HR: 1340h
AN: A13B-0120    [Abstracts]
TI: Seasonal Changes in SAR Backscatter of Certain Land Features in Chukotka: Preliminary Results
AU: * Yurchak, B S
EM: byurchak@pop900.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Earth Sciences & Technology Center (GEST), NASA/GSFC Code 900, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Maynard, N G
EM: nancy.g.maynard@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA GSFC/Code 900, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: Studies of seasonal changes of SAR backscatter from certain land features in two locations (Anadyr river area and Vaegi settlement area) in Chukotka, Russia, have been conducted for the four seasons for the period between the years 2000 to 2004. These studies are being carried out to determine the usefulness of SAR time series data for characterization of reindeer pastures in the Russian North, to demonstrate that SAR could provide useful information about some of the key parameters which characterize pasture quality. Preliminary results provide information on seasonal changes in data from tussock and mountain tundra, and from a set of Anadyr river area lakes. The geobotanic map of Anadyr research area was used for comparison with some SAR image texture features. SAR results were compared with ground-based data as well as meteorological data from local weather stations. Also it was demonstrated how SAR data shows forest-tundra fire scars during snow and snow-free conditions. An assessment of some snow parameters based on fire scar contrast measurements was done. A similarity analysis was applied to some reindeer pasture areas to characterize the seasonal correlations in their backscatter. Based on these data some conclusions were drawn regarding the quantity of vegetation cover within the study area. Future steps for improving SAR data analysis are also discussed.
DE: 9315 Arctic region
DE: 1894 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0933 Remote sensing
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting