SAR interferometry and optical remote sensing for analysis of co-seismic deformation,source characteristics and mass wasting pattern of Lushan (China,April 2013) earthquake

Co-seismic deformation associated with the Lushan (China) earthquake that occurred along the south-western segment of the Longmenshan Fault Zone (LFZ) on the 20th April 2013 has been estimated by differential interferometric SAR (DInSAR) technique using Radarsat-2 data. The Lushan earthquake resulted in the deformation of the Sichuan basin and the Longmenshan ranges in proximity to the LFZ. The line of sight (LOS) displacement values obtained from DInSAR technique mainly range between −4.0 cm to +3.0 cm. The western Sichuan basin shows oblique westward movement with predominant downward component in areas farther from LFZ and predominant westward component over the downward movement in areas closer to the source fault. Inversion modelling has been used to derive the seismic source characteristics from DInSAR derived deformation values using elastic dislocation source type. The linear inversion model converged at a double-fault source solution consisting of a deeper, steep, NW dipping fault plane-1 of 60 km × 16 km dimension and a shallower, gentle, NW dipping fault plane-2 of 60 km × 15 km dimension, with distributed slip values varying between 0 to 2.26 m. These fault planes (fault planes-1 and -2) coincide with the Dachuan-Shuangshi fault and the buried Range Front Fault, respectively. The inversion model gives a moment magnitude of 6.81 and the geodetic moment of 2.07 × 10¹⁹ Nm, comparable to those given in literature, derived using teleseismic body wave data. Thus DInSAR technique helped to quantify the co-seismic deformation and to retrieve the source characteristics from the estimated deformation values. The study also evaluated the distribution pattern of earthquake induced landslides (EIL) triggered fresh or re-activated during the Lushan earthquake and found that they show spatial association with the seismic source zone and also with various pre-conditioning factors of slope instability.     

The July 11, 1995 Myanmar–China earthquake: A representative event in the bookshelf faulting system of southeastern Asia observed from JERS-1 SAR images

On July 11, 1995, an Mw 6.8 earthquake struck eastern Myanmar near the Chinese border; hereafter referred to as the 1995 Myanmar–China earthquake. Coseismic surface displacements associated with this event are identified from JERS-1 (Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1) SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images. The largest relative displacement reached 60 cm in the line-of-sight direction. We speculate that a previously unrecognized dextral strike-slip subvertical fault striking NW–SE was responsible for this event. The coseismic slip distribution on the fault planes is inverted based on the InSAR-derived deformation. The results indicate that the fault slip was confined to two lobes. The maximum slip reached approximately 2.5 m at a depth of 5 km in the northwestern part of the focal region. The inverted geodetic moment was approximately Mw = 6.69, which is consistent with seismological results. The 1995 Myanmar–China earthquake is one of the largest recorded earthquakes that has occurred around the “bookshelf faulting” system between the Sagaing fault in Myanmar and the Red River fault in southwestern China.     

Mexico City land subsidence in 2014–2015 with Sentinel-1 IW TOPS: Results using the Intermittent SBAS (ISBAS) technique

Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) can be considered as an efficient and cost effective technique for monitoring land subsidence due to its large spatial coverage and high accuracy provided. The recent commissioning of the first Sentinel-1 satellite offers improved support to operational surveys using DInSAR due to regular observations from a wide-area product. In this paper we show the results of an intermittent small-baseline subset (ISBAS) time-series analysis of 18 Interferometric Wide swath (IW) products of a 39,000 km² area of Mexico acquired between 3 October 2014 and 7 May 2015 using the Terrain Observation with Progressive Scans in azimuth (TOPS) imaging mode. The ISBAS processing was based upon the analysis of 143 small-baseline differential interferograms. After the debursting, merging and deramping steps necessary to process Sentinel-1 IW products, the method followed a standard approach to the DInSAR analysis. The Sentinel-1 ISBAS results confirm the magnitude and extent of the deformation that was observed in Mexico City, Chalco, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl and Iztapalapa by other C-band and L-band DInSAR studies during the 1990s and 2000s. Subsidence velocities from the Sentinel-1 analysis are, in places, in excess of −24 cm/year along the satellite line-of-sight, equivalent to over ∼40 cm/year vertical rates. This paper demonstrates the potential of Sentinel-1 IW TOPS imagery to support wide-area DInSAR surveys over what is a very large and diverse area in terms of land cover and topography.     

