Water level within wetlands marshes using SAR instruments and Electromagnetic models
XIII Simpósio Brasileiro de Sensoriamento Remoto, Florianópolis, Brasil, 21-26 abril 2007, INPE, p. 4915-4917.
The general goal of our current studies in radar remote sensing of wetlands is to better understand how variations in climate and anthropogenic factors influence the hydrologic condition of coastal wetland in Argentina and to develop tools to improve the capability to map and monitor these ecosystems through the use of C and L band spaceborne imaging radars. The final objective is to contribute with reliable information for hydrologic process modeling.
Imaging radars have distinct characteristics which make them of significant value for monitoring and mapping wetland conditions. The microwave energy transmitted by the radar penetrates the vegetation canopy, and the backscattered energy detected is mainly the result of electromagnetic interactions of a combination of vegetation structure and soil condition. The presence or absence of water in wetlands (which have a much higher dielectric constant than dry or wet soil) significantly alters the signal detected from these areas. The ability of radar observations to provide information about vegetation structure and soil condition (water level below the canopy) has driven the current research on the use of radar instruments and techniques for wetland mapping and monitoring (Grings et al., 2006, Wdowinski et al., 2006).
Key words: wetlands, radar, electromagnetic models