Remote Sensing of Arctic-Boreal Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems - Recent Progress and Current and Future Challenges

NASA is in the process of starting its next major terrestrial field campaign, the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), with field-based research beginning in 2016 at sites in high northern latitude regions of western North America. In this presentation, we will review the research that is being planned for ABoVE that involves the use of remotely-sensed data, including the development of information products required by end users to assess the societal impacts of environmental change. These plans included taking advantage of recent advances in mapping of key surface and atmospheric characteristics using both airborne and spaceborne remote sensing data. We will also identify current and future challenges for the collection and analysis of additional data needed to assess key ecosystem changes, including the need for use of medium resolution optical and SAR data, and fine resolution optical data.