Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion

Abstract Drylands are critical in regulating global carbon sequestration, but the resiliency of these semi‐arid shrub, grassland and forest systems is under threat from global warming and intensifying water stress. We used synergistic satellite optical‐Infrared (IR) and microwave remote sensing obse...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: J. Du, J. S. Kimball, J. S. Guo, S. A. Kannenberg, W. K. Smith, A. Feldman, A. Endsley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-11-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110385
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849773172841250816
author J. Du
J. S. Kimball
J. S. Guo
S. A. Kannenberg
W. K. Smith
A. Feldman
A. Endsley
author_facet J. Du
J. S. Kimball
J. S. Guo
S. A. Kannenberg
W. K. Smith
A. Feldman
A. Endsley
author_sort J. Du
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Drylands are critical in regulating global carbon sequestration, but the resiliency of these semi‐arid shrub, grassland and forest systems is under threat from global warming and intensifying water stress. We used synergistic satellite optical‐Infrared (IR) and microwave remote sensing observations to quantify plant‐to‐stand level vegetation water potentials and seasonal changes in dryland water stress in the southwestern U.S. Machine‐learning was employed to re‐construct global satellite microwave vegetation optical depth (VOD) retrievals to 500‐m resolution. The re‐constructed results were able to delineate diverse vegetation conditions undetectable from the original 25‐km VOD record, and showed overall favorable correspondence with in situ plant water potential measurements (R from 0.60 to 0.78). The VOD water potential estimates effectively tracked plant water storage changes from hydro‐climate variability over diverse sub‐regions. The re‐constructed VOD record improves satellite capabilities for monitoring the storage and movement of water across the soil‐vegetation‐atmosphere continuum in heterogeneous drylands.
format Article
id doaj-art-009d9d1fed3a4d9d8ae6bdb2e38af2e4
institution DOAJ
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-009d9d1fed3a4d9d8ae6bdb2e38af2e42025-08-20T03:02:07ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-11-015121n/an/a10.1029/2024GL110385Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor FusionJ. Du0J. S. Kimball1J. S. Guo2S. A. Kannenberg3W. K. Smith4A. Feldman5A. Endsley6Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group University of Montana Missoula MT USANumerical Terradynamic Simulation Group University of Montana Missoula MT USAHixon Center for Climate and the Environment & Biology Department Harvey Mudd College Claremont CA USADepartment of Biology West Virginia University Morgantown WV USASchool of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USABiospheric Sciences Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USANumerical Terradynamic Simulation Group University of Montana Missoula MT USAAbstract Drylands are critical in regulating global carbon sequestration, but the resiliency of these semi‐arid shrub, grassland and forest systems is under threat from global warming and intensifying water stress. We used synergistic satellite optical‐Infrared (IR) and microwave remote sensing observations to quantify plant‐to‐stand level vegetation water potentials and seasonal changes in dryland water stress in the southwestern U.S. Machine‐learning was employed to re‐construct global satellite microwave vegetation optical depth (VOD) retrievals to 500‐m resolution. The re‐constructed results were able to delineate diverse vegetation conditions undetectable from the original 25‐km VOD record, and showed overall favorable correspondence with in situ plant water potential measurements (R from 0.60 to 0.78). The VOD water potential estimates effectively tracked plant water storage changes from hydro‐climate variability over diverse sub‐regions. The re‐constructed VOD record improves satellite capabilities for monitoring the storage and movement of water across the soil‐vegetation‐atmosphere continuum in heterogeneous drylands.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110385VODsatellitemachine learningvegetation water potential
spellingShingle J. Du
J. S. Kimball
J. S. Guo
S. A. Kannenberg
W. K. Smith
A. Feldman
A. Endsley
Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion
Geophysical Research Letters
VOD
satellite
machine learning
vegetation water potential
title Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion
title_full Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion
title_fullStr Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion
title_full_unstemmed Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion
title_short Enhanced Satellite Monitoring of Dryland Vegetation Water Potential Through Multi‐Source Sensor Fusion
title_sort enhanced satellite monitoring of dryland vegetation water potential through multi source sensor fusion
topic VOD
satellite
machine learning
vegetation water potential
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110385
work_keys_str_mv AT jdu enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion
AT jskimball enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion
AT jsguo enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion
AT sakannenberg enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion
AT wksmith enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion
AT afeldman enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion
AT aendsley enhancedsatellitemonitoringofdrylandvegetationwaterpotentialthroughmultisourcesensorfusion