Study on the retrieval of emissivity spectra from airborne thermal infrared data

A newly developed method for separating temperature and emissivity(TES) was revised and applied to the airborne multispectral MAIS images acquired in AVIGNON agricultural area of France. in Augusts 1997. Based on 132 kinds of emissivity spectra , a significant exponential correlation was established for MAIS between the minimum emissivity and MMD (the difference between ma ximum and minimum of emissivity ratios). This correlation was used to subst itute the MMD model of TES method. Then emissivity was inverted from the MA IS image by the revised TES method. It turned out that, the inverted emissi vity spectra were quite consistent in the shape with those measured in labo ratory. Vegetation classification was proved possible by combining the inve rted emissivity images with the surface brightness temperature image.