Title :
Using ERS-1 SAR imagery to monitor variations in burn severity in an Alaskan fire-disturbed boreal forest ecosystem
Author :
Bourgeau-Chavez, L.L. ; Kasischke, E.S. ; French, N.H.F. ; Szeto, L.H. ; Kherkher, C.M.
Author_Institution :
Centre for Earth Sci., ERIM, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Abstract :
The usefulness of ERS-1 SAR imagery in the detection of Alaskan boreal forest fire-scars has been demonstrated in previous studies. These studies have found that recent fire-scars (1-5 years old) have a brighter radar return in the C-VV ERS-1 SAR imagery (3-8 dB brighter) than adjacent unburned forests. However, this signature has been found to vary spatially across a fire-scar as well as temporally throughout a season. The purpose of this study is to analyze this variability and to determine if there is a relationship between severity of burn and radar backscatter
Keywords :
backscatter; electromagnetic wave scattering; fires; forestry; geophysical techniques; radar applications; radar cross-sections; radar imaging; radar polarimetry; remote sensing by radar; spaceborne radar; synthetic aperture radar; Alaska; C-band; ERS-1; SAR imagery; United States USA; backscatter intensity; brighter radar return; burn severity; fire-disturbed boreal forest ecosystem; fire-scar; forest fire forestry; geophysical measurement technique; microwave; polarimetry polarization; radar remote sensing; radar scattering; synthetic aperture radar; variation; vegetation mapping; Backscatter; Ecosystems; Fires; Geoscience; Global warming; Moisture; Monitoring; Radar detection; Radar imaging; Synthetic aperture radar;
Conference_Titel :
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 1994. IGARSS '94. Surface and Atmospheric Remote Sensing: Technologies, Data Analysis and Interpretation., International
Conference_Location :
Pasadena, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-1497-2
DOI :
10.1109/IGARSS.1994.399093
