ECEn 568 Microwave Remote Sensing Data Analysis Assignment
For the data analysis assignment, you conduct an original research project using
an actual satellite microwave data set and write a journal-style paper to report
your results. In conjunction with the instructor select a data set and project.
Several are suggested below. You are encouraged to develop you own research problem.
It is expected that your project will take 40-60 hours of work at the minimium
to do data analysis and write up your paper. You will have to become familiar
with the microwave sensor and how it works, the data set, how to read and analyze
the data, and conduct an original analysis of the data. You will be expected to
make a short oral presentation describing the results of your experiement.
The goal of this assignment is to give you some experience at looking at a
new (and initially unfamiliar) problem. To "really" work the problem in detail
will require more time than we can spend in this little assignment. As a result,
you can really only begin the project. However, enjoy the experience. Try to
make as much progress as you can.
Excellent work may be submitted to a conference such as IGARSS or a journal
such as TGARS. One of these research projects could become the foundation of
a good Master's Thesis... Both of these have happened in previous classes.
The following is a list of potential research projects; however, I am open
to your suggestions and I encourage you to develop an original project.
If you have a pet research project you would like to use,
see me. In any case, I must approve your selected project.
Note: sample data sets and reader software are only available to students
currently enrolled in the course at BYU.
SeaWinds on QuikScat
SeaWinds is a spaceborne scatterometer launched aboard QuikSCAT in 1999, with second one launched in Dec. 2002 aboard
ADEOS-2. While ADEOS-2 operated for only 10 months, over 5 years of QuikSCAT data has been collected,
an enormous data set of Ku-band sigma-0 measurements
over the Earth's surface at two incidence angles and a variety of azimuth angles.
During the so-called tandem mission when both SeaWinds instruments were operating, it is possible
to resolve diurnal cycles.
While originally designed to measure winds over the
ocean, it has also been successfully use for land and ice observations. BYU is
producing images of land and ice regions for distribution to the world.
Two forms of data are available: (1) JPL-produced data files containing sigma-0
and wind measurements and (2) BYU-produced imagry. Data and software for the former
is available through Dr. Long and from the JPL
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive center. Software, documentation,
and data for BYU products is available via from the Scatterometer
Climate Record Pathfinder (URL http://www.scp.byu.edu).
Assignment:
Either (1) analyze SeaWinds data to evaluate the wind measurement accuracy against
either bouys or subjective analyses, (2) analyze the effectiveness of SeaWinds
data for measuring landcover characteristics such as canopy density, etc. or (3) use tandem
mission data to study time-of-day effects over land or ice.
Data and code:
Two forms of data are available: (1) JPL-produced data files containing sigma-0
and wind measurements and (2) BYU-produced imagry. Data and software for the former
is available through Dr. Long and from the JPL
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive center. Software, documentation,
and data for BYU products is available via from the Scatterometer
Climate Record Pathfinder (URL http://www.scp.byu.edu).
NSCAT
The NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) is a spaceborne
scatterometer which flew for 9 months during 1996-97. It collected a huge data
set of Ku-band sigma-0 measurements over the Earth's surface at dual polarization over a wide range of incidence angles.
While originally designed to measure winds over the ocean, it has also been successfully used for
land and ice observations. Two forms of data are available: (1) JPL-produced data files containing sigma-0
and wind measurements and (2) BYU-produced imagry. Data and software for the former
is available through Dr. Long and from the JPL
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive center. Software, documentation,
and data for BYU products is available via from the Scatterometer
Climate Record Pathfinder (URL http://www.scp.byu.edu).
Assignment:
Either (1) analyze NSCAT data to evaluate the wind measurement accuracy against
either bous or subjective analyses or (2) analyze the effectiveness of NSCAT data
for measuring landcover characteristics such as canopy density, etc.
Data and code:
Two forms of data are available: (1) JPL-produced data files containing sigma-0
and wind measurements and (2) BYU-produced imagry. Software for the former is
available at /cers0/long/nscat with hardcopy documentation from Dr. Long. Software,
documentation, and sample data for the latter is available via MERS
web site. Land Image data is available from the Scatterometer
Climate Record Pathfinder (URL http://www.scp.byu.edu).
YINSAR
SAR technology is becoming increasing important. BYU has developed a compact,
low cost interferometric SAR known as YINSAR (see the MERS
web site). YINSAR has been used extensively for landslide
and archeological research.
Assignment:
(1) Analyze the topographic accuracy of YINSAR data or (2) develop methods for visualizing landlide flow
Data and code:
See the instructor.
