2009 Urban Remote Sensing Joint Event

978-1-4244-3461-9/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

A haze removal module for mutlispectral satellite
imagery
Jianbo Hu
a,b
, Wei Chen
a
, Xiaoyu Li
a
,Xingyuan He
a,*
,
a
Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China

b
Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
E-mail addresses: WhoGamble@qq.com (Jianbo Hu), Hexy@iae.ac.cn (Xingyuan He).

Abstract-Ever-present spatial varying haze contamination in sat-
ellite scenes limits applications, especially urban remote sensing
using visible and near infrared bands of low temporal resolution
multispectral satellite imageries. We introduce a haze removal
module coded in IDL language (used with ENVI software) which
is a three-step framework comprised of haze detection, haze per-
fection and haze removal. The framework is based on several
previous researches, loose and open, so that users can pick any
method contained in each step or develop and use their own
methods. Some TM and QuickBird images are present for visual
assessment. Shortcoming of this module is too much human in-
tervention on parameter determination and further search
should aim at automation and more new methods in each step.
I. INTRODUCTION
Ever-present spatial varying haze contamination in satellite
scenes limits applications, especially urban remote sensing
using visible and near infrared bands of low temporal resolu-
tion multispectral satellite imageries. Haze partially obscures
the ground, so it is theoretically possible to be removed, though
existing atmospheric correction techniques developed under
homogeneous atmospheric condition are helpless.
Previous researches on image-based haze removal tech-
nique can be grouped into two methods, spatial filtering and
spectrum transformation. Spatial filtering such as FFT and
wavelet analysis [1], gets rid of the lower frequency layer
where haze is distributed, but also loses a component of land
cover information. Spectrum transformation including cluster
matching [2, 3], Tasselled Cap (TC) transform [4, 5] and haze
optimized transformation (HOT) [6, 7] detects haze before
haze removal. Cluster matching developed is based on an as-
sumption that each land cover cluster (unsupervised classified
using infrared bands) has the same visible reflectance in both
clear and hazy regions, which is sometimes not true in a com-
plex environment, especially urban environment. Whats more,
cluster mathing is developed for TM/ETM and not suitable for
VHR. HOT is the advanced form of TC using only blue and
red bands for haze detection, and dark object subtraction
(DOS) is implemented on each band of each slice after density
slicing HOT image. HOT is proved to be an operational haze
removal technique for TM/ETM and VHR using visible bands
only. However, limitation of HOT is the precondition of high
correlation between blue band and red band, which is some-
times not true. Furthermore, an overcorrection and undercor-
rection problem of some land cover types needs further re-
search.
Recently, we have done researches in different aspects to
improve HOT and also found another haze detection method as
substitution when correlation between blue and red bands are
not tight enough. Manuscripts are both under review by remote
sensing journals (hereafter referred to by manuscript1 [8] and
manuscript2 [9]) and methods are in the same three-step
framework that is comprised of haze detection, haze perfection
and haze removal. In this paper, module of this framework will
be introduced briefly and some TM and QuickBird images of
natural and urban environment are present for visual assess-
ment..
II. HAZE REMOVAL MODULE
Module is coded in IDL language (used with ENVI soft-
ware,
http://www.sciencenet.cn/upload/blog/file/2008/11/200811271
82552448710.rar, User Guide document is in Chinese at pre-
sent). After placing the haze_tool.sav file in the save_add
directory of ENVI installation, and restarting ENVI, you will
find one more Haze tool button added at the end of the Basic
tools menu (Fig. 1). Since our objective is to develop haze
removal algorithms, so it is not a commercial module and we
did not spent much time on the interface.


Figure 1. Haze removal module embedded in the software ENVI at the end
of the Basic tools menu.
The three-step framework of this module is illustrated in
Fig. 2. Three steps are organized and should be used in se-
quence (haze perfection is optinal), containing more than one
methods in each step. The framework is loose and open, so that
users can pick any method contained in each step developed by
us or develop their own methods.

2009 Urban Remote Sensing Joint Event

978-1-4244-3461-9/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

Figure 2. Three-step framework of the haze removal module. Haze
detection: HOT = haze optimized transformation in [6], BSHTI = background
suppressed haze thickness index in [9]. Haze perfection: AL = adjust bias of
each land cover type (for TM) in [8], MMI = mask manually and interpolation
in [10], TSI = threshold segmentation and interpolation (not recommended),
FS = fill sink operation in [8, 9], FP = flatten peak operation in [8, 9]. Haze
removal: DOS = dark object subtraction in [6], VCP = virtual cloud point in
manuscript [8, 9], HM = histogram matching in [4, 5]
A. Haze detection
This step is to determine relative haze thickness (not aero-
sol optical depth) through spectrum transformation. Right now,
we have HOT [6] and BSHTI (Background Suppressed Haze
Thickness Index, [9]) and selection is dependent (Fig. 3). Ac-
cording to our experience, if correlation coefficient of blue and
red bands in the clear region of an image is large enough which
is the precondition of HOT, it is appropriate to choose either
one, or BSHTI is the only one by now.



