Using ERS-1 SAR imagery to monitor variations in burn severity in an Alaskan fire-disturbed boreal forest ecosystem

Author

Bourgeau-Chavez, L.L. ; Kasischke, E.S. ; French, N.H.F. ; Szeto, L.H. ; Kherkher, C.M.

Author_Institution

Centre for Earth Sci., ERIM, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Volume

1

fYear

1994

fDate

8-12 Aug 1994

Firstpage

243

Abstract

The usefulness of ERS-1 SAR imagery in the detection of Alaskan boreal forest fire-scars has been demonstrated in previous studies. These studies have found that recent fire-scars (1-5 years old) have a brighter radar return in the C-VV ERS-1 SAR imagery (3-8 dB brighter) than adjacent unburned forests. However, this signature has been found to vary spatially across a fire-scar as well as temporally throughout a season. The purpose of this study is to analyze this variability and to determine if there is a relationship between severity of burn and radar backscatter

Keywords

backscatter; electromagnetic wave scattering; fires; forestry; geophysical techniques; radar applications; radar cross-sections; radar imaging; radar polarimetry; remote sensing by radar; spaceborne radar; synthetic aperture radar; Alaska; C-band; ERS-1; SAR imagery; United States USA; backscatter intensity; brighter radar return; burn severity; fire-disturbed boreal forest ecosystem; fire-scar; forest fire forestry; geophysical measurement technique; microwave; polarimetry polarization; radar remote sensing; radar scattering; synthetic aperture radar; variation; vegetation mapping; Backscatter; Ecosystems; Fires; Geoscience; Global warming; Moisture; Monitoring; Radar detection; Radar imaging; Synthetic aperture radar;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 1994. IGARSS '94. Surface and Atmospheric Remote Sensing: Technologies, Data Analysis and Interpretation., International

Conference_Location

Pasadena, CA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1497-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IGARSS.1994.399093

Filename

399093