Lithology-controlled subsidence and seasonal aquifer response in the Bandung basin,Indonesia, observed by synthetic aperture radar interferometry

Land subsidence in the Bandung basin, West Java, Indonesia, is characterized based on differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) and interferometric point target analysis (IPTA). We generated interferograms from 21 ascending SAR images over the period 1 January 2007 to 3 March 2011. The estimated subsidence history shows that subsidence continuously increased reaching a cumulative 45 cm during this period, and the linear subsidence rate reached ∼12 cm/yr. This significant subsidence occurred in the industrial and densely populated residential regions of the Bandung basin where large amounts of groundwater are consumed. However, in several areas the subsidence patterns do not correlate with the distribution of groundwater production wells and mapped aquifer degradation. We conclude that groundwater production controls subsidence, but lithology is a counteracting factor for subsidence in the Bandung basin. Moreover, seasonal trends of nonlinear surface deformations are highly related with the variation of rainfall. They indicate that there is elastic expansion (rebound) of aquifer system response to seasonal-natural recharge during rainy season.     

Land subsidence in major cities of Central Mexico: Interpreting InSAR-derived land subsidence mapping with hydrogeological data

Significant structural damages to urban infrastructures caused by compaction of over-exploited aquifers are an important problem in Central Mexico. While the case of Mexico City has been well-documented, insight into land subsidence problems in other cities of Central Mexico is still limited. Among the cities concerned, we present and discuss the cases of five of them, located within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB): Toluca, Celaya, Aguascalientes, Morelia, and Queretaro. Applying the SBAS-InSAR method to C-Band RADARSAT-2 data, five high resolution ground motion time-series were produced to monitor the spatio-temporal variations of displacements and fracturing from 2012 to 2014. The study presents recent changes of land subsidence rates along with concordant geological and water data. It aims to provide suggestions to mitigate future damages to infrastructure and to assist in groundwater resources management.Aguascalientes, Celaya, Morelia and Queretaro (respectively in order of decreasing subsidence rates) are typical cases of fault-limited land subsidence of Central Mexico. It occurs as a result of groundwater over-exploitation in lacustrine and alluvial deposits covering highly variable bedrock topography, typical of horst-graben geological settings. Aguascalientes and Toluca show high rates of land subsidence (up to 10 cm/yr), while Celaya and Morelia show lower rates (from 2 to 5 cm/yr). Comparing these results with previous studies, it is inferred that the spatial patterns of land subsidence have changed in the city of Toluca. This change appears to be mainly controlled by the spatial heterogeneity of compressible sediments since no noticeable change occurred in groundwater extraction and related drawdown rates. While land subsidence of up to 8 cm/yr has been reported in the Queretaro Valley before 2011, rates inferior to 1 cm/yr are measured in 2013–2014. The subsidence has been almost entirely mitigated by major changes in the water management practices of the city, i.e., a 122 km long pipeline bringing surface water from an adjacent state allowed to cease pumping in half of the wells.     

