A system and method for exploiting spectral absorption properties of water is disclosed. The system and method use spectral absorption properties of water to improve Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) sensor (camera) performance in the presence of clouds. This is achieved partly by limiting the spectral passband of a sensor to a water absorption band, thereby improving Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Higher SNR permits improved CSO resolution. Further, higher SNR reduces the uncertainty in matching observations in one sensor to the epipolar lines of another sensor thus reducing the time needed to achieve unambiguous matches.

A spectral imaging system configured to obtain spectral measurements in a plurality of spectral regions is described herein. The spectral imaging system comprises at least one optical detecting unit having a spectral response corresponding to a plurality of absorption peaks of a target chemical species. In an embodiment, the optical detecting unit may comprise an optical detector array, and one or more optical filters configured to selectively pass light in a spectral range, wherein a convolution of the responsivity of the optical detector array and the transmission spectrum of the one or more optical filters has a first peak in mid-wave infrared spectral region between 3-4 microns corresponding to a first absorption peak of methane and a second peak in a long-wave infrared spectral region between 6-8 microns corresponding to a second absorption peak of methane.

A LIDAR system is adapted for performing differential absorption measurements of a chemical compound between two distinct optical frequencies (ν1, ν2), and for measuring a separation distance from an obstacle which is present in a background of a measurement zone where the absorption occurs. An emission optical power value is varied between different time intervals during a radiation emission sequence, in order to allow that the LIDAR system implements an optical fiber technology while having sufficient emission power. The LIDAR system makes it possible to evaluate an amount of the chemical compound which is contained in the measurement zone, as well as a separation distance from an obstacle which is located in the background of the measurement zone.

An environmental emission monitoring system may include satellites configured to sense GHG emissions data for an AOI, and a server. The server may be configured to obtain the sensed GHG emissions data from the satellites, obtain geospatial positions of stationary GHG emitting point sources within the AOI, and generate expected stationary GHG emission data for the stationary GHG emitting point sources within the AOI and based upon the geospatial positions. The server may also be configured to obtain geospatial path data for GHG emitting vehicles moving within the AOI, generate expected vehicle GHG emission data for the GHG emitting vehicles moving within the AOI and based on the geospatial path data, and compare a sum of the expected stationary GHG emission data and expected vehicle GHG emission data with the sensed GHG emissions data to identify any stationary GHG emitting point source and any GHG emitting vehicle outside of a respective GHG emission threshold.

An infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including a focal plane array (FPA) unit behind an optical window. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. One or more of the optical channels may be used in detecting objects on or near the optical window, to avoid false detections of said target species.

Measurement apparatuses and methods are disclosed for generating high-precision and -accuracy gas concentration maps that can be overlaid with 3D topographic images by rapidly scanning one or several modulated laser beams with a spatially-encoded transmitter over a scene to build-up imagery. Independent measurements of the topographic target distance and path-integrated gas concentration are combined to yield a map of the path-averaged concentration between the sensor and each point in the image. This type of image is particularly useful for finding localized regions of elevated (or anomalous) gas concentration making it ideal for large-area leak detection and quantification applications including: oil and gas pipeline monitoring, chemical processing facility monitoring, and environmental monitoring.

An infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including a focal plane array (FPA) unit behind an optical window. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. One or more of the optical channels may be used in detecting objects on or near the optical window, to avoid false detections of said target species.

A thermal imaging system includes an infrared camera, a user interface, and a processor. While an actuation of the user interface is detected, the processor is configured to apply non-uniformity correction (NUC) values to infrared image data in infrared images of a target scene; register the corrected infrared images using image stabilization; perform an image-stabilized optical gas imaging process using the registered infrared images to generate optical gas image data indicating a change in the target scene; and generate a display image including the optical gas image data. Actuation of the user interface may be detected while a depressible trigger is depressed, and no longer detected when the depressible trigger is released. Upon detecting the actuation of the user interface, the processor may perform a NUC process to establish the NUC values. A drift indicator in the display image may indicate movement of the infrared camera from a reference position.

A method is provided for detecting a property of a gas comprising: emitting a light, comprising a plurality of wavelengths covering a plurality of absorption lines of the gas, along a first axis, the light being scattered by particles of the gas resulting in a scattered light, generating a sensor image using a detection arrangement configured to receive the scattered light and comprising: an optical arrangement having an optical plane and being configured to direct the scattered light on to a light sensor, the light sensor having at least one pixel columns, wherein the pixel columns are aligned to an image plane and configured to output a sensor image, wherein the first axis, the optical plane, and the image plane intersect such that a Scheimpflug condition is achieved, determining, from the sensor image, properties of the gas at a plurality of positions along the first axis.

An optical receiver for a meteorological lidar capable of accurate measurement of scattered light generated by emitting a laser beam of the UVC range (wavelength of 200 to 280 nm) into the air, without using a diffraction grating, is provided. The optical receiver for a meteorological lidar that emits a laser beam of a specific wavelength in the UVC range into the air and measures scattered light generated by the laser beam includes a reflector that reflects incident light to a predetermined direction, and a spectrometer that isolates a specific wavelength from incident light from the reflector, wherein the spectrometer includes interference filters.