What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to address the increasing electronic crosstalk and its impact on MODIS PV bands' data quality.

January 22, 2026Open Access

MODIS Photovoltaic Thermal Emissive Bands Electronic Crosstalk Solution and Lessons Learned

Key Points

The research aims to address the increasing electronic crosstalk and its impact on MODIS PV bands' data quality.
Characterized electronic crosstalk in PV bands early in the mission.
Developed and implemented a crosstalk correction algorithm in MODIS Collection 6.1.
Introduced additional corrections in MODIS Collection 7.
Significant improvements in image quality for Aqua MODIS PV LWIR bands after crosstalk correction.
Enhanced calibration of Level-1B and Level 2 product outputs.
Detailed time series of electronic crosstalk correction coefficients demonstrated.

Abstract

The photovoltaic (PV) bands on the mid-wave and long-wave infrared (MWIR and LWIR) cold focal plane assemblies of Terra and Aqua MODIS have suffered from gradually increasing electronic crosstalk contamination as both instruments have continued to operate in their extended missions, respectively. This contamination has considerable impact, particularly for the PV LWIR bands, which includes image striping and radiometric bias in the Level-1B (L1B)-calibrated radiance products as well as higher level (and mostly atmospheric but also land and oceanic) products (e.g., cloud phase particle, cloud mask, land and sea surface temperatures). The crosstalk was characterized early in the mission, and test corrections were developed then. Ultimately, the groundwork for a robust electronic crosstalk correction algorithm was developed in 2016 and implemented in MODIS Collection 6.1 (C6.1) back in 2017 for the Terra MODIS PV LWIR bands. It was later introduced in Aqua MODIS C6.1 for the same group of bands in April 2022. Additional improvements were made in MODIS Collection 7 (C7) to better characterize the electronic crosstalk in the PV LWIR bands, and the electronic crosstalk correction algorithm was also extended to select detectors in the MODIS MWIR bands. This work will describe the electronic crosstalk correction algorithm and its application on the MODIS L1B product, the differences in application between C6.1 and C7, as well as additional improvements made to enhance the contamination correction and improve image quality for the Aqua MODIS PV LWIR bands. The electronic crosstalk correction coefficient time series for the MODIS PV bands will be discussed, and some cases will be presented to illustrate how image quality improves on the L1B and Level 2 products after the correction is applied. Lastly, experiences gained regarding the PV bands electronic crosstalk and the strategy used to correct it will be discussed to provide future data users and scientists with an insight as to how to improve on the legacy record that the Terra and Aqua MODIS sensors will leave behind after both spacecrafts are decommissioned.

MODIS Photovoltaic Thermal Emissive Bands Electronic Crosstalk Solution and Lessons Learned

Key Points

Abstract

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