• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.38 no.6_4
• /
• pp.1935-1943
• /
• 2022

The development and application of a high-resolution soil moisture mapping method using satellite imagery has been considered one of the major research themes in remote sensing. In this study, soil moisture mapping in the test area of Jeju Island was performed. The soil moisture was calculated with optical images using linearly adjusted Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) polarization images and incident angle. SAR Backscatter data, Analysis Ready Data (ARD) provided by Google Earth Engine (GEE), was used. In the soil moisture processing process, the optical image was applied to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by surface reflectance of KOMPSAT-3 satellite images and the land cover map of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). When the SAR image and the optical images are fused, the reliability of the soil moisture product can be improved. To validate the soil moisture mapping product, a comparative analysis was conducted with normalized difference water index (NDWI) products by the KOMPSAT-3 image and those of the Landsat-8 satellite. As a result, it was shown that the soil moisture map and NDWI of the study area were slightly negative correlated, whereas NDWI using the KOMPSAT-3 images and the Landsat-8 satellite showed a highly correlated trend. Finally, it will be possible to produce precise soil moisture using KOMPSAT optical images and KOMPSAT SAR images without other external remotely sensed images, if the soil moisture calculation algorithm used in this study is further developed for the KOMPSAT-5 image.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.4
• /
• pp.603-612
• /
• 2022

The study aims were to evaluate a machine-learning, algorithm-based, forest biomass-estimation model to estimate subnational forest biomass and to comparatively analyze REDD+ forest reference emission levels. Time-series Landsat satellite imagery and ESA Biomass Climate Change Initiative information were used to build a machine-learning-based biomass estimation model. The k-nearest neighbors algorithm (kNN), which is a non-parametric learning model, and the tree-based random forest (RF) model were applied to the machine-learning algorithm, and the estimated biomasses were compared with the forest reference emission levels (FREL) data, which was provided by the Paraguayan government. The root mean square error (RMSE), which was the optimum parameter of the kNN model, was 35.9, and the RMSE of the RF model was lower at 34.41, showing that the RF model was superior. As a result of separately using the FREL, kNN, and RF methods to set the reference emission levels, the gradient was set to approximately -33,000 tons, -253,000 tons, and -92,000 tons, respectively. These results showed that the machine learning-based estimation model was more suitable than the existing methods for setting reference emission levels.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.120-132
• /
• 2008

Remotely sensed images from a satellite can be applied for detecting and quantifying spatial and temporal variations in terms of landuse & landcover, crop growth, and disaster for agricultural applications. The purposes of this study were to analyze topography using DEM(digital elevation model) and classify landuse & landcover into 10 classes-paddy field, dry field, forest, bare land, grass & bush, water body, reclaimed land, salt farm, residence & building, and others-using Landsat TM images in North Korea. Elevation was greater than 1,000 meters in the eastern part of North Korea around Ranggang-do where Kaemagowon was located. Pyeongnam and Hwangnam in the western part of North Korea were low in elevation. Topography of North Korea showed typical 'east-high and west-low' landform characteristics. Landcover classification of North Korea using spectral reflectance of multi-temporal Landsat TM images was performed and the statistics of each landcover by administrative district, slope, and agroclimatic zone were calculated in terms of area. Forest areas accounted for 69.6 percent of the whole area while the areas of dry fields and paddy fields were 15.7 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. Bare land and water body occupied 6.6 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. Residence & building reached less than 1 percent of the country. Paddy field areas concentrated in the A slope ranged from 0 to 2 percent(greater than 80 percent). The dry field areas were shown in the A slope the most, followed by D, E, C, B, and F slopes. According to the statistics by agroclimatic zone, paddy and dry fields were mainly distributed in the North plain region(N-6) and North western coastal region(N-7). Forest areas were evenly distributed all over the agroclimatic regions. Periodic landcover analysis of North Korea based on remote sensing technique using satellite imagery can produce spatial and temporal statistics information for future landuse management and planning of North Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.1194-1202
• /
• 2012

Remotely sensed satellite images can be applied to monitor and obtain land surface information on inaccessible areas. We classified paddy field area in North Korea based on on-screen digitization with visual interpretation using 291 RapidEye satellite images covering the whole country. Criteria for paddy field classification based on RapidEye imagery acquired at different time of rice growth period was defined. Darker colored fields with regular shape in the images with false color composite from early May to late June were detected as rice fields. From early July to late September, it was hard to discriminate rice canopy from other type of vegetation including upland crops, grass, and forest in the image. Regular form of readjusted rice field in the plains and uniform texture when compared with surrounding vegetation. Paddy fields classified from RapidEye imagery were mapped and the areas were calculated by administrative district, province or city. Sixty six percent of paddy fields ($3,521km^2$) were distributed in the west coastal regions including Pyeongannam-do, Pyeonganbuk-do, and Hwanghaenam-do. The paddy field areas classified from RapidEye images showed less than 1% of difference from the paddy field areas of North Korea reported by FAO/WFP (Food and Agriculture Organization/World Food Programme).