Submit to Remote Sensing Review for Remote Sensing Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2018) | Viewed by 108112

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dongdong Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems, Peking University, Beijing, China
Interests: quantitative remote sensing; earth radiation budget; remote sensing data integration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vasit Sagan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University, Des Peres Hall 203B, 3694 West Pine Mall, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
Interests: remote sensing, GIS, AI/machine learning, sensor/information fusion, geospatial methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Pierre C. Guillevic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
2. Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Interests: retrieval of land properties using remote sensing (e.g., land surface temperature, evapotranspiration); modeling land surface processes (surface fluxes such as evapotranspiration)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Remote sensing is a unique tool used to observe the Earth system, and to quantitatively monitor a variety of key land-surface variables by measuring radiation reflected or emitted by the Earth. With the availability of more and more remote sensing data from various types of instruments with different spectral characteristics and temporal and spatial resolutions, the field of quantitative land remote sensing is advancing at an unprecedented rate. Considerable amounts of effort have been devoted to the study of land remote sensing theory and methodology; development of retrieval algorithms to estimate land surface variables from remote sensing data; assessment of land remote sensing data and products by comparing them with in situ measurements, modelling results or other remote sensing products; and application of remote sensing data and products in answering various scientific problems.

This Special Issue solicits papers on recent progress in the field of quantitative remote sensing of land surface variables. We welcome submissions that provide the community with the most recent advances in all aspects of quantitative land remote sensing, including, but not limited to:

Research on land remote sensing theory, methodology and practice
Algorithm development to retrieve various land surface variables
Assessment and validation of retrieval algorithm and remote sensing data products
Analysis and application of land remote sensing data and products

Dr. Dongdong Wang
Dr. Vasit Sagan
Dr. Pierre C. Guillevic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Quantitative remote sensing
Land remote sensing
Essential climate variable
Climate change
Retrieval algorithm
Calibration and validation
Remote sensing application

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (12 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research

5 pages, 165 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables: Progress and Perspective

by Dongdong Wang, Vasit Sagan and Pierre C. Guillevic

Remote Sens. 2019, 11(18), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11182150 - 16 Sep 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3668

Abstract

The land is of particular importance to the human being, not only because it is our, as well as terrestrial biomes’, habitat, but the land surface also plays a unique role in the Earth system [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

29 pages, 17064 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

UAV-Based High Resolution Thermal Imaging for Vegetation Monitoring, and Plant Phenotyping Using ICI 8640 P, FLIR Vue Pro R 640, and thermoMap Cameras

by Vasit Sagan, Maitiniyazi Maimaitijiang, Paheding Sidike, Kevin Eblimit, Kyle T. Peterson, Sean Hartling, Flavio Esposito, Kapil Khanal, Maria Newcomb, Duke Pauli, Rick Ward, Felix Fritschi, Nadia Shakoor and Todd Mockler

Remote Sens. 2019, 11(3), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11030330 - 7 Feb 2019

