A carbon sink-driven approach to estimate gross primary production from microwave satellite observations

Abstract Global estimation of Gross Primary Production (GPP) - the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by plants through photosynthesis - is commonly based on optical satellite remote sensing data. This presents a source-driven approach since it uses the amount of absorbed light, the main driver of photosynthesis, as a proxy for GPP. Vegetation Optical Depth (VOD) estimates obtained from microwave sensors provide an alternative and independent data source to estimate GPP on a global scale, which may complement existing GPP products. Recent studies have shown that VOD is related to aboveground biomass, and that both VOD and temporal changes in VOD relate to GPP. In this study, we build upon…