GSFC ScienceTemilola Fatoyinbo

Jon RansonGuoqing Sun

GSFC EngineeringRafael Rincon

Manohar DeshpandeMartin Perrine

Quenton BondsMatthew Mclinden

External PartnersRichard Hale (University of Kansas)

Intelligence Automation Inc.

ECOSARTHE FIRST P- BAND DIGITAL BEAMFORMING POLARIMETRIC INTERFEROMETRIC SAR

INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE, BIOMASS, AND SURFACE WATER

ESTO-IIP 2011-2014

ECOSAR SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

P-band Digital Beamforming Polarimetric Interferometric SAR:• Dual Antennas with 25 m baseline • Center frequency of 435 MHz (69 cm wavelength) • Range resolution (8 m – 44 m) • High resolution science mode (1.3 m)• Polarization HH, VV, HV, VH• Digital Beamforming

EcoSAR will fly on the NASA P3 airplane based at Wallops Flight Facility

MAIN SCIENCE OBJECTIVES

EcoSAR instrument will quantify:• Biomass (up to 200 Mg/ha from Polarimetric SAR)• Canopy and Surface Height ( 1m accuracy from PolInSAR)• Ecosystem structure and extent (range resolution of 1.3 m)• Disturbance and recovery

SCIENCE OBJECTIVES

• These measurements are crucial for future SAR mission validation (DesdynI, BIOMASS, Tandem-L)

• Improved Carbon and forest structure estimates will support international C reduction initiatives (REDD+)

• How are the Earth's carbon cycle and ecosystems changing, and what are the consequences for the Earth's carbon budget, ecosystem sustainability, and biodiversity?

WHY P-BAND

• Longer wavelengths (L- and P- band) are able to penetrate the canopy and are scattered by larger components, such as the trunk and the ground and thereby increase the returned signal.

P-Band (HH,HV,VV)Dark areas in this image are recent disturbance from logging.

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a)SAR Predicted Stem Biomass

P-band AlgorithmR=0.954

Saatchi & Moghaddam 2000

P-Band (HH,HV,VV) L-Band (HH,HV,VV) C-Band (HH,HV,VV)

P-Band Estimated Forest Stem Biomass vs Field measurements in Boreal Forests (R2 = 0.9)

Saatchi & Moghaddam, 2000P-Band SAR Measures Boreal & temperate Forest Biomass up to 200 Mg/ha with ±10% Accuracy

P-Band Measurements of Boreal & Temperate Forest Biomass

(HH, HV, VV)

AirSAR P-Band SAR Measurement of Tropical Forest Disturbance and Aboveground Biomass

AirSAR P-band Image (1993) Manu National Park, Peru

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Pol-InSAR height measurements: • Polarization is sensitive to scattering

mechanisms with different interferometricscattering phase centers

• EcoSAR will allow us to separate ground signal from canopy signal and derive canopy height.

HV scattering phase center

HH scattering phase center

Height (m)

Example of SAR and InSARusing DBSAR (L-band) measurements

EcoSAR Concept

EcoSAR + DBSAR

Schedule and MilestonesYear 1

Definition of the EcoSAR science and system and requirements

Antenna Arrays Design and fabrication

Radar Electronics Unit Design and fabrication

Year 2

Completion of Waveform generator/data system

Testing and programming of waveform generator/data system

Radar Electronics evaluation, testing and initial assembly.

Full system integration and testing in laboratory and in anechoic chamber.

Year 3

Installation and test flight operation of the system on the NASA P-3 aircraft

Validation of EcoSAR test flight data sets

Field Campaign 1 New Hampshire and Maine

Field Campaign 2 Costa Rica

Science Retrievals from EcoSAR campaigns

FIELD CAMPAIGNS

New England Summer 2013 Costa Rica Winter 2014

+ Wallops & SERC

CURRENT STATUS

• Successfully completed the design of prototype dual polarized wideband P-band antenna element.

• Simulations of Full array performance is underway.

• Preliminary Aerodynamic analysis on antenna structure has been performed.

• Several radar transceiver designs have been formulated and evaluated. Components specifications and availability are being investigated.

• Waiting for contract to IAI to begin processor development.