Cited by 193 | Viewed by 25744

Abstract

The growing popularity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in recent years, along with decreased cost and greater accessibility of both UAVs and thermal imaging sensors, has led to the widespread use of this technology, especially for precision agriculture and plant phenotyping. There are several thermal camera systems in the market that are available at a low cost. However, their efficacy and accuracy in various applications has not been tested. In this study, three commercially available UAV thermal cameras, including ICI 8640 P-series (Infrared Cameras Inc., USA), FLIR Vue Pro R 640 (FLIR Systems, USA), and thermoMap (senseFly, Switzerland) have been tested and evaluated for their potential for forest monitoring, vegetation stress detection, and plant phenotyping. Mounted on multi-rotor or fixed wing systems, these cameras were simultaneously flown over different experimental sites located in St. Louis, Missouri (forest environment), Columbia, Missouri (plant stress detection and phenotyping), and Maricopa, Arizona (high throughput phenotyping). Thermal imagery was calibrated using procedures that utilize a blackbody, handheld thermal spot imager, ground thermal targets, emissivity and atmospheric correction. A suite of statistical analyses, including analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis between camera temperature and plant biophysical and biochemical traits, and heritability were utilized in order to examine the sensitivity and utility of the cameras against selected plant phenotypic traits and in the detection of plant water stress. In addition, in reference to quantitative assessment of image quality from different thermal cameras, a non-reference image quality evaluator, which primarily measures image focus that is based on the spatial relationship of pixels in different scales, was developed. Our results show that (1) UAV-based thermal imaging is a viable tool in precision agriculture and (2) the three examined cameras are comparable in terms of their efficacy for plant phenotyping. Overall, accuracy, when compared against field measured ground temperature and estimating power of plant biophysical and biochemical traits, the ICI 8640 P-series performed better than the other two cameras, followed by FLIR Vue Pro R 640 and thermoMap cameras. Our results demonstrated that all three UAV thermal cameras provide useful temperature data for precision agriculture and plant phenotying, with ICI 8640 P-series presenting the best results among the three systems. Cost wise, FLIR Vue Pro R 640 is more affordable than the other two cameras, providing a less expensive option for a wide range of applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

22 pages, 3952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping Crop Residue and Tillage Intensity Using WorldView-3 Satellite Shortwave Infrared Residue Indices

by W. Dean Hively, Brian T. Lamb, Craig S. T. Daughtry, Jacob Shermeyer, Gregory W. McCarty and Miguel Quemada

Remote Sens. 2018, 10(10), 1657; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10101657 - 18 Oct 2018

Cited by 75 | Viewed by 12050

Abstract

Crop residues serve many important functions in agricultural conservation including preserving soil moisture, building soil organic carbon, and preventing erosion. Percent crop residue cover on a field surface reflects the outcome of tillage intensity and crop management practices. Previous studies using proximal hyperspectral remote sensing have demonstrated accurate measurement of percent residue cover using residue indices that characterize cellulose and lignin absorption features found between 2100 nm and 2300 nm in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The 2014 launch of the WorldView-3 (WV3) satellite has now provided a space-borne platform for the collection of narrow band SWIR reflectance imagery capable of measuring these cellulose and lignin absorption features. In this study, WorldView-3 SWIR imagery (14 May 2015) was acquired over farmland on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay (Maryland, USA), was converted to surface reflectance, and eight different SWIR reflectance indices were calculated. On-farm photographic sampling was used to measure percent residue cover at a total of 174 locations in 10 agricultural fields, ranging from plow-till to continuous no-till management, and these in situ measurements were used to develop percent residue cover prediction models from the SWIR indices using both polynomial and linear least squares regressions. Analysis was limited to agricultural fields with minimal green vegetation (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index < 0.3) due to expected interference of vegetation with the SWIR indices. In the resulting residue prediction models, spectrally narrow residue indices including the Shortwave Infrared Normalized Difference Residue Index (SINDRI) and the Lignin Cellulose Absorption Index (LCA) were determined to be more accurate than spectrally broad Landsat-compatible indices such as the Normalized Difference Tillage Index (NDTI), as determined by respective R² values of 0.94, 0.92, and 0.84 and respective residual mean squared errors (RMSE) of 7.15, 8.40, and 12.00. Additionally, SINDRI and LCA were more resistant to interference from low levels of green vegetation. The model with the highest correlation (2nd order polynomial SINDRI, R² = 0.94) was used to convert the SWIR imagery into a map of crop residue cover for non-vegetated agricultural fields throughout the imagery extent, describing the distribution of tillage intensity within the farm landscape. WorldView-3 satellite imagery provides spectrally narrow SWIR reflectance measurements that show utility for a robust mapping of crop residue cover. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

