Further evaluation of the Sim-ReSET model for ET estimation driven by only satellite inputs

Abstract

A simple remote sensing evapotranspiration (ET) model (Sim-ReSET) has been proposed but only tested using field measurements at a site with a semi-arid climate. Its performance for mapping ET using only satellite data remained unknown. In this study, the Sim-ReSET model was further evaluated for ET estimation driven by only MODIS data products. The estimated ET rates were compared with ground-based observational data from a variety of ecosystems and climates across China. The results show that MODIS-based ET estimates are consistent with both the ET measurements from eddy covariance flux towers and those from the Penman-Monteith method combined with micrometeorological data. Evaporation fraction (EF) is indicative of land surface moisture. The derivative EF maps demonstrate that the proposed ET data set obtained from the Sim-ReSET model and MODIS data is capable of capturing the spatio-temporal pattern of land surface moisture for different land covers with different climates.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Sun, Z.G., Wang, Q.X., Matsushita, B., Fukushima, T., Ouyang, Z., Watanabe, M., and Gebremichael, M., 2013. Further evaluation of the Sim-ReSET model for ET estimation driven by only satellite inputs. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (5), 994–1012.     

Response of plant growth to surface water balance during a summer dry period in the Kazakhstan steppe

In drylands, water deficit is the primary factor limiting plant growth. In the present study, surface energy balance and plant growth (above‐ground and below‐ground biomass) were measured continuously during the 2002 growing season in semiarid grassland in the northern part of Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Although there was above normal total rainfall during the 2002 growing season (May–November; 244 mm over 183 days), there was a dry period during July and August. Evaporative water was effectively supplied by precipitation and surface soil moisture during the wet season (May and June), during which time above‐ground biomass increased. During the early stages of the dry period, mature plants were likely to tap deeper sources of soil moisture, representing stored snowmelt water. As the soil moisture content decreased during the summer dry period due to the high levels of evapotranspiration and lack of precipitation, the evaporative fraction and above‐ground biomass rapidly decreased, whereas the below‐ground biomass increased. These results suggest that in summer, soil moisture acts to store water, and that soil moisture is essential for plant growth as a direct source of water during the dry period in natural grasslands in the Kazakhstan steppe. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of spectral decomposition algorithm for mapping water quality in a turbid lake (Lake Kasumigaura,Japan) from Landsat TM data

The remote sensing of Case 2 water has been far less successful than that of Case 1 water, due mainly to the complex interactions among optically active substances (e.g., phytoplankton, suspended sediments, colored dissolved organic matter, and water) in the former. To address this problem, we developed a spectral decomposition algorithm (SDA), based on a spectral linear mixture modeling approach. Through a tank experiment, we found that the SDA-based models were superior to conventional empirical models (e.g. using single band, band ratio, or arithmetic calculation of band) for accurate estimates of water quality parameters. In this paper, we develop a method for applying the SDA to Landsat-5 TM data on Lake Kasumigaura, a eutrophic lake in Japan characterized by high concentrations of suspended sediment, for mapping chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and non-phytoplankton suspended sediment (NPSS) distributions. The results show that the SDA-based estimation model can be obtained by a tank experiment. Moreover, by combining this estimation model with satellite-SRSs (standard reflectance spectra: i.e., spectral end-members) derived from bio-optical modeling, we can directly apply the model to a satellite image. The same SDA-based estimation model for Chl-a concentration was applied to two Landsat-5 TM images, one acquired in April 1994 and the other in February 2006. The average Chl-a estimation error between the two was 9.9%, a result that indicates the potential robustness of the SDA-based estimation model. The average estimation error of NPSS concentration from the 2006 Landsat-5 TM image was 15.9%. The key point for successfully applying the SDA-based estimation model to satellite data is the method used to obtain a suitable satellite-SRS for each end-member.     

