Interannual variability in North American grassland biomass/productivity detected by SeaWinds scatterometer backscatter

Authors

Steve Frolking, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow
Mark Fahnestock, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow
Tom Milliman, University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
Kyle McDonald, California Institute of Technology
John Kimball, University of Montana, Missoula

Abstract

We analyzed 2000–2004 growing-season SeaWinds Ku-band microwave backscatter and MODIS leaf area index (LAI) data over North America. Large anomalies in mid-growing-season mean backscatter and LAI, relative to 5-year mean values, occurred primarily in the western Great Plains; backscatter and LAI anomalies had similar spatial patterns across this region. Backscatter and LAI time series data for three ∼10³ km² regions in the western Great Plains were strongly correlated (r² ∼ 0.6–0.8), and variability in mid-growing season values was well-correlated with annual precipitation (October through September). The results indicate that SeaWinds backscatter is sensitive to interannual variability in grassland biomass/productivity, and can provide an assessment that is completely independent of optical/near-infrared remote sensing instruments.

Department

Earth Sciences, Earth Systems Research Center

Publication Date

11-2005

Journal Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Publisher

Wiley

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1029/2005GL024230

Document Type

Article

Recommended Citation

Frolking, S., M. Fahnestock, T. Milliman, K. McDonald, and J. Kimball (2005), Interannual variability in North American grassland biomass/productivity detected by SeaWinds scatterometer backscatter, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L21409, doi:10.1029/2005GL024230.

Rights

Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.