Defining optimal DEM resolutions and point densities for modelling hydrologically sensitive areas in agricultural catchments dominated by microtopography

Defining critical source areas (CSAs) of diffuse pollution in agricultural catchments depends upon the accurate delineation of hydrologically sensitive areas (HSAs) at highest risk of generating surface runoff pathways. In topographically complex landscapes, this delineation is constrained by digital elevation model (DEM) resolution and the influence of microtopographic features. To address this, optimal DEM resolutions and point densities for spatially modelling HSAs were investigated, for onward use in delineating CSAs. The surface runoff framework was modelled using the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and maps were derived from 0.25 m LiDAR DEMs (40 bare-earth points m⁻²), resampled 1 m and 2 m LiDAR DEMs, and a radar generated 5 m DEM. Furthermore, the resampled 1 m and 2 m LiDAR DEMs were regenerated with reduced bare-earth point densities (5, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 points m⁻²) to analyse effects on elevation accuracy and important microtopographic features. Results were compared to surface runoff field observations in two 10 km² agricultural catchments for evaluation. Analysis showed that the accuracy of modelled HSAs using different thresholds (5%, 10% and 15% of the catchment area with the highest TWI values) was much higher using LiDAR data compared to the 5 m DEM (70–100% and 10–84%, respectively). This was attributed to the DEM capturing microtopographic features such as hedgerow banks, roads, tramlines and open agricultural drains, which acted as topographic barriers or channels that diverted runoff away from the hillslope scale flow direction. Furthermore, the identification of ‘breakthrough’ and ‘delivery’ points along runoff pathways where runoff and mobilised pollutants could be potentially transported between fields or delivered to the drainage channel network was much higher using LiDAR data compared to the 5 m DEM (75–100% and 0–100%, respectively). Optimal DEM resolutions of 1–2 m were identified for modelling HSAs, which balanced the need for microtopographic detail as well as surface generalisations required to model the natural hillslope scale movement of flow. Little loss of vertical accuracy was observed in 1–2 m LiDAR DEMs with reduced bare-earth point densities of 2–5 points m⁻², even at hedgerows. Further improvements in HSA models could be achieved if soil hydrological properties and the effects of flow sinks (filtered out in TWI models) on hydrological connectivity are also considered.     

Sentinel-1 observations of the 2016 Menyuan earthquake: A buried reverse event linked to the left-lateral Haiyuan fault

Knowledge on the interaction of active structures is essential to understand mechanics of continental deformation and estimate the earthquake potential in complex tectonic settings. Here we use Sentinel-1A radar imagery to investigate coseismic deformation associated with the 2016 Menyuan (Qinghai) earthquake, which occurred in the vicinity of the left-lateral Haiyuan fault. The ascending and descending interferograms indicate thrust-dominated slip, with the maximum line-of-sight displacements of 58 and 68 mm, respectively. The InSAR observations fit well with the uniform-slip dislocation models except for a larger slip-to-width ratio than that predicted by the empirical scaling law. We suggest that geometric complexities near the Leng Long Ling restraining bend confine rupture propagation, resulting in high slip occurred within a small area and much higher stress drop than global estimates. Although InSAR observations cannot distinguish the primary plane, we prefer the west-dipping solution considering aftershocks distribution and the general tectonic context. Both InSAR modelling and aftershock locations indicate that the rupture plane linked to the Haiyuan fault at 10 km depth, a typical seismogenic depth in Tibet. We suggest that the earthquake more likely occurred on a secondary branch at a restraining bend of the Haiyuan fault, even though we cannot completely rule out the possibility of it being on a splay of the North Qilian Shan thrusts.     

Using remote sensing to monitor the influence of river discharge on watershed outlets and adjacent coral Reefs: Magdalena River and Rosario Islands,Colombia

Worldwide, coral reef ecosystems are being increasingly threatened by sediments loads from river discharges, which in turn are influenced by changing rainfall patterns due to climate change and by growing human activity in their watersheds. In this case study, we explored the applicability of using remote sensing (RS) technology to estimate and monitor the relationship between water quality at the coral reefs around the Rosario Islands, in the Caribbean Sea, and the rainfall patterns in the Magdalena River watershed. From the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), this study used the water surface reflectance product (MOD09GQ) to estimate water surface reflectance as a proxy for sediment concentration and the land cover product (MCD12Q1 V51) to characterize land cover of the watershed. Rainfall was estimated by using the 3B43 V7 product from the Tropical Rainforest Measuring Mission (TRMM). For the first trimester of each year, we investigated the inter-annual temporal variation in water surface reflectance at the Rosario Islands and at the three main mouths of the Magdalena River watershed. No increasing or decreasing trends of water surface reflectance were detected for any of the sites for the study period 2001–2014 (p > 0.05) but significant correlations were detected among the trends of each site at the watershed mouths (r = 0.57–0.90, p < 0.05) and between them and the inter-annual variation in rainfall on the watershed (r = 0.63–0.67, p < 0.05). Those trimesters with above-normal water surface reflectance at the mouths and above-normal rainfall at the watershed coincided with La Niña conditions while the opposite was the case during El Niño conditions. Although, a preliminary analysis of inter-annual land cover trends found only cropland cover in the watershed to be significantly correlated with water surface reflectance at two of the watershed mouths (r = 0.58 and 0.63, p < 0.05), the validation analysis draw only a 40.7% of accuracy in this land cover classification. This requires further analysis to confirm the impact of the cropland on the water quality at the watershed outlets. Spatial analysis with MOD09GQ imagery detected the overpass of river plumes from Barbacoas Bay over the Rosario Islands waters.     

DInSAR技术监测玉树地震同震形变场的研究

近二十年来,合成孔径雷达干涉测量技术（DInSAR）作为一种监测地表形变的有效技术得到广泛应用,其视线向精度可达厘米级甚至毫米级。该技术尤其是对监测快速、激烈的地表形变更为有效,如地震、火山等。利用DInSAR技术,选用日本ALOS卫星PALSAR数据,获取了2010—04—14玉树Mw6．9地震的同震形变场。结果表明：地表至少发生过3次地表破裂,沿断层走向的形变分布范围远远大于垂直断层分布范围,形变分布特征以左旋走滑为主。     

InSAR to support sustainable urbanization over compacting aquifers: The case of Toluca Valley,Mexico

This paper illustrates how InSAR alone can be used to delineate potential ground fractures related to aquifer system compaction. An InSAR-derived ground fracturing map of the Toluca Valley, Mexico, is produced and validated through a field campaign. The results are of great interest to support sustainable urbanization and show that InSAR processing of open-access Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the Sentinel-1 satellites can lead to reliable and cost-effective products directly usable by cities to help decision-making.The Toluca Valley Aquifer (TVA) sustains the water needs of two million inhabitants living within the valley, a growing industry, an intensively irrigated agricultural area, and 38% of the water needs of the megalopolis of Mexico City, located 40 km east of the valley. Ensuring water sustainability, infrastructure integrity, along with supporting the important economic and demographic growth of the region, is a major challenge for water managers and urban developers. This paper presents a long-term analysis of ground fracturing by interpreting 13 years of InSAR-derived ground displacement measurements. Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) and Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) techniques are applied over three SAR datasets totalling 93 acquisitions from Envisat, Radarsat-2, and Sentinel-1A satellites and covering the period from 2003 to 2016.From 2003 to 2016, groundwater level declines of up to 1.6 m/yr, land subsidence up to 77 mm/yr, and major infrastructure damages are observed. Groundwater level data show highly variable seasonal responses according to their connectivity to recharge areas. However, the trend of groundwater levels consistently range from −0.5 to −1.5 m/yr regardless of the well location and depth. By analysing the horizontal gradients of vertical land subsidence, we provide a potential ground fracture map to assist in future urban development planning in the Toluca Valley.     

