• Atmosphere
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2005

Extending the success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the spaceborne measurement of precipitation by Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is initiated. The GPM consists of a core satellite which will have a dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) and a constellation of small satellites equipped with microwave radiometers. The GPM is inherently a global program. Responding to the GPM plan, many other nations are much interested in participating in the GPM team or simply utilizing GPM products aiming at the development of meteorological technology. Korea can fully function its role if Korea is selected as a CAL/VAL site for the GPM because Korea maintains a well-established dense rain gauge network (AWS), precipitation radars, and the Haenam super site for surface observation. In this feasibility study, the necessities of the GPM project in the context of academical and social backgrounds and associated international and domestic activities are investigated. And GPM-related core technologies and application areas are defined. As a result, it is found that GPM will represent a great opportunity for us because of its ability to provide not only much enhanced three-hourly global rain products but also very useful tools for the enhancement of weather forecasting capabilities, management of water resources, development and implementation of monitoring techniques for severe weather phenomena, agricultural managements and climate application. Furthermore, rain retrieval and CAL/VAL technologies obtained during the involvement in the international GPM project will serve as basic knowledges to run our own geostationary satellite program.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.503-512
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• 2012

We performed DInSAR (Differential Interferometric SAR) and SBAS (Small BAseline Subset) analysis using spaceborne SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) in order to detect a surface subsidence in Taebaek area, Kangwon, which are suitable to the monitoring of broad and inaccessible areas. During the period from October 2006 to June 2010, we acquired twenty-three ALOS PALSAR data sets (path/frame=425/730) for this study. The ninety-six differential interferograms with a perpendicular baseline less than 1100 m were constructed by ROI_PAC, then the mean velocity map of surface displacement was derived from SBAS analysis. As a result, it was confirmed that the ground displacement occurred about 4 cm/yr at Seokgong-Jangseong and Kyungdong mines and 2 cm/yr at Saehan-Eoryong-Jungdong and Hwangji mines in Taebaek area, Kangwon. It seems that the subsidence in study area is closely related to mining activities because the most of subsiding areas are well matched with mining areas. The subsidence at Kyungdong mine shows continuous and fast velocity in about $2{\times}2$ km area. Therefore the further analysis and the effort to prevent disaster are required in this area.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.203-217
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• 2024

The Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory is crucial for obtaining data on carbon sinks, necessitating accurate estimations. This study analyzes cases of countries applying the LULUCF sector at the Tier 3 level to propose enhanced methodologies for carbon sink estimation. In nations like Japan and Western Europe, satellite spatial information such as SPOT, Landsat, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)is used alongside national statistical data to estimate LULUCF. However, in Korea, the lack of land use change data and the absence of integrated management by category, measurement is predominantly conducted at the Tier 1 level, except for certain forest areas. In this study, Space-borne LiDAR Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) was used to calculate forest canopy heights based on Relative Height 100 (RH100) in the cities of Icheon, Gwangju, and Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. These canopy heights were compared with the 1:5,000 scale forest maps used for the National Inventory Report in Korea. The GEDI data showed a maximum canopy height of 29.44 meters (m) in Gwangju, contrasting with the forest type maps that reported heights up to 34 m in Gwangju and parts of Icheon, and a minimum of 2 m in Icheon. Additionally, this study utilized Ordinary Least Squares(OLS)regression analysis to compare GEDI RH100 data with forest stand heights at the eup-myeon-dong level using ArcGIS, revealing Standard Deviations (SDs)ranging from -1.4 to 2.5, indicating significant regional variability. Areas where forest stand heights were higher than GEDI measurements showed greater variability, whereas locations with lower tree heights from forest type maps demonstrated lower SDs. The discrepancies between GEDI and actual measurements suggest the potential for improving height estimations through the application of high-resolution remote sensing techniques. To enhance future assessments of forest biomass and carbon storage at the Tier 3 level, high-resolution, reliable data are essential. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrating high-resolution, spatially explicit LiDAR data to enhance the accuracy of carbon sink calculations in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2009

The main objective of the research is a feasibility study on the intertidal zone using a X-band radar satellite, TerraSAR-X. The TerraSAR-X data have been acquired in the west coast of Korea where large tidal flats, Ganghwa and Yeongjong tidal flats, are developed. Investigations include: 1) waterline and backscattering characteristics of the high resolution X-band images in tidal flats; 2) polarimetric signature of halophytes (or salt marsh plants), specifically Suaeda japonica; and 3) phase and coherence of interferometric pairs. Waterlines from TerraSAR-X data satisfy the requirement of horizontal accuracy of 60 m that corresponds to 20 cm in average height difference while current other spaceborne SAR systems could not meet the requirement. HH-polarization was the best for extraction of waterline, and its geometric position is reliable due to the short wavelength and accurate orbit control of the TerraSAR-X. A halophyte or salt marsh plant, Suaeda japonica, is an indicator of local sea level change. From X-band ground radar measurements, a dual polarization of VV/VH-pol. is anticipated to be the best for detection of the plant with about 9 dB difference at 35 degree incidence angle. However, TerraSAR-X HH/TV dual polarization was turned to be more effective for salt marsh monitoring. The HH-HV value was the maximum of about 7.9 dB at 31.6 degree incidence angle, which is fairly consistent with the results of X-band ground radar measurement. The boundary of salt marsh is effectively traceable specifically by TerraSAR-X cross-polarization data. While interferometric phase is not coherent within normal tidal flat, areas of salt marsh where the landization is preceded show coherent interferometric phases regardless of seasons or tide conditions. Although TerraSAR-X interferometry may not be effective to directly measure height or changes in tidal flat surface, TanDEM-X or other future X-band SAR tandem missions within one-day interval would be useful for mapping tidal flat topography.