Landslide susceptibility mapping using downscaled AMSR-E soil moisture: A case study from Cleveland Corral, California, US

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20150014256/downloads/20150014256.pdf

Assessment of SMOS soil moisture retrieval parameters using tau-omega algorithms for soil moisture deficit estimation

The Microwave Temperature Vegetation Drought Index (MTVDI) based on AMSR-E brightness temperatures for long-term drought assessment across China (2003-2010).

Validation of surface soil moisture from AMSR-E using auxiliary spatial data in the transboundary Indus Basin

The resilience and vulnerability of terrestrial ecosystem in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang is critical in sustainable development of the northwest region in China. To learn more about causes of the ecosystem evolution in this wide region, vegetation dynamics can be a surrogate indicator of environmental responses and human perturbations. This paper aims to use the inter-annual and intra-annual coefficient of variation (CoV) derived by the SPOT-VGT Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as an integrated measure of vegetation dynamics to address the environmental implications in response to climate change. To finally pin down the vegetation dynamics, the intra-annual CoV based on monthly NDVI values and the inter-annual CoV based on seasonally accumulated NDVI values were respectively calculated. Such vegetation dynamics can then be associated with precipitation patterns extracted from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data and irrigation efforts reflecting the cross-linkages between human society and natural systems. Such a remote sensing analysis enables us to explore the complex vegetation dynamics in terms of distribution and evolution of the collective features of heterogeneity over local soil characteristics, climate change impacts, and anthropogenic activities at differing space and time scales. Findings clearly indicate that the vegetation changes had an obvious trend in some high mountainous areas as a result of climate change whereas the vegetation changes in fluvial plains reflected the increasing evidence of human perturbations due to anthropogenic activities. Some possible environmental implications were finally elaborated from those cross-linkages between economic development and resources depletion in the context of sustainable development.

/pdf/using-spot-vgt-ndvi-as-a-successive-ecological-indicator-for-4oougmhjhz.pdf

Using SPOT-VGT NDVI as a successive ecological indicator for understanding the environmental implications in the Tarim River Basin, China

. In this paper, 7 years (during the growing season (April–October) of 2002–2008) of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) data taken at a frequency of 6.9 GHz for night observations at both polarizations are processed and used to conduct 7 years of surface soil moisture dataset for an arid area, in Northwestern China. This soil moisture dataset can contribute to better understanding the climate change and forecast modeling for this area. Based on the first-order radiative transfer model calculation, a unique method for estimating surface soil moisture over the study area is developed. Considering extremely complex topography over the study area, we have to present a parameterization of surface roughness at the 6.9 GHz and spatial resolution of the AMSR-E using the annual minimum MPDI (Microwave Polarization Difference Index). For validation purpose, the comparisons of soil moisture patterns with precipitation fields are made. The results indicate the evolutions of soil moisture estimated from the AMSR-E and antecedent ground daily precipitations are in a good agreement. Furthermore, a series of rainfall traces is captured over the Taklimakan Desert. Comparisons of the estimated values of soil moisture with the ground observations are also made for two reprehensive sites over 2002–2004. The results indicate there has a good agreement between them, with higher correlation coefficients (R=0.649, 0.604) and RMSE (3.5, 5.4%), and the soil moisture product derived from the AMSR-E is realistic and acceptable. This new long time series of estimated soil moisture will prove valuable for other studies of climate change and model evaluation.

/pdf/surface-soil-moisture-estimates-from-amsr-e-observations-3u68b7cu5c.pdf

Y. Zhao

Papers

Surface soil moisture estimates from AMSR-E observations over an arid area, Northwest China