SAR Subsets for Selected Field Sites, 2007-2010

From 2007 to 2010, this dataset provides Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images for 42 selected terrestrial ecology and meteorological monitoring sites. The scenes are from the PALSAR sensor on the ALOS satellite, formatted as 15-meter resolution GeoTIFFs in UTM/WGS-84 projection. Images are subset to approximately 60 km x 70 km areas centered on established field sites from networks like FLUXNET, Ameriflux, LTER, and GC-Net.

Use Cases

• Land use/land cover classification based on dual-polarization (HH/HV) SAR imagery.
• Vegetation monitoring and phenology studies using the distinct spectral response of vegetation in SAR data.
• Geospatial analysis of ecological sites using the provided UTM projection and 15-meter spatial resolution.
• Cross-validation of in-situ ecological measurements from FLUXNET or Ameriflux with satellite-derived radar data.

Strengths

• Covers 42 specific, established field sites from major monitoring networks.
• Provides consistent 15-meter spatial resolution and standardized GeoTIFF/UTM projection.
• Includes dual-polarization (HH/HV) Fine Beam Double Polarization (FBD) data from the PALSAR sensor.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is medium; specific column names and exact row/image counts are not provided.
• The temporal coverage (2007-2010) is not recent, limiting analysis of current conditions.
• A conflict exists in 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2010 vs. 2026).

Provenance

Source

PALSAR sensor on the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS), processed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via Synthetic Aperture Radar.

Time Range

2007-2010

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:45:43.091752

Geography

42 selected sites globally, from networks including FLUXNET, Ameriflux, LTER, and GC-Net.