Multi-Angle Measurements with Chris for Forest Parameters

It is with high spectral resolution, medium spatial resolution, and multi-directional imagery from CHRIS that forest structural parameters can be retrieved over our test site, the Greater Victoria Watershed District. This analysis requires an understanding of the anisotropic nature of forest canopies as measured by spaceborne hyperspectral sensors and modeled by radiative transfer models. The Evaluation and Validation of CHRIS for National Forests Project (EVC) was selected by ESA´s science team for their hyperspectral sensor, CHRIS as part of the PROBA mission. On September 2nd to 4th, 2006, a triplet acquisition over the Greater Victoria Watershed District (GVWD), taken in Mode-1, provided us with 15 look angles. The Minimum Zenith Angles (MZA) for each date were +20deg, -2deg and -23deg respectively, each of which has five nominal Fly-by Zenith Angles (FZA) of plusmn55deg, plusmn36deg and 0deg. This triplet has been processed and analyzed in order to assess the utility of CHRIS data for mappin.g forest parameters. CHRIS algorithms for producing accurate estimates of forest parameters such as conifer forest species and biomass were compared with 5-Scale Model simulations. The spectral information content provides information on the content of the forest canopy while the multi-angle imagery offers information on the structural components of the forest canopy. This paper provides an update on the status of this work in progress.