TITLE:
Using Longwave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging for a Quantitative Atmospheric Tracer Monitoring in Outdoor Environments
AUTHORS:
Eitan Hirsch, Eyal Agassi, Alon Manor
KEYWORDS:
Hyperspectral, Infrared, Gaseous Plumes, Concentration-Length, Quantification, Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion (T&D) Model
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
22,
2021
ABSTRACT: Quantitative real-time
retrieval of concentration-lengths (CL) through gaseous plumes is an important
tool for environmental monitoring, enabling remote monitoring of emissions from
industrial facilities and risk assessment in scenarios of toxic gas releases.
The adoption of LWIR (Long Wave InfraRed) hyperspectral imaging as a leading
technique for remote gas plume detection paved the way for an introduction of a
precise CL estimation and two-dimensional (2D) mapping. A novel methodology for
evaluating and characterizing the performance of a retrieval algorithm is
presented. The algorithm utilizes state-of-the-art retrieved hyperspectral 2D
mapping and is applied on a series of localized atmospheric tracer gas (SF6)
releases in monitored environmental conditions. The retrieved CL distributions
are compared to a numeric atmospheric T&D (Transport and Diffusion) model.
Satisfactory agreement between retrieved and simulated CL prediction is
manifested, and the uncertainty involved is quantified. Possible sources for
the remained discrepancies between retrieved and simulated CL values are
characterized, and methods to minimize them are discussed.