The complementary uses of Sentinel1A SAR and ECOSTRESS datasets to identify vineyard growth and conditions: a case study in Sonoma County, California

Authors: DAVITT, A. - City University Of New York; TESSER, D. - City University Of New York; GAMARRO, H. - City University Of New York; Anderson, Martha; Knipper, Kyle; XUE, J. - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); Kustas, William - Bill; ALSINA, M. - E & J Gallo Winery; PODEST, E. - Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MCDONALD, K. - City University Of New York

Submitted to: Irrigation Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2022
Publication Date: 3/22/2022
Citation: Davitt, A., Tesser, D., Gamarro, H., Anderson, M.C., Knipper, K.R., Xue, J., Kustas, W.P., Alsina, M., Podest, E., McDonald, K. 2022. The complementary uses of Sentinel1A SAR and ECOSTRESS datasets to identify vineyard growth and conditions: a case study in Sonoma County, California. Irrigation Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-022-00781-3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-022-00781-3

Interpretive Summary: The launch of NASA’s ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1A/B synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites provide the opportunity to advance a multi-sensor remote sensing approach to crop monitoring. This study assesses the complimentary uses of Sentinel-1A SAR and ECOSTRESS land surface temperature (LST) and evapotranspiration (ET) datasets to assess vine growth and condition in vineyard blocks located in Sonoma County, California. The results suggest Sentinel-SAR data can provide indications of vine leafiness and moisture conditions that can be related to LST measurements and ET estimates from ECOSTRESS, providing useful information for vineyard management. This has potential to significantly improve the frequency of monitoring vine conditions over large areas encompassing multiple vineyard blocks allowing for timely management decisions to ensure grape yield and quality targets.

Technical Abstract: The launch of NASA’s ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1A/B synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites provide the opportunity to advance a multi-sensor remote sensing approach to crop monitoring. While ECOSTRESS and Sentinel-1A/B have been used separately to assess vegetation conditions, a study that quantifies the synergistic usefulness of both to monitor crops has not been performed. This study assesses the complimentary uses of Sentinel-1A SAR and ECOSTRESS land surface temperature (LST) and evapotranspiration (ET) datasets to assess vine growth and conditions in blocks located in Sonoma County, California for 2018. Results indicate Sentinel-1A SAR dual-polarization backscatter measurements (s0VV and s0VH) have different sensitivities to vine leafiness and moisture content, based on measured vineyard field data and radiometric modeling. SAR and modeled s0VV backscatter suggest higher sensitivity to surface conditions and trunk and cane moisture while SAR and modeled s0VH backscatter indicate higher sensitivity to vine leafiness and canopy moisture. ECOSTRESS LST measurements were sharpened to a 30m resolution using a data mining sharpener and ET measurements were generated with a retrieval algorithm approach on selected dates. Comparisons between SAR backscatter to ECOSTRESS measurements using a Spearman’s rank (Rs) correlation indicate an overall moderate relationship between s0VH backscatter to LST and ET measurements. The results suggest Sentinel-1A s0VH backscatter can provide indications of vine leafiness and moisture conditions that can be related to block-level LST and ET measurements, providing useful information for vineyard management.