Monitoring the Carbon Cycle
The global carbon cycle, especially as it affects concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and its role as a greenhouse gas, is fundamental to the study of Earth's climate. Carbon is stored in the form of plant material. Biomass is the weight of plant material, minus the water it contains, per a given area of land.
This biomass map of the Raco, Michigan, area was produced from radar data.
The seasonal growth of terrestrial plants, and forests in particular, leads to the temporary storage of large amounts of carbon, which could directly affect changes in global climate. In order to accurately predict future global change, scientists need detailed information about current distribution of vegetation types and the amount of biomass present around the globe. Optical techniques to determine net biomass don't work very well if the area being imaged is often covered by clouds. Imaging radar, however, can penetrate through cloud-cover with hardly any loss of information.
LightSAR's Potential Contribution:
LightSAR's continuous mapping, covering each location on the globe every 8-10 days, will enable scientists to measure biomass changes over time, and look for global relationships. LightSAR's use of the longer L-band wavelength will enable monitoring of patterns of forest regrowth after disturbances such as fires or clear cutting. LightSAR is designed to meet the requirements for image resolution so that the boundaries between growth and no-growth areas can be accurately distinguished and mass per unit area can be accurately assessed.