Examination of multitemporal ERS-1 radar over the Rainwater Basin

This study examined the use of multi-date radar to identify crops and other types of vegetation within the Rainwater Basin in south-central Nebraska. The Rainwater Basin is comprised of a dense cluster of wetlands that have been greatly modified by agricultural production. Initial research indicates that the multi-date approach is effective in distinguishing between agricultural and wetland vegetation. Temporal curves constructed from 150 field observations show a pronounced seasonal variation in backscatter associated with crop phenology. Differences in backscatter among crop types was most pronounced in early and midsummer images