_P003.TIL.til” file using the File
> Open menu option
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The multispectral 4 bands image were displayed

2.2.2. Calibrating the input images

Atending the recommendation in L3 Harris Geospatial Solutions (2020a), open the Radiometric
Correction > Radiometric Calibration tool.

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Apply the factor corrections for FLAASH adjustment

Define the output file name and the .dat file extension related to “01_input” dir. Press “Ok”.
Now, you have the calibrated Radiance at the sensor image.

2.3. FLAASH configuration

2.3.1. General configuration
Open the FLAASH dialog tool

The main configuration windows appear.

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a) Define the input radiance image,

and the path routes to the “Output Reflectance File” and “Output Directory to FLAASH Files”
placed in the “02_out” folder.

b) If you desired it, you can establish a “Root name” for FLAASH files.

As you can see, the program reads the metadata values from the auxiliary (.aux) file, which
accomplishes the. dat image file.

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Now, complete this sequence:

a) Check the coherence in the Date and Coordinates.
b) Correct the Sensor Altitude value to “681”.
c) In “Ground Elevation” box enter “3.098”
d) Select the “Mid-Latitude summer” Atmospheric Model, the “Rural” Aerosol Model and the
“None” option for Aerosol Retrieval. Finally, establish the Initial Visibility (km) value in “30”.

2.3.2. Advanced settings

a) Click on “Advanced Settings” box

Attending the recommendations of Pimentel (2017), I’ve entered the next configuration

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b) If you haven't subsetted the image previously, continue with the next steps. Otherwise,
continue to tittle “c)”.

b.1.) In “Radiance image > Spatial Subset” item, click on it.

b.2.) Select the ADT12 shapefile vector file….

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The new output image extent values were defined. Click in Ok.

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c) Now, precise the path to the “FLAASH files”

d) Save a preliminary FLAASH configuration file.

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e) Check again the the “Mid-Latitude summer” Atmospheric Model, the “Rural” Aerosol Model,
as “Water Column Multiplier Feature” equal to “1”, and the “None” option for Aerosol
Retrieval. Finally, establish the Initial Visibility (km) value in “30”.

2.3.3. Execution
a) Click in “Apply”, The process begins.

b) When finished, an emerging window shows the results alert

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c) Save the report as a .txt file

3. A second approach for pan band product

For panchromatic image FLAASH correction, just follow the explained procedures.

4. Results
To evaluate the corrected image seven ROI based on circle geometry was drawn in the image,
identifying the most common type of surface covers in the study area. The goal is to compare
the spectral response using the mean signatures between TOA reflectance (top of atmosphere)
for the uncorrected scene, and the BOA reflectance (bottom of atmosphere or surface
reflectance) after the FLAASH correction.

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Figure 2. Visual comparison and ROI localization

In Figure 2 at left (in A) shows the original tile scene, the yellow line indicates the “ADT12. shp”
subset and the white rectangle display the extents of (B) and (C). At the center in (B) over the
uncorrected image with TOA reflectance values, the orange line indicates the active debris-
covered while the yellow dashed line corresponds to the inactive ice (green) glacier boundary
inventoried for the 2016 year. At right (in C) the image with surface reflectance values estimated
with FLAASH, where each point represents a type of surface (see table 3). The three images are
RGB:421 with linear histogram correction at 2%.

Table 3. ROI characteristics.

max. h
type of area px.
ROI# name hex geom record [n] px dim. x y [m]
surface cover [m2] [n]
ITRF96
1 water1 lagoon #00FFFF 3 15x15 -70,07 -34,35 2.822,3 9024 2256
thermoKarst glaciar
2 water2 #0099FF 8 12x12 -70,03 -34,33 3.179,6 4276 1069
pond
lateral morraine
3 grass1 andean perennial #48FF48 2 15x15 -70,06 -34,37 2.802,5 9024 2256
pasture
open andean perennial
4 grass2 #009900 5x5 -70,07 -34,35 2.773,8 1068 267
pasture
5 snow remanent snow #AD11EE circle -70,03 -34,38 4.179,7 6016 1504
3
6 firn firn (cristalized snow) #FF00FF -70,06 -34,31 3.823,7 9024 2256
7 unconv_Ice uncovered ice #FF0000 -70,04 -34,29 4.973,5 9024 2256
8 debrisCov_Ice debris-covered ice #FF7474 -70,04 -34,32 3.215,1 9024 2256
9 rock rock exposure #FFAF1D 6 15x15 -70,04 -34,29 4.541,8 18048 4512
caotical water
10 aluv_dep #F0F000 -70,03 -34,34 3.159,7 9024 2256
depositation
3
gravitational
11 coluv_dep #FFFF00 -70,02 -34,33 3.691,8 9024 2256
depositation

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Figure 3. Spectral signatures before and after FLAASH correction

In figure 3A (upper) and 3B (center) the spectral signatures of 11 ROI types of surfaces without
atmospherical correction, based on TOA reflectance and radiance, respectively. In 3C (lower) the
signatures of estimated surface reflectance after FLAASH calculations.

Analyzing the signatures, it can be advertised that the FLAASH effects trends to smooth the
curves. In the case of the highest reflectance surfaces as clean ice, the absorptions peaks were
attenuated. The vegetation reflectance curve in green representing the stational Andean pasture
now displays a more characteristic shape, with a peak in the green, a chlorophyll absorption in
the red, and a sharp red edge leading to higher near-infrared reflectance.

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A second quantitative verification of the reflectance results will be carried on trough a difference
using Band Math between the band 3 Red Channel (0.66 ɥm) from TOA and BOA reflectance
images.

a) Open the Band Math tool

b) Enter the expression “ [float(B1)-B2] “ , no quotes required. Click in Ok.

c) Select as “B1” the Band 3 (0.66) BOA surface corrected reflectance, and define in “B2” the
TOA un-corrected reflectance measured at sensor. Click on Ok.

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d) The resulting image was displayed. Click in “ScatterPlot” icon

The differences should tend to converge to 1, with a positive and high correlation.

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5. References

L3Harris Geospatial Solutions: Calibrating Images Tutorial, [online] Available from:

https://www.harrisgeospatial.com/docs/CalibratingImagesTutorial.html (Accessed 20 April
2020a), 2020.

L3Harris Geospatial Solutions: FLAASH® Background, [online] Available from:

https://www.harrisgeospatial.com/docs/BackgroundFLAASH.html (Accessed 18 April 2020b),
2020.

Pimentel, M.: FLAASH to correction GeoEye1, L3 Harris Forum, FLAASH Config. [online] Available
from: https://www.harrisgeospatial.com/Support/Forums/aft/6013 (Accessed 19 April 2020),
2017.

FLAASH Module Help contents

file:///C:/Program%20Files/Exelis/ENVI53/help/ENVIHelp.htm#cshid=FLAASHMULTISPECTRAL

FLAASH advanced options

file:///C:/Program%20Files/Exelis/ENVI53/help/ENVIHelp.htm#PreprocessImagery/QUAC_FL
AASH/FLAASHAdvancedOptions.htm#Select2

Example: Multispectral Sensors and FLAASH®

file:///C:/Program%20Files/Exelis/ENVI53/help/ENVIHelp.htm#PreprocessImagery/QUAC_FL
AASH/ExampleMSSensorsFLAASH.htm

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