Implementation of satellite based fractional water cover indices in the pan-Arctic region using AMSR-E and MODIS

Jinyang Du; J. S. Kimball; L. A. Jones; J. D. Watts

doi:10.1016/j.rse.2016.07.029

Implementation of satellite based fractional water cover indices in the pan-Arctic region using AMSR-E and MODIS

Jinyang Du
, J. S. Kimball
, L. A. Jones
, J. D. Watts

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group

University of Montana

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

A new method to assess land surface fractional open water (fw) inundation dynamics was developed using high frequency (89 GHz) brightness temperatures (T_b) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), with other ancillary inputs from AMSR-E and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). The resulting 89 GHz fw (fw_WBand) retrievals provide 10-day temporal fidelity and enhanced (5 km) resolution relative to other passive microwave sensor based land observations. A look-up table was first established to provide reference microwave emissivities for water and land endmembers under a range of atmosphere and land surface conditions. The fw_WBand retrievals were then obtained on a per pixel basis using difference ratio and double difference methods for respective barren and vegetated soil conditions. The resulting fw_WBand summer (JJA) seasonal composites correspond favorably (R ≥ 0.86, p < 0.001) with alternative, finer resolution (≤ 300 m) static open water maps derived from satellite radar and optical-infrared sensors over a pan-Arctic (≥ 45°N) domain. The fw_WBand retrievals also capture significant seasonal drought and flooding events inferred from river discharge records within the major Arctic basins. The fw_WBand retrievals are found to be reliable for discriminating open water in moderately dense vegetation areas, but with greater uncertainty over barren land. The ability of the fw retrievals to detect surface water under vegetation also decreases exponentially with increasing canopy optical thickness. The new fw_WBand dataset provides an improved resolution satellite environmental data record documenting open water patterns and inundation dynamics in boreal-Arctic ecosystems experiencing rapid climate change.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	469-481
Number of pages	13
Journal	Remote Sensing of Environment
Volume	184
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2016.07.029
State	Published - Oct 1 2016

Funding

AMSR-E data are produced by Remote Sensing Systems and sponsored by the NASA Earth Science MEaSUREs DISCOVER Project and the AMSR-E Science Team. Data are available at www.remss.com . AMSR-E data and land cover classification maps were also provided courtesy of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). This work was conducted at the University of Montana with funding from NASA ( NNX14AB20A , NNX15AT74A ). The authors would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments.

Funders	Funder number
NNX14AB20A, NNX15AT74A
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

AMSR-E
Arctic
Boreal
Fractional land surface open water
Inundation
Wetland

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10.1016/j.rse.2016.07.029

Cite this

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title = "Implementation of satellite based fractional water cover indices in the pan-Arctic region using AMSR-E and MODIS",

abstract = "A new method to assess land surface fractional open water (fw) inundation dynamics was developed using high frequency (89 GHz) brightness temperatures (Tb) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), with other ancillary inputs from AMSR-E and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). The resulting 89 GHz fw (fwWBand) retrievals provide 10-day temporal fidelity and enhanced (5 km) resolution relative to other passive microwave sensor based land observations. A look-up table was first established to provide reference microwave emissivities for water and land endmembers under a range of atmosphere and land surface conditions. The fwWBand retrievals were then obtained on a per pixel basis using difference ratio and double difference methods for respective barren and vegetated soil conditions. The resulting fwWBand summer (JJA) seasonal composites correspond favorably (R ≥ 0.86, p < 0.001) with alternative, finer resolution (≤ 300 m) static open water maps derived from satellite radar and optical-infrared sensors over a pan-Arctic (≥ 45°N) domain. The fwWBand retrievals also capture significant seasonal drought and flooding events inferred from river discharge records within the major Arctic basins. The fwWBand retrievals are found to be reliable for discriminating open water in moderately dense vegetation areas, but with greater uncertainty over barren land. The ability of the fw retrievals to detect surface water under vegetation also decreases exponentially with increasing canopy optical thickness. The new fwWBand dataset provides an improved resolution satellite environmental data record documenting open water patterns and inundation dynamics in boreal-Arctic ecosystems experiencing rapid climate change.",

keywords = "AMSR-E, Arctic, Boreal, Fractional land surface open water, Inundation, Wetland",

author = "Jinyang Du and Kimball, \{J. S.\} and Jones, \{L. A.\} and Watts, \{J. D.\}",

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AU - Du, Jinyang

AU - Kimball, J. S.

AU - Jones, L. A.

AU - Watts, J. D.

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N2 - A new method to assess land surface fractional open water (fw) inundation dynamics was developed using high frequency (89 GHz) brightness temperatures (Tb) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), with other ancillary inputs from AMSR-E and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). The resulting 89 GHz fw (fwWBand) retrievals provide 10-day temporal fidelity and enhanced (5 km) resolution relative to other passive microwave sensor based land observations. A look-up table was first established to provide reference microwave emissivities for water and land endmembers under a range of atmosphere and land surface conditions. The fwWBand retrievals were then obtained on a per pixel basis using difference ratio and double difference methods for respective barren and vegetated soil conditions. The resulting fwWBand summer (JJA) seasonal composites correspond favorably (R ≥ 0.86, p < 0.001) with alternative, finer resolution (≤ 300 m) static open water maps derived from satellite radar and optical-infrared sensors over a pan-Arctic (≥ 45°N) domain. The fwWBand retrievals also capture significant seasonal drought and flooding events inferred from river discharge records within the major Arctic basins. The fwWBand retrievals are found to be reliable for discriminating open water in moderately dense vegetation areas, but with greater uncertainty over barren land. The ability of the fw retrievals to detect surface water under vegetation also decreases exponentially with increasing canopy optical thickness. The new fwWBand dataset provides an improved resolution satellite environmental data record documenting open water patterns and inundation dynamics in boreal-Arctic ecosystems experiencing rapid climate change.

AB - A new method to assess land surface fractional open water (fw) inundation dynamics was developed using high frequency (89 GHz) brightness temperatures (Tb) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), with other ancillary inputs from AMSR-E and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). The resulting 89 GHz fw (fwWBand) retrievals provide 10-day temporal fidelity and enhanced (5 km) resolution relative to other passive microwave sensor based land observations. A look-up table was first established to provide reference microwave emissivities for water and land endmembers under a range of atmosphere and land surface conditions. The fwWBand retrievals were then obtained on a per pixel basis using difference ratio and double difference methods for respective barren and vegetated soil conditions. The resulting fwWBand summer (JJA) seasonal composites correspond favorably (R ≥ 0.86, p < 0.001) with alternative, finer resolution (≤ 300 m) static open water maps derived from satellite radar and optical-infrared sensors over a pan-Arctic (≥ 45°N) domain. The fwWBand retrievals also capture significant seasonal drought and flooding events inferred from river discharge records within the major Arctic basins. The fwWBand retrievals are found to be reliable for discriminating open water in moderately dense vegetation areas, but with greater uncertainty over barren land. The ability of the fw retrievals to detect surface water under vegetation also decreases exponentially with increasing canopy optical thickness. The new fwWBand dataset provides an improved resolution satellite environmental data record documenting open water patterns and inundation dynamics in boreal-Arctic ecosystems experiencing rapid climate change.

KW - AMSR-E

KW - Arctic

KW - Boreal

KW - Fractional land surface open water

KW - Inundation

KW - Wetland

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SP - 469

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JO - Remote Sensing of Environment

JF - Remote Sensing of Environment

ER -

Implementation of satellite based fractional water cover indices in the pan-Arctic region using AMSR-E and MODIS

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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