Title :
Use of RADARSAT-1 images to map forest fuel moisture over boreal forests
Author :
Abbott, Keith ; Leblon, Brigitte ; Staples, Gordon ; Alexander, M.E. ; MacLean, Dave
Author_Institution :
Fac. of Forestry & Environ. Manage., New Brunswick Univ., Fredericton, NB, Canada
Abstract :
Our study analyzed eleven RADARSAT-1 images acquired over burned and unburned boreal forests in June 2000 in order to assess their potential to map fire danger variables, like the CFFDRS FWI codes and indices. RADARSAT-1 can acquire images almost daily, but the acquisition is done under different beam modes. Fine beam mode images produced highly variable low radar backscatters. Incidence angles had a predominant effect in the day-to-day σ0 variations, but these variations were also explained by rain events and by FWI variations. It is suggested that RADARSAT-1 radar backscatters are sensitive to moisture-related variables, but there is necessary to either correct the images for incidence angle effects or to only consider images acquiring in similar beam modes.
Keywords :
fires; forestry; geophysical techniques; remote sensing by radar; spaceborne radar; synthetic aperture radar; vegetation mapping; AD 2000 06; RADARSAT; RADARSAT-1; SAR; backscattering; beam mode; boreal forest; combustibility; dryness; fire danger; fire hazard; forest fire; forestry; fuel; geophysical measurement technique; moisture content; radar backscatter; radar remote sensing; spaceborne radar; synthetic aperture radar; unburned forests; vegetation mapping; wild fire; wildfire; Backscatter; Environmental management; Fires; Forestry; Fuels; Moisture; Niobium; Radar imaging; Satellites; Vegetation mapping;
Conference_Titel :
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2002. IGARSS '02. 2002 IEEE International
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7536-X
DOI :
10.1109/IGARSS.2002.1024965
