The above L-band and P-band airborne synthetic aperture radar surveys

Charles E. Miller, California Institute of Technology
Peter C. Griffith, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Elizabeth Hoy, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Naiara S. Pinto, California Institute of Technology
Yunling Lou, California Institute of Technology
Scott Hensley, California Institute of Technology
Bruce D. Chapman, California Institute of Technology
Jennifer Baltzer, Wilfrid Laurier University
Kazem Bakian-Dogaheh, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
W. Robert Bolton, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Michigan Technological University
Richard H. Chen, California Institute of Technology
Byung Hun Choe, Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation
Leah K. Clayton, Yale University
Thomas A. Douglas, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
Nancy French, Michigan Technological University
Jean E. Holloway, University of Ottawa
Gang Hong, Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation
Lingcao Huang, University of Colorado Boulder
Go Iwahana, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Liza Jenkins, Michigan Technological University
John S. Kimball, University of Montana
Tatiana Loboda, University of Maryland, College Park
Michelle Mack, Northern Arizona University
Philip Marsh, Cold Regions Research Centre
Roger J. Michaelides, Colorado School of Mines
Mahta Moghaddam, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Andrew Parsekian, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Kevin Schaefer, University of Colorado Boulder
Paul R. Siqueira, College of Engineering
Debjani Singh, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-4-2024

Abstract

Permafrost-affected ecosystems of the Arctic-boreal zone in northwestern North America are undergoing profound transformation due to rapid climate change. NASA's Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) is investigating characteristics that make these ecosystems vulnerable or resilient to this change. ABoVE employs airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as a powerful tool to characterize tundra, taiga, peatlands, and fens. Here, we present an annotated guide to the L-band and P-band airborne SAR data acquired during the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 ABoVE airborne campaigns. We summarize the g 1/480 SAR flight lines and how they fit into the ABoVE experimental design (Miller et al., 2023; https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2150). The Supplement provides hyperlinks to extensive maps, tables, and every flight plan as well as individual flight lines. We illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of airborne SAR data with examples of preliminary results from ABoVE studies including boreal forest canopy structure from TomoSAR data over Delta Junction, AK, and the Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS) area in northern Saskatchewan and active layer thickness and soil moisture data product validation. This paper is presented as a guide to enable interested readers to fully explore the ABoVE L- and P-band airborne SAR data (https://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/data.pl).

Publication Title

Earth System Science Data

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