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Multiple-kernel learning-based unmixing algorithm for estimation of cloud fractions with MODIS and CloudSat data

  • Yanfeng Gu*
  • , Shizhe Wang
  • , Tao Shi
  • , Yinghui Lu
  • , Eugene E. Clothiaux
  • , Bin Yu
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • Harbin Institute of Technology
  • Ohio State University
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • University of California at Berkeley

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Detection of clouds in satellite-generated radiance images, including those from MODIS, is an important first step in many applications of these data. In this paper we apply spectral unmixing to this problem with the aim of estimating subpixel cloud fractions, as opposed to identification only of whether or not a pixel radiance contains cloud contributions. We formulate the spectral unmixing approach in terms of multiple-kernel learning (MKL). To this end we propose a MKL-based unmixing algorithm that drives a multiple-kernel description of cloud, enabling estimation of sub-pixel cloud fractions. This approach is based on supervised learning. We generate training and testing samples by using CloudSat and CALIPSO data to compute cloud fractions within individual MODIS pixels. Results of our study on limited data (1875 training and testing MODIS pixels along with their CloudSat and CALIPSO based sub-pixel cloud fractions) show that the proposed algorithm can effectively estimate sub-pixel MODIS cloud fraction and outperforms support vector machine (SVM) in terms of estimation performance.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIGARSS 2012 - 2012 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages1785-1788
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9781467311595
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Event32nd IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2012 - Munich, Germany
Duration: 22 Jul 201227 Jul 2012

Publication series

NameInternational Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS)
ISSN (Print)2153-6996
ISSN (Electronic)2153-7003

Conference

Conference32nd IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2012
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityMunich
Period22/07/1227/07/12

Keywords

  • Cloud detection
  • MODIS
  • multiple-kernel learning (MKL)
  • spectral unmixing

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