Challenges and Opportunities in Lidar Remote Sensing

Fluorescence explorer (FLEX): An optimised payload to map vegetation photosynthesis from space

The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission proposes to launch a satellite for the global monitoring of steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation. Fluorescence is a sensitive probe of photosynthetic function in both healthy and physiologically perturbed vegetation, and a powerful non-invasive tool to track the status, resilience, and recovery of photochemical processes and moreover provides important information on overall photosynthetic performance with implications for related carbon sequestration. The early responsiveness of fluorescence to atmospheric, soil and plant water balance, as well as to atmospheric chemistry and human intervention in land usage makes it an ob…

Assessment of inputs to land surface processes models derived from hyperspectral multiangular data

Global Models of the Earth - Atmosphere System describe the role of the terrestrial biosphere using increasingly complex Land Surface Models (LSM). These models mimic the exchange of energy, water and carbon between the land and the atmosphere, with emphasis on the role of terrestrial vegetation. Literature shows a clear trend towards fully interactive LSM-s, i.e. accounting for the dynamic response of vegetation to weather and climate. The latter may not be limited to biomass accumulation and address slower changes in vegetation type and composition. Improving the performance of such models require addressing two broad questions: Can we measure vegetation properties with the accuracy requi…

EAGLE 2006 - Multi-purpose, multi-angle and multi-sensor in-situ and airborne campaigns over grassland and forest

EAGLE2006 – an intensive field campaign for the advances in land surface hydrometeorological processes – was carried out in the Netherlands from 8th to 18th June 2006, involving 16 institutions with in total 67 people from 16 different countries. In addition to the acquisition of multi-angle and multi-sensor satellite data, several airborne instruments – an optical imaging sensor, an imaging microwave radiometer, and a flux airplane – were deployed and extensive ground measurements were conducted over one grassland site at Cabauw and two forest sites at Loobos and Speulderbos in the central part of the Netherlands. The generated data set is both unique and urgently needed for the developmen…

EAGLE 2006 – multi-purpose, multi-angle and multi-sensor in-situ, airborne and space borne campaigns over grassland and forest

Abstract. EAGLE2006 – an intensive field campaign for the advances in land surface hydrometeorological processes – was carried out in the Netherlands from 8 to 18 June 2006, involving 16 institutions with in total 67 people from 16 different countries. In addition to the acquisition of multi-angle and multi-sensor satellite data, several airborne instruments – an optical imaging sensor, an imaging microwave radiometer, and a flux airplane – were deployed and extensive ground measurements were conducted over one grassland site at Cabauw and two forest sites at Loobos and Speulderbos in the central part of the Netherlands. The generated data set is both unique and urgently needed for the deve…