Estimation of rice grain yield from dual-polarization Radarsat-2 SAR data by integrating a rice canopy scattering model and a genetic algorithm

Fast and accurate estimation of rice yield plays a role in forecasting rice productivity for ensuring regional or national food security. Microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data has been proved to have a great potential for rice monitoring and parameters retrieval. In this study, a rice canopy scattering model (RCSM) was revised and then was applied to simulate the backscatter of rice canopy. The combination of RCSM and genetic algorithm (GA) was proposed for retrieving two important rice parameters relating to grain yield, ear length and ear number density, from a C-band, dual-polarization (HH and HV) Radarsat-2 SAR data. The stability of retrieved results of GA inversion was also evaluated by changing various parameter configurations.Results show that RCSM can effectively simulate backscattering coefficients of rice canopy at HH and HV mode with an error of <1 dB. Reasonable selection of GA’s parameters is essential for stability and efficiency of rice parameter retrieval. Two rice parameters are retrieved by the proposed RCSM-GA technology with better accuracy. The rice ear length are estimated with error of <1.5 cm, and ear number density with error of <23 #/m². Rice grain yields are effectively estimated and mapped by the retrieved ear length and number density via a simple yield regression equation. This study further illustrates the capability of C-band Radarsat-2 SAR data on retrieval of rice ear parameters and the practicability of radar remote sensing technology for operational yield estimation.     

20 years of active deformation on volcano caldera: Joint analysis of InSAR and AInSAR techniques

InSAR (interferometric synthetic aperture radar) techniques are applied to investigate last two decades of surface deformation of the Cerro Blanco/Robledo Caldera (CBRC). The objective is the identification of deforming patterns that alter the shape of these complex structures when they show low or null activity. The joint analysis between results by using different methods over a long time span, represents a unique opportunity to improve knowledge of volcanic structures located in remote area and, for this, poorly or not monitored.In this work we identify displacement patterns over the volcanic area, by using both classical differential InSAR analysis, and A-InSAR (advanced InSAR) analysis based on SAR data acquired by ERS-1/2 and ENVISAT sensors during the 1996–2010 time interval. The satellite-derived information allows us to characterize the deformation pattern that affected the CBRC and shows that the actively deforming CBRC is subsiding in the observed period. In order to figure out the deformation history of CBRC, we analyzed the four sub-periods 1992–1996, 1996–2000, and 2005–2010 by using standard differential InSAR technique, and the interval 2003–2007 by adopting an A-InSAR technique.Subsidence velocities of the CBRC caldera are about 2.6 cm/yr in the time interval 1992–1996 (measured with ERS descending data), 1.8 cm/yr in 1996–2000 (ERS descending data), 1.2 cm/yr in 2003–2007 (ENVISAT descending data), and finally, 0.87 cm/yr in 2005–2010 (ENVISAT ascending data). Moreover, outside the caldera and in particular in the NW area, we observe the presence of positive velocity values. Results show that: (a) a decreasing subsidence rate might be related to the reduction of volcanic activity in correspondence of the CBRC; (b) positive velocity signal, decreasing with time, might be interpreted as follows: – evidence of volcano structure lateral spreading, according to the velocity pattern distribution in this area and to the relative local flanks topographic convexity of the volcano structure; – uplift signal of this sector of mountain chain; – combination of the two mechanisms above.     

利用三轨法D—InSAR技术获取玛尼地震形变

雷达差分干涉测量（D-InSAR）技术以其高精度检测雷达视线向形变量的特性,在地学界得到广泛应用。利用三轨法D-InSAR技术提取1997年11月8日西藏玛尼地震的部分垂直形变和水平形变,结果表明：断裂为左旋扭动态势,北盘最大垂直位移约0．7m,南盘最大垂直位移约0．8m,北盘最大水平位移约1．6m,南盘最大水平位移约2．4m。表明三轨法DInSAR技术用于探测地震形变的巨大潜力和优势。     

基于ALOS PALSAR数据进行雷达差分干涉提取玉树地震同震地表形变场

本文针对2010年4月14日玉树地震引起的地表形变,使用日本ALOS卫星PALSAR L波段雷达影像数据,应用两轨雷达差分干涉(DInSAR)处理得到了以玉树为中心11 000km2范围内的同震形变场,空间分辨率为8m,并在此基础上对玉树地震的震源机制和发震机理进行了分析。研究结果表明L波段雷达数据适合在地形起伏较大的地区进行DInSAR形变探测。该同震形变场信息可为玉树地震的同震形变反演提供参考数据。该研究进一步证实DInSAR技术在大规模地表形变探测和地学研究领域具有广阔的应用前景。     

