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Title: Validation of microwave vegetation indices using field experiment data sets

Author
item Jackson, Thomas
item SHI, J - University Of California
item Cosh, Michael
item BINDLISH, R - Science Systems, Inc
item TAO, J - Duke University

Submitted to: Proceedings of SPIE
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2009
Publication Date: 12/1/2009
Citation: Jackson, T.J., Shi, J., Cosh, M.H., Bindlish, R., Tao, J. 2009. Validation of microwave vegetation indices using field experiment data sets. Proceedings of SPIE, August 2-5, 2009, San Diego, California. 7454:0601-0604.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A recent study established the theoretical basis for a new type of index based on passive microwave vegetation indices (MVIs). The approach was then calibrated for use with data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) on the Aqua satellite under the assumption that there is no significant polarization dependence of the vegetation emission and attenuation properties. To demonstrate the potential of the new microwave vegetation indices, these were compared with the Normalized Difference of Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived using MODIS at continental and global scales. These results verified that the microwave vegetation indices can provide new and complementary information on vegetation to NDVI for the global monitoring of vegetation and ecosystem properties from space. The next phase of analysis has focused on quantifiable vegetation parameters, specifically vegetation water content that is a valuable parameter in soil moisture retrievals using microwave data. Data sets collected in several recent large scale field campaigns included vegetation water content over domains in addition to conventional indices. Comparisons to date indicate that the MVI does provide vegetation water content information, however, further analysis of vegetation type effects are needed.