AMSR-E observations of rain and flood events over vegetated areas of LA Plata basin

This work analyzes AMSR-E signatures collected in two sites of La Plata basin, in South America. Within the wide Chaco forest, an area close to Las Lomitas meteorological station was selected. Here the forest is uniform, but not very dense, with biomass values in the range 70-120 t/ha. After strong rain events, appreciable variations of polarization index at C and X band were observed. As expected, the better dynamic range is obtained at C band. Also AMSR-E signatures collected during a strong flooding event in the Delta of Paraná River were analyzed. Variations of polarization index are strong, as expected. Information about the water level in the river was made available by hydrometric stations. We selected specific pixels characterized by different kinds of land cover: agricultural fields, marshes, and planted forests. A significant correlation between polarization index (at various frequencies) and water level is proved. A flood monitoring algorithm based on AMSR-E brightness temperature difference is tested. Optical and radar data are used as ancillary input for calibration and validation proposes.