Noise estimation of remote sensing reflectance using a segmentation approach suitable for optically shallow waters

This paper outlines a methodology for the estimation of the environmental noise equivalent reflectance in aquatic remote sensing imagery using an object-based segmentation approach. Noise characteristics of remote sensing imagery directly influence the accuracy of estimated environmental variables and provide a framework for a range of sensitivity, sensor specification, and algorithm design studies. The proposed method enables estimation of the noise equivalent reflectance covariance of remote sensing imagery through homogeneity characterization using image segmentation. The method is first tested on a synthetic data set with known noise characteristics and is successful in estimating the noise equivalent reflectance under a range of segmentation structures. Testing on a Portable Hyperspectral Imager for Low-Light Spectroscopy (PHILLS) hyperspectral image in a coral reef environment shows the method to produce comparable noise equivalent reflectance estimates in an optically shallow water environment to those previously derived in optically deep water. This method is of benefit in aquatic studies where homogenous regions of optically deep water were previously required for image noise estimation. The ability of the method to characterize the covariance of an image is of significant benefit when developing probabilistic inversion techniques for remote sensing.