IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2015 - 11

available by the TanDEM-X mission
[32], [33].
Forests: Especially for forest applications Tandem-L has the potential to
initialize a new era providing products that allows a systematic monitoring of natural and anthropogenic
forest change processes:
* Forest structure: Global forest
3-D mapping with a voxel size
of 10 # 50 # 50 m3 twice a year
in order to monitor annual and
seasonal forest structure changes.
Tandem-L will allow for the first
time ever to map the vertical forest structure and to monitor seasonal and annual variation globDeformation [mm/year]
ally with a high spatial resolution.
This will enable to map for the
-60
60
first time the (vertical) complexity
Figure 2. Subsidence map of the city of Semarang and its surroundings, Java, Indoneand diversity of Earth's forest ecosia due to groundwater and gas extraction estimated from ALOS/PalSAR (L-band) time
systems and to assess the extent
series acquisitions along a period of a year.
and intensity of forest structural
disturbances [13], [14].
* Forest height: Annual global forest height mapping
* Mapping of the spatial variability of soil moisture
with accuracy better than 10% on a 50 # 50 m2 grid.
with an accuracy of the order of 10% on a 50 # 50 m2
An example of forest monitoring over a period of 10
grid with the highest possible temporal resolution
years by means of forest height maps - of the same/
(1-4 days). An example derived from data acquired
similar specification as the ones expected from Tanby DLR's airborne E-SAR is shown in the lower left
dem-L - is shown in Figure 3.
panel of Figure 4.
* Forest biomass: Annual global (above ground) forest
* Monitoring changes in soil moisture on a 50 #
biomass mapping with accuracy better than 20% (or
50 m2 grid. Tandem-L will provide for the first time
better than 20 t/ha for biomass levels below 100 t/ha)
soil moisture measurements over large areas with
on a 70 # 70 m2 grid. Tandem-L will measure biomass
a spatial resolution appropriate to monitor spatial
and temporal patterns of soil moisture at local
and its seasonal and yearly variation with unprecscales and to develop methods and products for the
edented accuracy and spatial resolution on a global
support of future dedicated monitoring configurascale. This is a key contribution to the uncertainties in
tions [15], [16], [17].
the terrestrial components of the carbon cycle [12].
7) Land ice and permafrost areas are both key compoWetlands are highly vulnerable critical habitats and
nents of the cryosphere. By measuring ice motion and
play a critical role in regional green-house gas balance:
ice topography, Tandem-L will deliver critical informa* Wetland inundation maps on a monthly to quartion for estimating ice mass balance. At the same time
terly basis especially from coastal regions and major
by mapping the (near surface) permafrost extent, Tanriver basins with a spatial resolution 1 10 m.
dem-L will provide information crucial for better un* Annual pan-tropical mangrove extent with a
derstanding dynamics and hydrology in the Arctic [18],
spatial resolution 1 10 m.
[19], [20].
Agriculture maps (pasture):
* Mapping of (all) paddy rice fields with an accuracy
* Glacier velocity globally with an accuracy of 102 30% and a 3 m spatial resolution every 16 days
20% on a spatial resolution of 10 # 10 m2 (3 # 3 m2
during the growth period.
for fast moving glaciers) on a weekly basis.
* All remaining agricultural areas globally with a 10
* Ice structure: Global ice 3-D mapping with a voxel
m spatial resolution every 8 days for deriving crop
size of 10 # 100 # 100 m3 on a seasonal basis. An
calendars (aimed with an accuracy of 10 days on an
example of vertical transect across the Austfonna
annual basis) and crop classification maps with an
ice cap in Svalbard revealing the firn and ice layers
accuracy 2 60%.
derived using tomographic techniques from data
Soil moisture for defined hydrologically relevant sites/
acquired along five tracks by DLR's airborne E-SAR
areas:
is shown in Figure 5.

june 2015

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2015