Evaluation of Polarimetric SAR for Monitoring Soil Moisture in Boreal Alaska
Laura
Louise
Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Technological University, lchavez@mtu.edu
(Presenting)
Eric
Stewart
Kasischke, University of Maryland, ekasisch@mail.umd.edu
The ability to monitor surface soil moisture at a
landscape scale is a widely sought tool for a range of applications from monitoring hydrological conditions, to prediction of fire danger to understanding post-fire recovery in boreal regions. The utility of traditional single channel satellite radar remote sensing for monitoring fuel moisture across a landscape is limited by confounding factors of varying biomass and surface roughness. The recent launch of fully polarimetric (4 channel) Radarsat-2 and PALSAR provides potential for improved soil moisture monitoring capability in a variety of cover types through multiple channels and polarimetric analysis. Research was conducted in Delta Junction Alaska to begin understanding the polarimetric response of C-band (5.7 cm wavelength) energy from recently burned black spruce forests. Initial results of a comparison of a wet versus a dry date of Radarsat-2 imagery and various
polarimetric parameters show strong potential for this application.
Polarimetric decomposition techniques were applied to the Radarsat-2
data to better understand the scattering from these landscapes where the
tree canopy has been removed, and to allow for improved extraction of
soil moisture. Continued research will examine a time series of images and coincident soil moisture. We begin with the burned sites which have a simpler
forest structure and exposed ground surface, and will expand future analysis into mature black spruce forested sites.
Presentation Type: Poster
Poster Session: Ecosystems Science
NASA TE Funded Awards Represented:
Kasischke, Eric
Remote Monitoring of Changes in Forest Functional Types after Disturbance from Fire in the North American Boreal Region: Implications for Interpreting the Effects of Satellite-observed Changes in Vegetation Greenness on the Terrestrial Carbon Budget