Natural water-purification system observed in a shallow coastal lagoon: Matsukawa-ura,Japan

Field surveys and in situ experiments were conducted in the shallow Matsukawa-ura in summer to evaluate the biological efficiencies of shallow-water areas for preserving coastal ecosystems. In Matsukawa-ura (5.8 km(2)), the suspension-feeding bivalves Ruditapes philippinarum and Crassostrea gigas were the dominant animals--their total biomasses (wet weight) were estimated to be 3.4 x 10(6) and 2.3 x 10(6) kg, respectively. Ulva sp. and Zostera marina were the dominant macrophyte species during the summer, with standing crops estimated to be 0.29 x 10(6) and 0.20 x 10(6) kg, respectively. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) uptake rates for Ulva sp. and Z. marina were determined by in situ experiments. An ecological model calculated on the basis of the observed dataset showed that, in comparison with tidal exchange, a significant amount of particulate organic matter was removed by bivalve filtration and a considerable quantity of DIN was removed by macrophyte species.     

In situ observation of a phase transition in Fe2SiO4 at high pressure and high temperature

We used an in situ measurement method to investigate the phase transition of Fe₂SiO₄ polymorphs under high pressures and temperatures. A multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus combined with synchrotron X-ray radiation was used. The stability of each polymorph was identified by observing the X-ray diffraction data from the sample. In most experiments, the diffraction patterns were collected 10–30 min after reaching the desired pressure and temperature conditions. The transition boundary between the olivine and spinel phase at T = 1,000–1,500 K and P = 2–8 GPa was determined to occur at P (GPa) = 0.5 + 0.0034 × T (K). The transition pressure determined in this study was in general agreement with that observed in previous high-pressure experiments. However, the slope of the transition, dP/dT, determined in our study was significantly higher than that estimated by the previous study combined with the in situ X-ray method.     

Evaluation of the structural damage of high‐rise reinforced concrete buildings using ambient vibrations recorded before and after damage

Evaluation of the degrees of structural damage suffered by high‐rise residential buildings after being subjected to strong ground motions is extremely important to the development of life continuity planning for building residents. However, these evaluations cannot be based on strong‐motion records alone, because earthquake observation equipment is not installed in most such buildings in Japan. In this study, we propose simple equations for estimating the stiffness degradation rate and the peak inter‐story drift ratio (PIDR) by using ambient vibration records instead of strong‐motion records when high‐rise RC buildings are subjected to a severe earthquake. More specifically, we propose one equation that relates the square root of the stiffness degradation rate, which is the ratio of natural frequencies at the maximum response to the preliminary tremor response (elastic state), in strong‐motion records with the ratio of natural frequencies identified from ambient vibrations before and after damage was suffered. We also propose an equation that relates the PIDR with the stiffness degradation rate on the basis of the stiffness‐degrading bilinear restoring force characteristic derived from the strong‐motion records of 13 high‐rise buildings for the 1995 Hyogoken‐Nanbu Earthquake (Mw 6.9) and the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki Earthquake (Mw 9.0). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics of isolated hybrid tremor (HBT) during a calm activity period at Aso Volcano

Isolated-type tremors having two events with different dominant frequencies are characteristic seismological phenomena observed during the fumarolic activity stage at Aso Volcano. These isolated tremors are called hybrid tremors (HBT) and comprise two parts: an initial part named the “HF-part” with a dominant frequency in the high-frequency region (approximately 10 Hz) and the following part named the “LF-part” with a dominant frequency in the low-frequency region (approximately 2 Hz). The LF-part is observed after the HF-part, and the HBT is accompanied by a long-period tremor (LPT). Hypocenters and source parameters are estimated using seismograms recorded at 64 stations around Nakadake crater. The amplitude distributions of all HF-parts have almost similar trends. Similarly, the amplitude distributions of all LF-parts have almost similar trends. However, the amplitude distributions of HF- and LF-parts are not similar. From these results, we proposed that the hypocenters and source parameters of HF- and LF-parts are not common, but each of them have common hypocenters and source parameters. The hypocenter region of HF-parts was estimated to be just beneath the fumarole region south of the 1st crater: the volume fluctuation is the major source factor. The hypocenter region of LF-parts is estimated to be at a depth of approximately 300 m beneath the first crater: the strike–slip component is the major source parameter. The hypocentral depth of LF-parts is located at the upper end of the crack estimated to be the source of the LPTs. The LPTs and HBTs are observed almost simultaneously. We consider that volcanic fluid is involved in the source mechanisms of both HBT and LPT.     

Microscopic characteristics of partially saturated dense sand and their link to macroscopic responses under triaxial compression conditions

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents a set of triaxial compression tests on partially saturated dense sands to clarify the microscopic characteristics and their link to the macroscopic responses....