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A new perspective on global vegetation water dynamics from radar satellite data

Monitoring radar backscatter

Improved understanding of how vegetation regulates land-atmosphere exchanges of water, carbon and energy will benefit hydrology, water management and climate science. Radar backscatter depends on soil moisture, vegetation structure, and the moisture content of the vegetation constituents. Satellite radar observations could therefore provide unique insight into how water is pumped from the soil to the atmosphere through vegetation, and how this pumping is regulated by the vegetation’s physiological response to environmental conditions.

The Advanced Scatterometer on the Metop series allows us to monitor radar backscatter as a function of incidence angle. For the first time, this information will be used to study global vegetation water dynamics to better understand the role of vegetation in the water, energy and carbon cycles.

Participating organisations

Delft University of Technology
Netherlands eScience Center
Netherlands Space Office
Dutch Research Council
Environment & Sustainability

Output

Team

SS
Susan Steele-Dunne
Principal investigator
Delft University of Technology
Ou Ku
Ou Ku
Lead Engineer
Netherlands eScience Center
Meiert Grootes
Meiert Grootes
eScience Research Engineer
Netherlands eScience Center
Sonja Georgievska
Sonja Georgievska
Francesco Nattino
Francesco Nattino
Yifat Dzigan
Yifat Dzigan
eScience Coordinator
Netherlands eScience Center
Niels  Drost
Niels Drost
Programme Manager
Netherlands eScience Center

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