Downscaling AMSR-2 Soil Moisture Data With Geographically Weighted Area-to-Area Regression Kriging

Soil moisture (SM) plays an important role in the land surface energy balance and water cycle. Microwave remote sensing has been applied widely to estimate SM. However, the application of such data is generally restricted because of their coarse spatial resolution. Downscaling methods have been applied to predict fine-resolution SM from original data with coarse spatial resolution. Commonly, SM is highly spatially variable and, consequently, such local spatial heterogeneity should be considered in a downscaling process. Here, a hybrid geostatistical approach, which integrates geographically weighted regression and area-to-area kriging, is proposed for downscaling microwave SM products. The proposed geographically weighted area-to-area regression kriging (GWATARK) method combines fine-spatial-resolution optical remote sensing data and coarse-spatial-resolution passive microwave remote sensing data, because the combination of both information sources has great potential for mapping fine-spatial-resolution near-surface SM. The GWATARK method was evaluated by producing downscaled SM at 1-km resolution from the 25-km-resolution daily AMSR-2 SM product. Comparison of the downscaled predictions from the GWATARK method and two benchmark methods on three sets of covariates with in situ observations showed that the GWATARK method is more accurate than the two benchmarks. On average, the root-mean-square error value decreased by 20%. The use of additional covariates further increased the accuracy of the downscaled predictions, particularly when using topography-corrected land surface temperature and vegetation-temperature condition index covariates

Emerging Hydro-Climatic Patterns, Teleconnections and Extreme Events in Changing World at Different Timescales

This Special Issue is expected to advance our understanding of these emerging patterns, teleconnections, and extreme events in a changing world for more accurate prediction or projection of their changes especially on different spatial–time scales

Earth Observations for Addressing Global Challenges

"Earth Observations for Addressing Global Challenges" presents the results of cutting-edge research related to innovative techniques and approaches based on satellite remote sensing data, the acquisition of earth observations, and their applications in the contemporary practice of sustainable development. Addressing the urgent tasks of adaptation to climate change is one of the biggest global challenges for humanity. As His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said, "Climate change is the defining issue of our time—and we are at a defining moment. We face a direct existential threat." For many years, scientists from around the world have been conducting research on earth observations collecting vital data about the state of the earth environment. Evidence of the rapidly changing climate is alarming: according to the World Meteorological Organization, the past two decades included 18 of the warmest years since 1850, when records began. Thus, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has launched initiatives across multiple societal benefit areas (agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, water, and weather), such as the Global Forest Observations Initiative, the GEO Carbon and GHG Initiative, the GEO Biodiversity Observation Network, and the GEO Blue Planet, among others. The results of research that addressed strategic priorities of these important initiatives are presented in the monograph

Crop Disease Detection Using Remote Sensing Image Analysis

Pest and crop disease threats are often estimated by complex changes in crops and the applied agricultural practices that result mainly from the increasing food demand and climate change at global level. In an attempt to explore high-end and sustainable solutions for both pest and crop disease management, remote sensing technologies have been employed, taking advantages of possible changes deriving from relative alterations in the metabolic activity of infected crops which in turn are highly associated to crop spectral reflectance properties. Recent developments applied to high resolution data acquired with remote sensing tools, offer an additional tool which is the opportunity of mapping the infected field areas in the form of patchy land areas or those areas that are susceptible to diseases. This makes easier the discrimination between healthy and diseased crops, providing an additional tool to crop monitoring. The current book brings together recent research work comprising of innovative applications that involve novel remote sensing approaches and their applications oriented to crop disease detection. The book provides an in-depth view of the developments in remote sensing and explores its potential to assess health status in crops

2018, UMaine News Press Releases

This is a catalog of press releases put out by the University of Maine Division of Marketing and Communications between March 2, 2018 and December 31, 2018