Where Can I Find a Spectral Library to Use for My Project

A common workflow in multispectral or hyperspectral data analysis is to compare spectra derived from image data to those collected in the field or laboratory. Collections of lab or field spectra are often referred to as spectral libraries. Included with your installation of ENVI are several groups of laboratory spectra from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Johns Hopkins University (JHU), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These spectra can be resampled in ENVI to match the wavelengths of most multispectral and hyperspectral sensors.

The above spectral libraries can be useful when examining imagery that happens to contain the materials represented in those libraries. However, many projects involve imagery that contains substantially different materials. We are sometimes asked for help finding a spectral library that can be used for a particular project.

At Exelis VIS, we are not aware of any other publicly available, high quality spectral libraries. In our experience, most researchers collect their own spectral library for their study area, either in the field using a field spectrometer such as the ASD FieldSpec, or on samples brought back to the lab using a lab spectrometer. When this is not possible, the ability to correctly identify the materials existing in pixels of spectral imagery on the basis of comparison with spectral libraries will be limited.

Reviewed 8/29/14 PS