Introduction

Data products from NASA's Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) are used in many different applications. They play an important role in modeling, help to detect changes to the landscape, and are a way to assess ecosystem variables, to name a few. A few of those applications, published between October and December 2015, are highlighted below. 

Tsunami Damage to Rice Crops

In the study "Assessing rice crop damage and restoration using remote sensing in tsunami-affected areas, Japan" published in the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, Chen and others (2015) use Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data to evaluate rice crop damage and recovery after the 2011 tsunami in Japan.

Science Objectives

On March 11, 2011, an offshore, magnitude 9 earthquake caused a tsunami that inundated much of Japan’s coastline. To analyze the impact on inland rice crop fields in regions south of Miyagi from before and after the tsunami, the authors of this study created a time-series enhanced vegetation index 2 (EVI2) data using MODIS surface reflectance data (MOD09Q1 and MOD09A1). Additionally, the authors used ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) (ASTGTM), Landsat imagery, land use and tsunami-affected maps, and government statistics to analyze the EVI2 data created.

Instruments Used

• MODIS MOD09Q1, MOD09A1
• ASTER GDEM (ASTGTM)
• Landsat imagery

Major Findings

The study reports that the tsunami affected approximately 17,550 hectares of rice crops. Some of these areas were restored in the year after the tsunami; however, restoration efforts appeared to slow in 2012, most likely due to a government mandate to not replant in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Identifying the amount and extent of damaged and restored rice crop can help land and agricultural planners understand the impacts of the tsunami.

References

Publication Reference

Chen, C., Son, N., Chen, C., Cho, K., Hsiao, Y., Chiang, S., and Chang, L., 2015, Assessing rice crop damage and restoration using remote sensing in tsunami-affected areas, Japan: Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, v. 9, no. 1. doi:10.1117/1.JRS.9.096002.

Analyzing Dunes in Namibia and Kalahari

In the study "A morphometric comparison of the Namib and southwest Kalahari dunefields using ASTER GDEM data" published in Aeolian Research, White and others (2015) use ASTER GDEM data to compare sand dune spacing and height in the Namib and Kalahari dunefields.

Science Objectives

Remote sensing data may be used to analyze sand dune characteristics of vast sand seas. This study compares the height and spacing of simple linear sand dunes found in two regions of Namibia; the actively moving dunes in the Namib Sand Sea and the fixed dunes in the Kalahari dunefield.

Instruments Used

ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) (ASTGTM) 

Major Findings

The study first determined that ASTER GDEM produces comparable measurements of sand dune height and cross sectional area compared to in-field Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) surveys. Next, the study uses ASTER GDEM to analyze patterns of dune height and spacing for both study areas. The results of the study show that the spacing of sand dunes in the two study areas is similar; however, the Kalahari dunes are generally shorter than the dunes of the Namib Sand Sea. The authors found that by utilizing ASTER GDEM data to analyze sand dune height and spacing across an entire dunefield, they discovered different patterns and relationships than those reported in previous studies.

References

Publication Reference

White, K., Bullard, J., Livingstone, I., & Moran, L., 2015, A morphometric comparison of the Namib and southwest Kalahari dunefields using ASTER GDEM data: Aeolian Research, v. 19, part A, 87–95. doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2015.09.006. 

Image References

Granule IDs

• ASTGTM2_S24E018_dem
• ASTGTM2_S25E015_dem
• ASTGTM2_S25E018_dem
• ASTGTM2_S26E015_dem

Groundwater and Vegetation in China

In the study "Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Water Table and Vegetation Status of a Deserted Area" published in Water, Duan and others (2015) use MODIS normalized difference vegetation index and Landsat data to study how groundwater fluctuations affect vegetation in the Horquin Sandy Land in Northern China.

Science Objectives

In arid regions, groundwater availability is the main limiting resource for vegetation. This study examines the relationship of water table height and vegetation over a six-year study period (2003–2009) in a 9.71 square kilometer region of the Horquin Sandy Land. The authors analyzed the effect of several factors upon the water table and the effect of the water table upon various land cover types: meadowland, sandy dunes, and intermediate transitional zones.

Instruments Used

• MODIS NDVI (MOD31Q1)
• Landsat 4–5 Thematic Mapper

Major Findings

The results of the study indicate that regions where the water table was closest to the surface tended to have higher maximum NDVI and that fluctuations to the water table had the greatest effect upon meadowlands and transitional zones but had the least effect upon sandy dunes.

References

Publication Reference

Duan, L., Liu, T., Wang, X., Luo, Y., 2015, Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Water Table and Vegetation Status of a Deserted Area. Water, 7, 5788–5805. doi:10.3390/w7105788.