19 pages, 2117 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Mapping and Forecasting Onsets of Harmful Algal Blooms Using MODIS Data over Coastal Waters Surrounding Charlotte County, Florida

by Sita Karki, Mohamed Sultan, Racha Elkadiri and Tamer Elbayoumi

Remote Sens. 2018, 10(10), 1656; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10101656 - 18 Oct 2018

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 8404

Abstract

Over the past two decades, persistent occurrences of harmful algal blooms (HAB; Karenia brevis) have been reported in Charlotte County, southwestern Florida. We developed data-driven models that rely on spatiotemporal remote sensing and field data to identify factors controlling HAB propagation, provide a same-day distribution (nowcasting), and forecast their occurrences up to three days in advance. We constructed multivariate regression models using historical HAB occurrences (213 events reported from January 2010 to October 2017) compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and validated the models against a subset (20%) of the historical events. The models were designed to capture the onset of the HABs instead of those that developed days earlier and continued thereafter. A prototype of an early warning system was developed through a threefold exercise. The first step involved the automatic downloading and processing of daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua products using SeaDAS ocean color processing software to extract temporal and spatial variations of remote sensing-based variables over the study area. The second step involved the development of a multivariate regression model for same-day mapping of HABs and similar subsequent models for forecasting HAB occurrences one, two, and three days in advance. Eleven remote sensing variables and two non-remote sensing variables were used as inputs for the generated models. In the third and final step, model outputs (same-day and forecasted distribution of HABs) were posted automatically on a web map. Our findings include: (1) the variables most indicative of the timing of bloom propagation are bathymetry, euphotic depth, wind direction, sea surface temperature (SST), ocean chlorophyll three-band algorithm for MODIS [chlorophyll-a OC3M] and distance from the river mouth, and (2) the model predictions were 90% successful for same-day mapping and 65%, 72% and 71% for the one-, two- and three-day advance predictions, respectively. The adopted methodologies are reliable at a local scale, dependent on readily available remote sensing data, and cost-effective and thus could potentially be used to map and forecast algal bloom occurrences in data-scarce regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

17 pages, 3710 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Suspended Sediment Concentration Estimation from Landsat Imagery along the Lower Missouri and Middle Mississippi Rivers Using an Extreme Learning Machine

by Kyle T. Peterson, Vasit Sagan, Paheding Sidike, Amanda L. Cox and Megan Martinez

Remote Sens. 2018, 10(10), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10101503 - 20 Sep 2018

Cited by 103 | Viewed by 10442

Abstract

Monitoring and quantifying suspended sediment concentration (SSC) along major fluvial systems such as the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers provide crucial information for biological processes, hydraulic infrastructure, and navigation. Traditional monitoring based on in situ measurements lack the spatial coverage necessary for detailed analysis. This study developed a method for quantifying SSC based on Landsat imagery and corresponding SSC data obtained from United States Geological Survey monitoring stations from 1982 to present. The presented methodology first uses feature fusion based on canonical correlation analysis to extract pertinent spectral information, and then trains a predictive reflectance–SSC model using a feed-forward neural network (FFNN), a cascade forward neural network (CFNN), and an extreme learning machine (ELM). The trained models are then used to predict SSC along the Missouri–Mississippi River system. Results demonstrated that the ELM-based technique generated R² > 0.9 for Landsat 4–5, Landsat 7, and Landsat 8 sensors and accurately predicted both relatively high and low SSC displaying little to no overfitting. The ELM model was then applied to Landsat images producing quantitative SSC maps. This study demonstrates the benefit of ELM over traditional modeling methods for the prediction of SSC based on satellite data and its potential to improve sediment transport and monitoring along large fluvial systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

23 pages, 7593 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Critical Comparison of Remote Sensing Leaf Area Index Estimates over Rice-Cultivated Areas: From Sentinel-2 and Landsat-7/8 to MODIS, GEOV1 and EUMETSAT Polar System

by Manuel Campos-Taberner, Francisco Javier García-Haro, Lorenzo Busetto, Luigi Ranghetti, Beatriz Martínez, María Amparo Gilabert, Gustau Camps-Valls, Fernando Camacho and Mirco Boschetti