SIR-C/X-SAR
SIR-C/X-SAR are spaceborne SAR systems which fly aboard the space shuttle. Hundreds
of SAR scenes have been collected.
Assignment:
Demonstrate the use of SAR imagery in land cover analysis, mapping, and time series
analysis.
Data and code:
We have a set of CD-roms of processed SIR-C/X-SAR data obtain from NASA. Data
is also available for download directly from JPL. An on-line catalog and documentation
are available at the NASA/JPL Radar web
site. You can use JPL's coverage map to determine the particular data take,
image, and CD-rom number (e.g. SIRC_FL1_51). We currently have the following CD-roms:
SIR-C Flight 1: SIRC_FL1_01 through SIRC_FL1_55
SIR-C Flight 2: SIRC_FL2_01 through SIRC_FL2_46
X-SAR Flight 1: SRX_FL1_001 through SRX_FL1_049
We also have SIRC_ED02, an educational CD.
See Dr. Long about obtaining access to the CDs. They have to be checked out
and returned. Data is also available on line from JPL. Alternately, you can
analyze some of the SAR data collected by BYU SAR systems.
SSM/I or AMSR
Passive microwave radiometers such as the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I)
or the Advanced Microwave Sensor Radiometer (AMSR) are used primarily for atmospheric
and ocean surface observation. However, they can also be used for land and ice
studies.
Assignment: (choose one)
(a) Analyze the spatial/temporal distribution of rain from SSM/I or AMSR data
over either ocean or rainforest regions. (b) Evaluate the utility of image data
for sea ice or vegetation classification.
Data and code:
You can also order data directly from NASA at http://ghrc.msfc.nasa.gov/.
This site has additional documentation and information. Some SSM/I and AMSR-E
data has been processed into images here at BYU. See the instructor for details.
TRMM
The Tropical Rain Mapping Mission (TRMM)
carries both a multi-channel radiometer and a Ku-band precipitation radar (PR)
designed to measure rain over the tropics. The PR has a 4 km spatial resolution
and 250 m vertical resolution while the TRMM radiometer has variable resolution.
Assignment: (choose one)
(a) Analyze the spatial/temoporal distribution of rain from TRMM data and the
relationship between rain and the surface backscatter over tropical rainforest
regions. (b) Compare collocated TRMM radiometer and PR data over tropical rainforest
regions with and without rain.
Data and code:
TRMM has a lot of data products all available in HDF format. The MERS lab has
several file sets. Data can be obtained from Haroon
Stephen. For example, 2A21. For this product we have teader software and sample
data is available on /cers0/long/datasets/TRMM/. The program trmm_tk and trmm_tkf
read the HDF files and convert them to ASCII suitable for reading into matlab.
See Dr. Long for Documentation.
YSCAT
YSCAT
is a BYU-developed ultra-wideband tower-mounted scatterometer which was deployed
for 6 months on a rsearch tower in Lake Ontario and 6 months on an oil platform
in the Gulf of Mexico. YSCAT collected a time-series of sigma-0 measurements versus
environmental parameters.
Assignment:
Either (a) analyze the summary sigma-0 data set to develop a broad band model
function relating vector wind and sigma-0; (b) analyze the sensitivity of sigma-0
to wave parameters including wave slope; or (c) analyze the complete YSCAT data
set for wind speed slope sensivity.
Data and code:
Original source code for processing the raw YSCAT data is contained in /cers0/long/yscat/.
The product of this code are a set of ascii files (*.dat) which are documented
in the docs/ subdirectory.
ZSCAT
ZSCAT is a pair of small CW scatterometer systems which were deployed along side
YSCAT.
One was mounted at nadir while the other operated at 10 deg incidence.
Data and code:
Original source code for processing the raw ZSCAT data is contained in /cers0/long/yscat/.
The product of this code are a set of ascii files (*.dat) which are documented
in the docs/ subdirectory.
Assignment:
Analyze ZSCAT data to demonstrate the senstivity of sigma-0 to the directional
wave spectrum.
Multisensor Analyses
Some of the most interesting recent work in microwave remote sensing comes from
sensor fusion (using multiple sensors).
Assignment: (choose one)
(a) Collocate (in time and space) SeaWinds and TRMM PR data over tropical rain
forests and evaluate the effects of rain on the measurements. (b) Compare collocated
TRMM radiometer and SSM/I data over land regions. (c) Compare collocated TRMM
PR and SeaWinds data over land regions.
Last revised: Aug. 2006