Study of thermal IR phenomena associated with 27 February 2010 Chile Mw 8.8 earthquake using MODIS data

Stresses acting on fault systems before major earthquakes can produce thermal anomalies; these abnormalities can be observed using multi-sensor satellite data. Moderate resolution spectro-radiometer on board the terra and aqua satellites can provide thermal infrared (TIR) imaging data for land and ocean. These TIR data have recorded short-lived thermal anomaly prior to major earthquakes. It is suggested by others that these electromagnetic (EM) phenomena relate to stress build up before earthquakes. The objective of this study is to find an association between spatial extent and temporal evolution of thermal anomalies and known major earthquakes near the boundary of Nazca plate and South American plate. Our approach is to map the TIR transient fields from polar orbiting satellites and analysing those data using time series temperature plots to detect the abnormal thermal trends before the earthquake. This study concentrated on marine earthquakes to detect the changes in both land and ocean before seismic activity.     

Reconstruction of time series MODIS EVI data using de-noising algorithms

Long-term Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data have inherent noise due to clouds and poor atmospheric conditions that limit its applicability for environmental applications. This study was carried out with an objective of noise removal and reconstruction of time series MODIS EVI data (16 day) for the period 2010–2014 using de-noising algorithms. Relative evaluation of de-noising algorithms for smoothing temporal data with ideal noise free data is not possible in actual scenario. Hence, synthetic signals were generated and introduced Gaussian noise at different variance levels for evaluation purpose. Spatial analysis was carried out by introducing noise at different variance levels into the noise free EVI images from the raw EVI stacked image. Spatio-temporal analyses of noise signals in the reconstructed EVI images were evaluated in terms of performance indicators, namely Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Mean Square Error.     

Local variability in the timing and intensity of tropical dry forest deciduousness is explained by differences in forest stand age

Tropical Dry Forest deciduousness is a behavioral response to climate conditions that determines ecosystem-level carbon uptake, energy flux, and habitat conditions. It is regulated by factors related to stand age, and landscape scale variability in deciduous phenology may affect ecosystem functioning in forests throughout the tropics. This study determines whether observed phenological differences are explainable by forest age in the southern Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, where forest clearing for shifting cultivation has created a mosaic of forest stands of varying age. Matched-pair statistical tests compare neighboring forest pixels of different age class (12–22 years versus 22+ years) and detect significant differences in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)-derived metrics related to the timing and intensity of deciduousness during three dry seasons (2008–2011). In all seasons, young forests exhibit significantly more intense deciduousness, measured as total seasonal change of EVI normalized by annual maximum EVI (p < 0.001), and larger normalized EVI change during successive dry season months relative to start-of-dry-season EVI (p < 0.001), than neighboring older forests subject to similar environmental conditions.     

Synthetic RapidEye data used for the detection of area-based spruce tree mortality induced by bark beetles

Tree mortality caused by outbreaks of the bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) plays an important role in the natural dynamics of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) stands, which could cause far-reaching changes in the occurrence and duration of vegetation phenology. Field-based early detection of tree disturbances is hampered by logistic, terrain, and technical shortcomings, and by the inability to continuously monitor disturbances over large areas. Despite achievements in remote mapping of bark-beetle-induced tree mortalities, early warning has been mostly unsuccessful mainly because of the lack of spectral sensitivity and discrepancies in definitions of field- and image-based disturbance classes. Here we applied a method based on inter-annual phenology of Norway spruce stands derived from synthetic multispectral data to part of the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany. We fused temporally continuous Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and discrete RapidEye data using a flexible spatiotemporal data fusion method to achieve validated 8-day RapidEye-like composites of normalized difference vegetation index for 2011. We assumed that the dead trees delineated on 2012 aerial photographs were those in which bark beetle infestations were initiated in 2011. Samples were drawn with variable-sized buffering to represent the areas prone to infestations and their surroundings. We applied a conditional inference random forest to select the best image date among the entire 46 synthetic datasets to best discriminate between the core infestation patches and their surroundings from the subsequent year. Of the discrete time points identified, day 281 of the year represented the highest discrepancy between aerial image-based dead trees and their surroundings. Classification results were significantly correlated with beetle count data obtained using pheromone traps. Our method provided valuable information for management purposes and enabled wall-to-wall mapping of stands prone to infestation and its uncertainty. The results offer potential implications for rapid and cost-effective monitoring of bark beetle outbreaks using satellite data, which would be of great benefit for both management and research tasks.     