Remote Sens. 2018, 10(5), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10050763 - 15 May 2018

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 8970

Abstract

Leaf area index (LAI) is a key biophysical variable fundamental in natural vegetation and agricultural land monitoring and modelling studies. This paper is aimed at comparing, validating and discussing different LAI satellite products from operational services and customized solution based on innovative Earth Observation (EO) data such as Landsat-7/8 and Sentinel-2A. The comparison was performed to assess overall quality of LAI estimates for rice, as a fundamental input of different scale (regional to local) operational crop monitoring systems such as the ones developed during the “An Earth obseRvation Model based RicE information Service” (ERMES) project. We adopted a multiscale approach following international recognized protocols of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Land Product Validation (LPV) guidelines in different steps: (1) acquisition of representative field sample measurements, (2) validation of decametric satellite product (10–30 m spatial resolution), and (3) exploitation of such data to assess quality of medium-resolution operational products (~1000 m). The study areas were located in the main European rice areas in Spain, Italy and Greece. Field campaigns were conducted during three entire rice seasons (2014, 2015 and 2016—from sowing to full-flowering) to acquire multi-temporal ground LAI measurements and to assess Landsat-7/8 LAI estimates. Results highlighted good correspondence between Landsat-7/8 LAI estimates and ground measurements revealing high correlations (R² ≥ 0.89) and low root mean squared errors (RMSE ≤ 0.75) in all seasons. Landsat-7/8 as well as Sentinel-2A high-resolution LAI retrievals, were compared with satellite LAI products operationally derived from MODIS (MOD15A2), Copernicus PROBA-V (GEOV1), and the recent EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) LAI product. Good agreement was observed between high- and medium-resolution LAI estimates. In particular, the EPS LAI product was the most correlated product with both Landsat/7-8 and Sentinel-2A estimates, revealing R²≥ 0.93 and RMSE ≤ 0.53 m²/m². In addition, a comparison exercise of EPS, GEOV1 and MODIS revealed high correlations (R² ≥ 0.90) and RMSE ≤ 0.80 m²/m² in all cases and years. The temporal assessment shows that the three satellite products capture well the seasonality during the crop phenological cycle. Discrepancies are observed mainly in absolute values retrieved for the peak of rice season. This is the first study that provides a quantitative assessment on the quality of available operational LAI product for rice monitoring to both the scientific community and users of agro-monitoring operational services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

8859 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Land Product Characterization System for Comparative Analysis of Satellite Data and Products

by Kevin Gallo, Greg Stensaas, John Dwyer and Ryan Longhenry

Remote Sens. 2018, 10(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10010048 - 29 Dec 2017

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4744

Abstract

A Land Product Characterization System (LPCS) has been developed to provide land data and products to the community of individuals interested in validating space-based land products by comparing them with similar products available from other sensors or surface-based observations. The LPCS facilitates the application of global multi-satellite and in situ data for characterization and validation of higher-level, satellite-derived, land surface products (e.g., surface reflectance, normalized difference vegetation index, and land surface temperature). The LPCS includes data search, inventory, access, and analysis functions that will permit data to be easily identified, retrieved, co-registered, and compared statistically through a single interface. The system currently includes data and products available from Landsat 4 through 8, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra and Aqua, Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP)/Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and simulated data for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). In addition to the future inclusion of in situ data, higher-level land products from the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 and -3 series of satellites, and other high and medium resolution spatial sensors, will be included as available. When fully implemented, any of the sensor data or products included in the LPCS would be available for comparative analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

6747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combining Partial Least Squares and the Gradient-Boosting Method for Soil Property Retrieval Using Visible Near-Infrared Shortwave Infrared Spectra

by Lanfa Liu, Min Ji and Manfred Buchroithner

Remote Sens. 2017, 9(12), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9121299 - 12 Dec 2017

