• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

Microwave remote sensing can help monitor the land surface water cycle, crop growth and soil moisture. A ground-based polarimetric scatterometer has an advantage for continuous crop using multi-polarization and multi-frequencies and various incident angles have been used extensively in a frequency range expanding from L-band to Ka-band. In this study, we analyzed the relationships between L-, C- and X-band signatures and soil moisture content over the whole soybean growth period. Polarimetric backscatter data at L-, C- and X-bands were acquired every 10 minutes. L-band backscattering coefficients were higher than those observed using C- or X-band over the period. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies and polarizations increased until Day Of Year (DOY) 271 and then decreased until harvesting stage (DOY 294). Time serious of soil moisture content was not a corresponding with backscattering over the whole growth stage, although it increased relatively until early August (R2, DOY 224). We conducted the relationship between the backscattering coefficients of each band and soil moisture content. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies were not correlated with soil moisture content when considered over the entire stage ($r{\leq}0.50$). However, we found that L-band HH polarization was correlated with soil moisture content (r=0.90) when Leaf Area Index (LAI)<2. Retrieval equations were developed for estimating soil moisture content using L-band HH polarization. Relation between L-HH and soil moisture shows exponential pattern and highly related with soil moisture content ($R^2=0.92$). Results from this study show that backscattering coefficients of radar scatterometer appear effective to estimate soil moisture content.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.80-87
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• 2011

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) present the important advantage of being able to approach the seafloor more closely than surface vessel surveys can. To collect bathymetric data, bottom material information, and sub-surface images, multibeam echosounder, sidescan sonar (SSS) and subbottom profiler (SBP) equipment mounted on an AUV are powerful tools. The 3000m class AUV URASHIMA was developed by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). After finishing the engineering development and examination phase of a fuel-cell system used for the vehicle's power supply system, a renovated lithium-ion battery power system was installed in URASHIMA. The AUV was redeployed from its prior engineering tasks to scientific use. Various scientific instruments were loaded on the vehicle, and experimental dives for science-oriented missions conducted from 2006. During the experimental cruise of 2007, high-resolution acoustic images were obtained by SSS and SBP on the URASHIMA around the northern Kumano Basin off Japan's Kii Peninsula. The map of backscatter intensity data revealed many debris objects, and SBP images revealed the subsurface structure around the north-eastern end of our study area. These features suggest a structure related to the formation of the latest submarine fan. However, a strong reflection layer exists below ~20 ms below the seafloor in the south-western area, which we interpret as a denudation feature, now covered with younger surface sediments. We continue to improve the vehicle's performance, and expect that many fruitful results will be obtained using URASHIMA.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.119-131
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• 2016

Descriptions are provided of the automated aerosol-type classification and mass concentration calculation algorithm for real-time data processing and aerosol products in Korea Aerosol Lidar Observation Network (KALION, http://www.kalion.kr). The KALION algorithm provides aerosol-cloud classification and three aerosol types (clean continental, dust, and polluted continental/urban pollution aerosols). It also generates vertically resolved distributions of aerosol extinction coefficient and mass concentration. An extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio) of 63.31 sr and aerosol mass extinction efficiency of $3.36m^2g^{-1}$ ($1.39m^2g^{-1}$ for dust), determined from co-located sky radiometer and $PM_{10}$ mass concentration measurements in Seoul from June 2006 to December 2015, are deployed in the algorithm. To assess the robustness of the algorithm, we investigate the pollution and dust events in Seoul on 28-30 March, 2015. The aerosol-type identification, especially for dust particles, is agreed with the official Asian dust report by Korean Meteorological Administration. The lidar-derived mass concentrations also well match with $PM_{10}$ mass concentrations. Mean bias difference between $PM_{10}$ and lidar-derived mass concentrations estimated from June 2006 to December 2015 in Seoul is about $3{\mu}g\;m^{-3}$. Lidar ratio and aerosol mass extinction efficiency for each aerosol types will be developed and implemented into the KALION algorithm. More products, such as ice and water-droplet cloud discrimination, cloud base height, and boundary layer height will be produced by the KALION algorithm.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.191-201
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• 2011

Soybean has widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses. Microwave remote sensing has a great potential over the conventional remote sensing with the visible and infrared spectra due to its all-weather day-and-night imaging capabilities. In this investigation, a ground-based polarimetric scatterometer operating at multiple frequencies was used to continuously monitor the crop conditions of a soybean field. Polarimetric backscatter data at L, C, and X-bands were acquired every 10 minutes on the microwave observations at various soybean stages. The polarimetric scatterometer consists of a vector network analyzer, a microwave switch, radio frequency cables, power unit and a personal computer. The polarimetric scatterometer components were installed inside an air-conditioned shelter to maintain constant temperature and humidity during the data acquisition period. The backscattering coefficients were calculated from the measured data at incidence angle $40^{\circ}$ and full polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH) by applying the radar equation. The soybean growth data such as leaf area index (LAI), plant height, fresh and dry weight, vegetation water content and pod weight were measured periodically throughout the growth season. We measured the temporal variations of backscattering coefficients of the soybean crop at L, C, and X-bands during a soybean growth period. In the three bands, VV-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than HH-polarized backscattering coefficients until mid-June, and thereafter HH-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than VV-, HV-polarized back scattering coefficients. However, the cross-over stage (HH > VV) was different for each frequency: DOY 200 for L-band and DOY 210 for both C and X-bands. The temporal trend of the backscattering coefficients for all bands agreed with the soybean growth data such as LAI, dry weight and plant height; i.e., increased until about DOY 271 and decreased afterward. We plotted the relationship between the backscattering coefficients with three bands and soybean growth parameters. The growth parameters were highly correlated with HH-polarization at L-band (over r=0.92).