土地覆盖类型对城市热岛效应的响应分析

利用夏季MODIS地表温度和土地覆盖产品,结合Landsat等辅助遥感数据,分别提取济南、武汉、重庆3个城市2003年、2008年、2013年的土地覆盖与地表温度信息,确定3个城市不同年份的热岛效应等级分布。在此基础上,对济南、武汉、重庆这3个城市的地表温度分布特征、热岛效应等级分布特征与土地覆盖类型各因子之间的关系展开分析。结果表明：城市用地是城市热岛的主要贡献因素,相关系数达到0.42;最能缓解城市热岛效应的是林地,平均相关系数为-0.41;3个城市中最能缓解城市热岛效应的土地覆盖类型并不完全相同：济南市为林地和耕地,武汉市为水体,重庆市为林地。     

基于中分辨率成像光谱仪数据的建筑指数研究

中分辨率成像光谱仪(MODIS)数据是研究大尺度土地利用/土地覆盖的有效数据手段。针对现有建设用地提取方法的不足,文章通过分析MODIS数据的地物光谱特征,给出适合MODIS数据的归一化建筑指数,并以京津冀城市群为研究区提取建设用地,最后从位置和面积两方面对提取结果进行精度验证。结果表明:该文构建的归一化建筑指数不但加强了MODIS数据中的建设用地,还成功抑制了裸地、荒地和已收割耕地等对建设用地提取的干扰。     

Winter wheat biomass estimation using high temporal and spatial resolution satellite data combined with a light use efficiency model

Winter wheat biomass was estimated using HJ CCD and MODIS data, combined with a radiation use efficiency model. Results were validated with ground measurement data. Winter wheat biomass estimated with HJ CCD data correlated well with observed biomass in different experiments (coefficients of determination R² of 0.507, 0.556 and 0.499; n?=?48). In addition, R² values between MODIS estimated and observed biomass are 0.420, 0.502 and 0.633. Even if we downscaled biomass estimated using HJ CCD data to MODIS pixel size (9?×?9 HJ CCD pixels to approximate that MODIS pixel), R² values between estimated and observed biomass were still higher than those from MODIS. We conclude that estimation with remote sensing data, such as the HJ CCD data with high spatial resolution and shorter revisit cycle, can show more detail in spatial pattern and improve the application of remote sensing on a local scale. There is also potential for applying the approach to many other studies, including agricultural production estimation, crop growth monitoring and agricultural ecosystem carbon cycle studies.     

基于EOS/MODIS若尔盖高原地区湿地信息提取及变化监测

以若尔盖高原地区为研究区,利用多时相中分辨率成像光谱仪MODIS(Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)遥感影像数据,采用基于归一化植被指数(NDVI)的时间序列谐波分析方法,对2001~2013年夏季的MODIS/NDVI和MODIS/EVI进行重构,去除云干扰,采用决策树分类方法获取若尔盖高原地区2001~2013年夏季湿地信息的分布数据并作统计。结果表明:基于EOS/MODIS遥感数据,采用决策树分类方法获取若尔盖高原地区的湿地信息数据是可行的;若尔盖高原地区的湿地面积是随年际的变化呈锐减趋势,若尔盖高原地区湿地的退化主要是受到近年来气候暖干化的影响,人类活动则加剧了湿地萎缩及退化的趋势。     

Sociopolitical influences on cropland area change in Iraq, 2001–2012

Iraq has experienced significant agricultural land use changes throughout its history, including recent changes initiated by the 2003 US-led military invasion, the end of United Nations' economic sanctions and the onset of overt domestic conflict. Conflict and sociopolitical forces are important drivers of land use/land cover change and often have disproportionate impacts on agricultural systems. However, there has been little research to investigate recent changes in agricultural land use/land cover in Iraq over the recent tumultuous period that has included war and the transition of its political system from a dictatorship to an emerging but beleaguered democracy. Our objectives were to (1) determine if cropland area in Iraq changed significantly between 2001 and 2012, (2) identify regional patterns of cropland area change, and (3) identify sociopolitical forces driving those changes. We used MODIS Land Cover Product yearly data to quantify the amount of land cover dedicated to croplands. We regressed cropland area (ha) on time (2001, 2002, 2003,…) and years with drought influence (yes, no). The results revealed significant changes in cropland area for Iraq as a whole, with cropland area decreasing over 30,000 ha per year. Regionally, there were significant decreases in the Kurdish Autonomous Region and central Iraq, and initial increases in the southern marshlands followed by decreases related to drought.     

An analysis of cropland mask choice and ancillary data for annual corn yield forecasting using MODIS data

The Midwestern United States is one of the world’s most important corn-producing regions. Monitoring and forecasting of corn yields in this intensive agricultural region are important activities to support food security, commodity markets, bioenergy industries, and formation of national policies. This study aims to develop forecasting models that have the capability to provide mid-season prediction of county-level corn yields for the entire Midwestern United States. We used multi-temporal MODIS NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) 16-day composite data as the primary input, with digital elevation model (DEM) and parameter-elevation relationships on independent slopes model (PRISM) climate data as additional inputs. The DEM and PRISM data, along with three types of cropland masks were tested and compared to evaluate their impacts on model predictive accuracy. Our results suggested that the use of general cropland masks (e.g., summer crop or cultivated crops) generated similar results compared with use of an annual corn-specific mask. Leave-one-year-out cross-validation resulted in an average R² of 0.75 and RMSE value of 1.10 t/ha. Using a DEM as an additional model input slightly improved performance, while inclusion of PRISM climate data appeared not to be important for our regional corn-yield model. Furthermore, our model has potential for real-time/early prediction. Our corn yield esitmates are available as early as late July, which is an improvement upon previous corn-yield prediction models. In addition to annual corn yield forecasting, we examined model uncertainties through spatial and temporal analysis of the model's predictive error distribution. The magnitude of predictive error (by county) appears to be associated with the spatial patterns of corn fields in the study area.