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 7176

Abstract

Soil spectroscopy has experienced a tremendous increase in soil property characterisation, and can be used not only in the laboratory but also from the space (imaging spectroscopy). Partial least squares (PLS) regression is one of the most common approaches for the calibration of soil properties using soil spectra. Besides functioning as a calibration method, PLS can also be used as a dimension reduction tool, which has scarcely been studied in soil spectroscopy. PLS components retained from high-dimensional spectral data can further be explored with the gradient-boosted decision tree (GBDT) method. Three soil sample categories were extracted from the Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) soil library according to the type of land cover (woodland, grassland, and cropland). First, PLS regression and GBDT were separately applied to build the spectroscopic models for soil organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen content (N), and clay for each soil category. Then, PLS-derived components were used as input variables for the GBDT model. The results demonstrate that the combined PLS-GBDT approach has better performance than PLS or GBDT alone. The relative important variables for soil property estimation revealed by the proposed method demonstrated that the PLS method is a useful dimension reduction tool for soil spectra to retain target-related information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

1818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Linear Multi-Task Learning for Predicting Soil Properties Using Field Spectroscopy

by Haijun Qi, Tarin Paz-Kagan, Arnon Karnieli and Shaowen Li

Remote Sens. 2017, 9(11), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9111099 - 30 Oct 2017

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6515

Abstract

Field spectroscopy has been suggested to be an efficient method for predicting soil properties using quantitative mathematical models in a rapid and non-destructive manner. Traditional multivariate regression algorithms usually regard the modeling of each soil property as a single task, which means only one response variable is considered as the output during modeling. Therefore, these algorithms are less suitable for the prediction of several key soil properties with low concentrations or unobvious spectral absorption signals. In the current study, we investigated the performance of a linear multi-task learning (LMTL) algorithm based on a regularized dirty model for modeling and predicting several key soil properties using field spectroscopy (350–2500 nm) as an integrated approach. We tested seven key soil properties including available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), pH, water content (WC), organic matter (OM), and electrical conductivity (EC) in drylands. The model performances of LMTL models were compared with the commonly used single-task algorithm of the partial least squares regression (PLS-R). Our results show that the LMTL models outperformed the PLS-R models with the advantage of shared features; the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) values in the validation set improved by 10.24%, 4.93%, 25.77%, 11.76%, 6.74%, 53.13%, and 3.15% for N, P, K, pH, WC, OM, and EC, respectively. The best prediction was obtained for OM with RPD = 2.29, indicating high accuracy (RPD > 2). The prediction results of N, P, WC, and pH were categorized as of moderate accuracy (1.4 < RPD < 2), while K and EC were categorized as of poor accuracy (RPD < 1.4). However, the explanatory power of the LMTL models was moderate due to fewer features being selected by the regularization algorithm of the LMTL approach, which should be further studied in the soil spectral analysis. Our results highlight the use of LMTL in field spectroscopy analysis that can improve the generalization performance of regression models for predicting soil properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

6528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable across the Conterminous U.S. Using Commercial High-Resolution Imagery

by Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Nicole Brunner, Yen-Ju G. Beal and Todd J. Hawbaker

Remote Sens. 2017, 9(7), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9070743 - 20 Jul 2017