Evaluating the relationship between biomass,percent groundcover and remote sensing indices across six winter cover crop fields in Maryland,United States

Winter cover crops are an essential part of managing nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural lands. Cover crops lessen sedimentation by reducing erosion, and the accumulation of nitrogen in aboveground biomass results in reduced nutrient runoff. Winter cover crops are planted in the fall and are usually terminated in early spring, making them susceptible to senescence, frost burn, and leaf yellowing due to wintertime conditions. This study sought to determine to what extent remote sensing indices are capable of accurately estimating the percent groundcover and biomass of winter cover crops, and to analyze under what critical ranges these relationships are strong and under which conditions they break down. Cover crop growth on six fields planted to barley, rye, ryegrass, triticale or wheat was measured over the 2012–2013 winter growing season. Data collection included spectral reflectance measurements, aboveground biomass, and percent groundcover. Ten vegetation indices were evaluated using surface reflectance data from a 16-band CROPSCAN sensor. Restricting analysis to sampling dates before the onset of prolonged freezing temperatures and leaf yellowing resulted in increased estimation accuracy. There was a strong relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and percent groundcover (r² = 0.93) suggesting that date restrictions effectively eliminate yellowing vegetation from analysis. The triangular vegetation index (TVI) was most accurate in estimating high ranges of biomass (r² = 0.86), while NDVI did not experience a clustering of values in the low and medium biomass ranges but saturated in the higher range (>1500 kg/ha). The results of this study show that accounting for index saturation, senescence, and frost burn on leaves can greatly increase the accuracy of estimates of percent groundcover and biomass for winter cover crops.     

Spectral detection of stress-related pigments in salt-lake succulent halophytic shrubs

The spectral detection of vegetation pigment concentrations has a high potential value, but it is still underdeveloped, especially for pigments other than chlorophylls. In this study, the seasonal pigment dynamics of two Tecticornia species (samphires; halophytic shrubs) from north-western Australia were correlated with spectral indices that best document the pigment changes over time. Pigment dynamics were assessed by analysing betacyanin, chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations at plant level and by measuring reflectance at contrasting seasonal dates. Plant reflectance was used to define a new reflectance index that was most sensitive to the seasonal shifts in Tecticornia pigment concentrations. The two Tecticornia species turned from green to red-pinkish for the period March–August 2012 when betacyanins increased almost nine times in both species. Chlorophyll levels showed the opposite pattern to that of betacyanins, whereas carotenoid levels were relatively stable. Normalised difference indices correlated well with betacyanin (r = 0.805, using bands at 600 and 620 nm) and chlorophyll (r = 0.809, using bands at 737 and 726 nm). Using knowledge of chlorophyll concentrations slightly improved the ability of the spectral index to predict betacyanin concentration (r = 0.822 at bands 606 and 620 nm, in the case of chemically determined chlorophyll, r = 0.809 when using remotely sensed chlorophyll). Our results suggest that this new spectral index can reliably detect changes in betacyanin concentrations in vegetation, with potential applications in ecological studies and environmental impact monitoring.     

Methodology for estimating availability of cloud-free image composites: A case study for southern Canada

Image composites are often used for earth surface phenomena studies at regional or national level. The compromise between residual clouds and the length of compositing period is a necessary corollary to the choice of satellite optical data for monitoring earth surface phenomena dynamics. This paper introduced a methodology for estimating availability of cloud-free image composites for optical sensors with various revisiting intervals, using MODIS MOD06 L2 cloud fraction product in the period of 2000–2008. The methodology starts with downscaling of the cloud fraction product to 1 km × 1 km cloud cover binary images. The binary images are then used for the exploration of spatial and temporal characteristics of cloud dynamics, and subsequently for the simulation of cloud-free composite availability with various revisiting intervals of optical sensors. Using Canada's southern provinces as an application case, the study explored several factors important for the design of environmental monitoring system using optical sensors of earth observation, in particular, cloud dynamics and its inter-annual variability, sensors’ revisiting intervals, and cloud-free threshold for targeting composites. While the cloud images used in the analysis are at 1 km × 1 km resolution, our analysis suggests that the simulated availabilities of cloud-free image composites may also provide reasonable estimates for optical sensors with higher than 1 km × 1 km resolution, though the closer to 1 km × 1 km resolution the optical sensor, the more pertinent the application. Also, the methodology can be parameterised to different temporal period and different spatial region, depending on applications.     