Figure 3. Comparison of HOT and BSHTI as haze thickness index. The left
is hazy TM image (R/G/B = 4/3/1), middle is BSHTI, and right is HOT. HOT
is inappropriate in the upper case, and both BSHTI and HOT are appropriate
in the lower case.
B. Haze perfection
This optional step is to correct spurious value (haze thick-
ness index overestimated or underestimated) resulted from
haze detection caused by some land cover types through using
spatial information. Right now, we have five methods includ-
ing AL, MMI, TSI, FS, FP (full names of these acronyms are in
Fig. 1, detailed in corresponding articles and manuscripts).
Different from haze detection and haze removal, methods in
this step are not exclusive and users can select them as needed
(Table 1).
TABLE I. INSTRUCTIONS OF METHODS IN HAZE PERFECTION STEP.
Instruction
AL Several infrared bands needed (such as TM), not suitable
for four-band high resolution images. It is based on the
assumption that land cover types classified using infrared
bands are nearly the same with that classified using three
visible bands, which is not strict for some special land
cover types
MMI Feasible when number of spurious value patches are
small, or will be time consuming.
TSI Only suitable under simple condition when overestimated
values are larger than the largest correct value of haze and
underestimated values are not contaminated by haze.
FS recommended to correct underestimated values using
mathematical morphological operations
FP recommended to correct overestimated values using
mathematical morphological operations

This step is the most subjective step in this module and
need much human intervention to decide which method to
choose and to set some parameters. We recommend our manu-
scripts to users for details. Here we only illustrated their func-
tion and efficiency. Since MMI and TSI are comprehensive, we
illustrate AL, FS, FP using one hazy (suburban) and one clear
(urban) subsets of a typical TM image (Fig. 4), which are de-
tailed step by step in [8].
2009 Urban Remote Sensing Joint Event

978-1-4244-3461-9/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE
Hazy subset Clear subset

HOT

AL

FS

FP
Figure 4. Visual assessment on efficiency of methods in haze perfection
step.
C. Haze removal
This step use the original hazy multispectral image and
haze image (HOT or BSHTI after haze perfection) as input.
Right now, we have three methods including DOS, HM (histo-
gram matching), VCP (virtual cloud point, detailed in [8, 9]).
All of them are implemented on each band separately, after
density slicing the haze image. VCP has been proved to be
better than DOS in our previous study [8]. According to our
experience, HM performs well when haze is homogenous since
pixel number in each slice is large enough to ensure similarity
of land cover composition between hazy and clear regions ,
while VCP performs well when haze thickness is spatial vary-
ing which is a common situation.
In this paper, we present some TM and QuickBird images
for visual assessment on efficiency of this module by be-
fore-and-after comparison (Fig. 5). Images are selected with
different land cover type composition and haze situation which
needs different method combination to remove haze.



2009 Urban Remote Sensing Joint Event

978-1-4244-3461-9/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE



Figure 5. Visual assessment by before-and-after comparison (R/G/B =
4/3/1). A is a TM image of natural environment contaminated by homogenous
haze (seems like mist) and processed by HOT+(null)+HM. B is a TM image
of natural envrionment contaminated by smoke from fire and processed by
BSHTI+(null)+VCP. C is a TM image of natural envrionment contaminated
by spatial varying haze and processed by HOT+(AL)+VCP. D is a TM image
of suburban area contaminated by spatial varying haze and processed by
HOT+(AL+FS+FP)+VCP. E is a QuickBIrd image of urban envrionment
contaminated by spatial varying thin haze and processed by
HOT+(FS+FP)+VCP. F is a QuickBird image of urban environment
contaminated by spatial varying thick haze and processed by
HOT+(FS+FP)+VCP.
III. CONCLUSION
We have briefly introduced a haze removal module devel-
oped for multispectral satellite imagery. The three-step frame-
work of this module is synthesized based on previous several
research papers and our recently submitted manuscripts. The
key point is combination of spectral (haze detection using
spectrum transformation) and spatial information (haze perfec-
tion using different spatial operations), which makes this mod-
ule firstly practical in a complex environment, especially urban
environment.
This module is loose and open, can be regard as a haze
toolbox containing a lot of methods. Method selection de-
pends on experience by now, since this module is an embryo
needs further research aiming at automation and further de-
velopment on more robust methods in each step.
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