Annual, moderate resolution maps of land surface properties for the continental United States in support of process-based carbon modeling
Abstract
Remotely-sensed maps of land surface condition have the potential to initialize, parameterize, or constrain process-based models of carbon dynamics. Two key technical challenges hamper usability of such maps, however: 1. Many remotely-sensed maps of cover condition are static, but models require dynamic information; 2. Temporal, spatial, and semantic properties of the maps do not match the needs of modelers. Here, we report on a NASA-supported project to build and provide access to dynamic maps of key biophysical parameters for the continental U.S. To address the first challenge, we combined temporal segmentation of Landsat imagery using LandTrendr algorithms with a spatial statistical modeling approach that allows geographic variation in the underlying statistical relationships. For the core temporal segmentation, we utilized Google Earth Engine technology, allowing testing of a range of spectral indices and temporal windows for modeling. We applied this approach to create yearly-timestep maps (for the years 1990 to 2016) of aboveground forest biomass, land cover class, percent tree cover, and percent impervious surface at 30m spatial resolution for the conterminous United States (CONUS). To address the second challenge, we developed post-processing tools to repackage the underlying maps into forms useful for collaborating carbon modeler partners. These steps included capacity to aggregate, reproject, and summarize data using a range of standard as well as distribution-based data reduction approaches, each appropriate for the land surface variable at hand. Finally, we developed a web-based map interface to use the data manipulation tools to give diverse users access to this range of diverse map products describing both condition and change across the CONUS.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.B21J2465K
- Keywords:
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- 0428 Carbon cycling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 1615 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 6309 Decision making under uncertainty;
- POLICY SCIENCESDE: 6620 Science policy;
- PUBLIC ISSUES