MODIS Cloud Detection and Analysis Based on Support Vector Machine

Cloud detection is a large obstacle to remote sensing image processing and a necessary step to preprocess image all the while. In order to discriminate the clouds, the article applies Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm to some channels of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) which are sensitive to characteristic of clouds. To prove the performance of the cloud detection algorithm, the article uses the MODIS images of typical areas under distinct underlying surfaces in different daytime and nighttime as training and testing samples. By comparison with Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) data and MODIS Cloud Mask product, it is proved that the algorithm is good at detecting the territorial cloud and some pixels with small area. The SVM algorithm is a kind of practical machine learning method for cloud detection and good preparation for cloud elimination. What is more, the article indicates improved methods to cloud detection with SVM