Assessing the impact of hydrocarbon leakages on vegetation using reflectance spectroscopy

This paper assesses the capability of hyperspectral remote sensing to detect hydrocarbon leakages in pipelines using vegetation status as an indicator of contamination. A field experiment in real scale and in tropical weather was conducted in which Brachiaria brizantha H.S. pasture plants were grown over soils contaminated with small volumes of liquid hydrocarbons (HCs). The contaminations involved volumes of hydrocarbons that ranged between 2 L and 12.7 L of gasoline and diesel per m³ of soil, which were applied to the crop parcels over the course of 30 days. The leaf and canopy reflectance spectra of contaminated and control plants were acquired within 350–2500 nm wavelengths. The leaf and canopy reflectance spectra were mathematically transformed by means of first derivative (FD) and continuum removal (CR) techniques. Using principal component analysis (PCA), the spectral measurements could be grouped into either two or three contamination groups. Wavelengths in the red edge were found to contain the largest spectral differences between plants at distinct, evolving contamination stages. Wavelengths centred on water absorption bands were also important to differentiating contaminated from healthy plants. The red edge position of contaminated plants, calculated on the basis of FD spectra, shifted substantially to shorter wavelengths with increasing contamination, whereas non-contaminated plants displayed a red shift (in leaf spectra) or small blue shift (in canopy spectra). At leaf scale, contaminated plants were differentiated from healthy plants between 550–750 nm, 1380–1550 nm, 1850–2000 nm and 2006–2196 nm. At canopy scale, differences were substantial between 470–518 nm, 550–750 nm, 910–1081 nm, 1116–1284 nm, 1736–1786 nm, 2006–2196 nm and 2222–2378 nm. The results of this study suggests that remote sensing of B. brizantha H.S. at both leaf and canopy scales can be used as an indicator of gasoline and diesel contaminations for the detection of small leakages in pipelines.     

Retrieval of land surface temperature from the Kalpana-1 VHRR data using a single-channel algorithm and its validation over western India

Indian geostationary satellite Kalpana-1 (K1) offers a potential to capture the diurnal cycle of land surface temperature (LST) through thermal infrared channel (10.5–12.5 μm) observations of the Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) sensor. A study was carried out to retrieve LST by adapting a generalized single-channel (SC) algorithm (Jiménez-Muñoz and Sobrino, 2003) for the VHRR sensor over India. The basis of SC algorithm depends on the concept of Atmospheric Functions (AFs) that are dependent on transmissivity, upwelling and downwelling radiances of the atmosphere. In the present study AFs were computed for the VHRR sensor through the MODTRAN simulations based upon varying atmospheric and surface inputs. The AFs were fitted with the atmospheric columnar water vapour content and a set of coefficients was derived for LST retrieval. The K1-LST derived with the SC algorithm was validated with (a) in situ measurements at two sites located in western parts of India and (b) the MODIS LST products. Comparison of K1-LST with the in situ measurements demonstrated that SC algorithm was successful in capturing the prominent diurnal variations of 283–332 K in the LST at desert and agriculture experimental sites with a rmse of 1.6 K and 2.7 K, respectively. Inter comparison of K1-LST and MODIS LST showed a reasonable agreement between these two retrievals up to LST of 300 K, however a cold bias up to 7.9 K was observed in MODIS LST for higher LST values (310–330 K) over the hot desert region.