Search results for "Engineering and Technology"

Very high spectral resolution imaging spectroscopy: The Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) mission

2016

The Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) mission has been recently selected as the 8th Earth Explorer by the European Space Agency (ESA). It will be the first mission specifically designed to measure from space vegetation fluorescence emission, by making use of very high spectral resolution imaging spectroscopy techniques. Vegetation fluorescence is the best proxy to actual vegetation photosynthesis which can be measurable from space, allowing an improved quantification of vegetation carbon assimilation and vegetation stress conditions, thus having key relevance for global mapping of ecosystems dynamics and aspects related with agricultural production and food security. The FLEX mission carries the…

Vicarious Calibration of Landsat-8 Thermal Data Collections and its Influence on Split-Window Algorithm Validation

2018

Landsat 8 (L8) satellite was launched on February 11, 2013 with two thermal bands located in the atmospheric window between $10-12\ \mu \mathrm{m}$ . Continuous monitoring of the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) onboard of L8 was performed over two Spanish test sites – Barrax and Donana – in order to contribute to the quality of TIRS data. In this work, a Vicarious Calibration (VC) of the TIRS bands was performed between years 2013–2016 in order to assess the new Stray Light (SL) data correction. The results of VC show us that band 10 and 11 provide accurate results (bias near to zero, and precision around 0.8 K) which is an improvement – especially for band 11 – in comparison to preprocessed…

FLEX/S3 Tandem Mission Performance Assessment: Evolution of the End-to-End Simulator Flex-E

2018

An End-to-end simulator (E2ES) is a tool to evaluate the performance of a satellite mission. Once a mission is approved for operation, E2ES evolves during Phase C/D to become a supporting tool for the development and validation of the ground data processor, as well as for simulating data sets to test the Prototype and Operational Processors. FLEX-E is the E2ES of the FLEX/Sentinel-3 tandem mission, which was selected in 2015 as ESA's eighth Earth Explorer. The FLEX-E evolution implies the consolidation of all the retrieval algorithms (e.g. fluorescence, reflectance, biophysical variables), the implementation of new scientific developments, as well the improvement of the co-registration proc…

Raindrop size distribution and terminal velocity for rainfall erosivity studies. A review

2019

Abstract The knowledge of the rainfall drop size distribution (DSD) at the land surface is essential for understanding precipitation mechanisms affecting soil erosion processes. Rainfall erosivity is defined as the potential of rain to cause erosion and it can be evaluated by rainfall kinetic power, which is determined by DSD and raindrop terminal velocity. This paper firstly deals with the raindrop terminal velocity estimate. Then the most widely used DSD are reviewed highlighting the difference between the raindrop size distribution per unit volume of air and that per unit area and time. The reliability of the available kinetic power-rainfall intensity relationships and their application …

Sun-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence I: Instrumental Considerations for Proximal Spectroradiometers

2019

Growing interest in the proximal sensing of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has been boosted by space-based retrievals and up-coming missions such as the FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX). The European COST Action ES1309 “Innovative optical tools for proximal sensing of ecophysiological processes” (OPTIMISE, ES1309; https://optimise.dcs.aber.ac.uk/) has produced three manuscripts addressing the main current challenges in this field. This article provides a framework to model the impact of different instrument noise and bias on the retrieval of SIF; and to assess uncertainty requirements for the calibration and characterization of state-of-the-art SIF-oriented spectroradiom…

Preface to theHydrological processes in urban environments: Updates on urbanization, naturalization and climate changeSpecial Issue

2018

Analysis of drought and vulnerability in the North Darfur region of Sudan

2018

North Darfur of Sudan is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert and endures frequent droughts due to water shortages and high summer temperatures. Monitoring and understanding drought characteristics are essential for integrated drought risk mitigation and prevetion of land degradation. This study evaluates drought conditions in North Darfur by analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution of drought using three drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Index, Vegetation Condition Index, and Soil Moisture Content Index) and their combined drought index (CDI) from 2004 to 2013. Biophysical and socioeconomic indicators are further used to measure vulnerability to drought risk and its three co…

Capability assessment of the SEVIRI/MSG GPP product for the detection of areas affected by water stress

2020

[ES] Se presenta el nuevo producto de producción primaria bruta (GPP) de EUMETSAT derivado a partir de datos del satélite geoestacionario SEVIRI/MSG (MGPP LSA-411) y se evalúa su potencial para detectar zonas afectadas por estrés hídrico (hot spots). El producto GPP se basa en la aproximación de Monteith, que modela la GPP de la vegetación como el producto de la radiación fotosintéticamente activa (PAR) incidente, la fracción de PAR absorbida (fAPAR) y un factor de eficiencia de uso de la radiación (ε). El potencial del producto MGPP para detectar hot spots se evalúa, utilizando un periodo corto de tres años, a escala local y regional, comparando con datos in situ derivados de medidas en to…

Simulación de flujos de carbono terrestres mediante teledetección y modelización de ecosistemas

2019

[EN] The main goal of this thesis is the establishment of a framework to analyze the forest ecosystems in peninsular Spain in terms of their role in the carbon cycle. In particular, the carbon fluxes that they exchange with atmosphere are modeled to evaluate their potential as carbon sinks and biomass reservoirs. The assessment of gross and net carbon fluxes is performed at 1-km spatial scale and on a daily basis using two different ecosystem models, Monteith and BIOME-BGC, respectively. These models are driven by a combination of satellite and ground data, part of the latter being also employed as a complementary data source and in the validation process. [ES] El objetivo principal de esta…

Global Groundwater-Vegetation Relations

2017

Groundwater is an integral component of the water cycle, and it also influences the carbon cycle by supplying moisture to ecosystems. However, the extent and determinants of groundwater-vegetation interactions are poorly understood at the global scale. Using several high-resolution data products, we show that the spatial patterns of ecosystem gross primary productivity and groundwater table depth are correlated during at least one season in more than two-thirds of the global vegetated area. Positive relationships, i.e., larger productivity under shallower groundwater table, predominate in moisture-limited dry to mesic conditions with herbaceous and shrub vegetation. Negative relationships, …