Tandem-L: A Mission Proposal for Monitoring Dynamic Earth Processes A. Moreira, G. Krieger, M. Younis, I. Hajnsek, K. Papathanassiou, M. Eineder, P. Dekker, F. De Zan German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Dynamic Processes on the Earth Surface Deforestation, Degradation, Fires* (REDD) Forest Biomasse Change* Biodiversity Earthquakes Volcanic Activities Land Slides Sea Ice Extent* Permafrost* Glacier & Ice Cap Dynamics* Soil Moisture* Flooding Ocean Currents* *) Essential Climate Variables
Carbon Balance and Vegetation The terrestrial carbon is the greatest unknown in the carbon cycle 6.4 ± 0.4 3.2 ± 0.1 =Σ Carbon accumulation in the atmosphere Sink Sources Fossil fuels 1.6 ± 1.1 Land use change Ocean sink 2.2 ± 0.4 Unknown terrestrial sink Numbers in Billions of Tons Carbon / Year (IPCC) 2.6 ± 1.7
Forest and Carbon Biomass and the spatial distribution of carbon (50% of the biomass is Carbon) Global biomass distribution and its dynamic are widely unknown! Amazon basin the estimation ranges from 39 to 93 GtC
3-D Structure Mode Polarimetric Backscattering Polarimetric SAR Interferometry (Pol-InSAR) 3-D D Forest Structure Forest height and Biomass Tomography
Forest Height Estimation (3D Structure Mode) Pol-InSAR Forest Height [m] Forest Height (in Situ) [m]
Traunstein Test Site Forest type Temperate Topography Moderate slopes 2003 Oct. Height 25 ~ 35m Species N. Spruce, E. Beech, White Fir Biomass 40 ~ 450 t/ha 50 40 30 20 10 HV Amplitude Image 0m Pol-InSAR Forest Height Elevation Model
Traunstein Test Site 2003 Oct. 2008 June 50 40 30 20 10 0m
Biomass Estimation from Height + Structure Profile Decomposition (Series Expansion) Combination of Multiple Single-Pass Interferograms f(z) pass 1 Example (Testsite Bayerischer Wald) pass 2
Structure - Biomass Allometry B = 3.11 H 3 i= 0 j= 1 a P j j a 1 a 2 a 3 Nationalpark Bayrischer Wald Ebersberger Forst Bürgerwald Traunstein Three Legendre polynomials explain the 92% of the total biomass!!! VU 10 > Autor Name
Dynamic Processes on the Earth Surface Deforestation, Degradation, Fires* (REDD) Forest Biomasse Change* Biodiversity Earthquakes Volcanic Activities Land Slides Sea Ice Extent* Permafrost* Glacier & Ice Cap Dynamics* Soil Moisture* Flooding Ocean Currents* *) Essential Climate Variables
Deformation Mode Earthquakes measurement of deformations of mm cm Volcanoes λ/2 12 cm Subsidence Land & Sea Ice systematic multi-temporal acquisitions (image stacks)
Cryosphere: Ice Motion and Topography of Glaciers ICESAT GRACE 15 km trackdistance at equator CryoSAT-2 > 200 km spatial resolution TanDEM-X 15 km x 250 m spatial resolution 1 year for global coverage Tandem-L 3 10 m resolution weekly coverage Tandem-L provides unique & complementary information: 3D Ice flow Ice Structure DEM weekly coverage, high resolution Courtesy: Ian Joughin
Hydrosphere: Soil Moisture SMOS SMAP 50 40 35 km resolution 10-40 km resolution 30 20 Tandem-L 3 10 m resolution weekly coverage Tandem-L provides unique & complementary information: soil moisture water level changes river & ocean currents weekly coverage & high resolution 10 0 [vol.%]
Mission Concept
Radar System Concepts at start of DLR/JPL collaboration Planar Array with Digital Beamforming Reflector with Analog Beamforming
Digital Beamforming with Reflector Antennas digital feed array with T/R modules
Digital Beamforming with Reflector Antennas digital feed array with T/R modules
Digital Beamforming with Reflector Antennas
Tandem-L Science Products Resolution Revisit Biosphere Forest height Above ground biomass Vertical forest structure 20-50 m 16 days - seasonal Plate tectonics Geo-/ Lithosphere Volcanoes Landslides 5-100 m weekly Deformation Glacier flow weekly Soil moisture weekly Cryo- & Hydrosphere Water level change Snow water equivalent 50-500 m on demand seasonal Ice structure Change seasonal Ocean Currents weekly Global Digital Terrain and surface model 20-50 m yearly
Dynamic Earth Monitoring and Climate Change Tandem-L: A proposal for a radar mission for environmental and climate change research