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6272

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey has produced the Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable (BAECV) product for the conterminous United States (CONUS), which provides wall-to-wall annual maps of burned area at 30 m resolution (1984–2015). Validation is a critical component in the generation of such remotely sensed products. Previous efforts to validate the BAECV relied on a reference dataset derived from Landsat, which was effective in evaluating the product across its timespan but did not allow for consideration of inaccuracies imposed by the Landsat sensor itself. In this effort, the BAECV was validated using 286 high-resolution images, collected from GeoEye-1, QuickBird-2, Worldview-2 and RapidEye satellites. A disproportionate sampling strategy was utilized to ensure enough burned area pixels were collected. Errors of omission and commission for burned area averaged 22 ± 4% and 48 ± 3%, respectively, across CONUS. Errors were lowest across the western U.S. The elevated error of commission relative to omission was largely driven by patterns in the Great Plains which saw low errors of omission (13 ± 13%) but high errors of commission (70 ± 5%) and potentially a region-growing function included in the BAECV algorithm. While the BAECV reliably detected agricultural fires in the Great Plains, it frequently mapped tilled areas or areas with low vegetation as burned. Landscape metrics were calculated for individual fire events to assess the influence of image resolution (2 m, 30 m and 500 m) on mapping fire heterogeneity. As the spatial detail of imagery increased, fire events were mapped in a patchier manner with greater patch and edge densities, and shape complexity, which can influence estimates of total greenhouse gas emissions and rates of vegetation recovery. The increasing number of satellites collecting high-resolution imagery and rapid improvements in the frequency with which imagery is being collected means greater opportunities to utilize these sources of imagery for Landsat product validation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

3702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Solar-Cloud-Satellite Geometry on Land Surface Shortwave Radiation Derived from Remotely Sensed Data

by Tianxing Wang, Jiancheng Shi, Letu Husi, Tianjie Zhao, Dabin Ji, Chuan Xiong and Bo Gao

Remote Sens. 2017, 9(7), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9070690 - 5 Jul 2017

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 7252

Abstract

Clouds and their associated shadows are major obstacles to most land surface remote sensing applications. Meanwhile, solar-cloud-satellite geometry (SCSG) makes the effect of clouds and shadows on derived land surface biophysical parameters more complicated. However, in most existing studies, the SCSG effect has been frequently neglected although it is pointed out by many works that SCSG effect is a noticeable problem, especially in the field of land surface radiation budget. Taking shortwave downward radiation (SWDR) as a testing variable, this study quantified the SCSG effect on the derived SWDR, and proposed an operational scheme to correct the big effect. The results demonstrate that the proposed correcting scheme is very effective and works very well. It is revealed that a significant under- or overestimation is detected in retrieved SWDR if the SCSG effect is ignored. Typically, the induced error in SWDR can reach up to 80%. The scheme and findings of this study are expected to be inspirational for the land surface remote sensing community, wherein solar-cloud-satellite geometry is an unavoidable issue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

2152 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extended Data-Based Mechanistic Method for Improving Leaf Area Index Time Series Estimation with Satellite Data

by Hongmin Zhou, Jindi Wang, Shunlin Liang and Zhiqiang Xiao

Remote Sens. 2017, 9(6), 533; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9060533 - 26 May 2017

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4487

Abstract

Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the key parameters in crop growth monitoring and global change studies. Multiple LAI products have been generated from satellite observations, many of which suffer from data discontinuities due to persistent cloud contamination and retrieval algorithm inaccuracies. This study proposes an extended data-based mechanistic method (EDBM) for estimating LAI time series from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The data-based mechanistic model is universalized to supply the LAI background information, and then the vegetation canopy radiative-transfer model (PROSAIL) is coupled to calculate reflectances with the same observation geometry as MODIS reflectance data. The ensemble Kalman filter (ENKF) is introduced to improve LAI estimation based on the difference between simulated and observed reflectances. Field measurements from seven Benchmark Land Multisite Analysis and Intercomparison of Products (BELMANIP) sites and reference maps from the Imagine-S project La Albufera, Spain site were used to validate the model. The results demonstrate that when compared with field measurements, the LAI time-series estimates obtained using this approach were superior to those obtained with the MODIS 500 m resolution LAI product. The root mean square errors (RMSE) of the MODIS LAI product and of the LAI estimated with the proposed method were 1.26 and 0.5, respectively. When compared with reference LAI maps, the results indicate that the estimated LAI is spatially and temporally consistent with LAI reference maps. The average differences between EDBM and the LAI reference map on the selected four days was 0.32. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Quantitative Remote Sensing of Land Surface Variables

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (12 papers)

Editorial

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI