@article{AtaeeMaghsoudiLatifietal.2019, author = {Ataee, Mohammad Sadegh and Maghsoudi, Yasser and Latifi, Hooman and Fadaie, Farhad}, title = {Improving estimation accuracy of growing stock by multi-frequency SAR and multi-spectral data over Iran's heterogeneously-structured broadleaf Hyrcanian forests}, series = {Forests}, volume = {10}, journal = {Forests}, number = {8}, issn = {1999-4907}, doi = {10.3390/f10080641}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197212}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Via providing various ecosystem services, the old-growth Hyrcanian forests play a crucial role in the environment and anthropogenic aspects of Iran and beyond. The amount of growing stock volume (GSV) is a forest biophysical parameter with great importance in issues like economy, environmental protection, and adaptation to climate change. Thus, accurate and unbiased estimation of GSV is also crucial to be pursued across the Hyrcanian. Our goal was to investigate the potential of ALOS-2 and Sentinel-1's polarimetric features in combination with Sentinel-2 multi-spectral features for the GSV estimation in a portion of heterogeneously-structured and mountainous Hyrcanian forests. We used five different kernels by the support vector regression (nu-SVR) for the GSV estimation. Because each kernel differently models the parameters, we separately selected features for each kernel by a binary genetic algorithm (GA). We simultaneously optimized R\(^2\) and RMSE in a suggested GA fitness function. We calculated R\(^2\), RMSE to evaluate the models. We additionally calculated the standard deviation of validation metrics to estimate the model's stability. Also for models over-fitting or under-fitting analysis, we used mean difference (MD) index. The results suggested the use of polynomial kernel as the final model. Despite multiple methodical challenges raised from the composition and structure of the study site, we conclude that the combined use of polarimetric features (both dual and full) with spectral bands and indices can improve the GSV estimation over mixed broadleaf forests. This was partially supported by the use of proposed evaluation criterion within the GA, which helped to avoid the curse of dimensionality for the applied SVR and lowest over estimation or under estimation.}, language = {en} } @article{MayrKuenzerGessneretal.2019, author = {Mayr, Stefan and Kuenzer, Claudia and Gessner, Ursula and Klein, Igor and Rutzinger, Martin}, title = {Validation of earth observation time-series: a review for large-area and temporally dense land surface products}, series = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {11}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, number = {22}, issn = {2072-4292}, doi = {10.3390/rs11222616}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193202}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Large-area remote sensing time-series offer unique features for the extensive investigation of our environment. Since various error sources in the acquisition chain of datasets exist, only properly validated results can be of value for research and downstream decision processes. This review presents an overview of validation approaches concerning temporally dense time-series of land surface geo-information products that cover the continental to global scale. Categorization according to utilized validation data revealed that product intercomparisons and comparison to reference data are the conventional validation methods. The reviewed studies are mainly based on optical sensors and orientated towards global coverage, with vegetation-related variables as the focus. Trends indicate an increase in remote sensing-based studies that feature long-term datasets of land surface variables. The hereby corresponding validation efforts show only minor methodological diversification in the past two decades. To sustain comprehensive and standardized validation efforts, the provision of spatiotemporally dense validation data in order to estimate actual differences between measurement and the true state has to be maintained. The promotion of novel approaches can, on the other hand, prove beneficial for various downstream applications, although typically only theoretical uncertainties are provided.}, language = {en} } @article{AbdullahiWesselHuberetal.2019, author = {Abdullahi, Sahra and Wessel, Birgit and Huber, Martin and Wendleder, Anna and Roth, Achim and Kuenzer, Claudia}, title = {Estimating penetration-related X-band InSAR elevation bias: a study over the Greenland ice sheet}, series = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {11}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, number = {24}, issn = {2072-4292}, doi = {10.3390/rs11242903}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193902}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Accelerating melt on the Greenland ice sheet leads to dramatic changes at a global scale. Especially in the last decades, not only the monitoring, but also the quantification of these changes has gained considerably in importance. In this context, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) systems complement existing data sources by their capability to acquire 3D information at high spatial resolution over large areas independent of weather conditions and illumination. However, penetration of the SAR signals into the snow and ice surface leads to a bias in measured height, which has to be corrected to obtain accurate elevation data. Therefore, this study purposes an easy transferable pixel-based approach for X-band penetration-related elevation bias estimation based on single-pass interferometric coherence and backscatter intensity which was performed at two test sites on the Northern Greenland ice sheet. In particular, the penetration bias was estimated using a multiple linear regression model based on TanDEM-X InSAR data and IceBridge laser-altimeter measurements to correct TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model (DEM) scenes. Validation efforts yielded good agreement between observations and estimations with a coefficient of determination of R\(^2\) = 68\% and an RMSE of 0.68 m. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the benefits of X-band penetration bias estimation within the application context of ice sheet elevation change detection.}, language = {en} } @article{TrappeKneisel2019, author = {Trappe, Julian and Kneisel, Christof}, title = {Geophysical and sedimentological investigations of Peatlands for the assessment of lithology and subsurface water pathways}, series = {Geosciences}, volume = {9}, journal = {Geosciences}, number = {3}, doi = {10.3390/geosciences9030118}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201699}, pages = {118}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Peatlands located on slopes (herein called slope bogs) are typical landscape units in the Hunsrueck, a low mountain range in Southwestern Germany. The pathways of the water feeding the slope bogs have not yet been documented and analyzed. The identification of the different mechanisms allowing these peatlands to originate and survive requires a better understanding of the subsurface lithology and hydrogeology. Hence, we applied a multi-method approach to two case study sites in order to characterize the subsurface lithology and to image the variable spatio-temporal hydrological conditions. The combination of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and an ERT-Monitoring and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), in conjunction with direct methods and data (borehole drilling and meteorological data), allowed us to gain deeper insights into the subsurface characteristics and dynamics of the peatlands and their catchment area. The precipitation influences the hydrology of the peatlands as well as the interflow in the subsurface. Especially, the geoelectrical monitoring data, in combination with the precipitation and temperature data, indicate that there are several forces driving the hydrology and hydrogeology of the peatlands. While the water content of the uppermost layers changes with the weather conditions, the bottom layer seems to be more stable and changes to a lesser extent. At the selected case study sites, small differences in subsurface properties can have a huge impact on the subsurface hydrogeology and the water paths. Based on the collected data, conceptual models have been deduced for the two case study sites.}, language = {en} } @article{LandmannSchrammColditzetal.2010, author = {Landmann, Tobias and Schramm, Matthias and Colditz, Rene R. and Dietz, Andreas and Dech, Stefan}, title = {Wide Area Wetland Mapping in Semi-Arid Africa Using 250-Meter MODIS Metrics and Topographic Variables}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-68628}, year = {2010}, abstract = {Wetlands in West Africa are among the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change. West African wetlands are often freshwater transfer mechanisms from wetter climate regions to dryer areas, providing an array of ecosystem services and functions. Often wetland-specific data in Africa is only available on a per country basis or as point data. Since wetlands are challenging to map, their accuracies are not well considered in global land cover products. In this paper we describe a methodology to map wetlands using well-corrected 250-meter MODIS time-series data for the year 2002 and over a 360,000 km2 large study area in western Burkina Faso and southern Mali (West Africa). A MODIS-based spectral index table is used to map basic wetland morphology classes. The index uses the wet season near infrared (NIR) metrics as a surrogate for flooding, as a function of the dry season chlorophyll activity metrics (as NDVI). Topographic features such as sinks and streamline areas were used to mask areas where wetlands can potentially occur, and minimize spectral confusion. 30-m Landsat trajectories from the same year, over two reference sites, were used for accuracy assessment, which considered the area-proportion of each class mapped in Landsat for every MODIS cell. We were able to map a total of five wetland categories. Aerial extend of all mapped wetlands (class "Wetland") is 9,350 km2, corresponding to 4.3\% of the total study area size. The classes "No wetland"/"Wetland" could be separated with very high certainty; the overall agreement (KHAT) was 84.2\% (0.67) and 97.9\% (0.59) for the two reference sites, respectively. The methodology described herein can be employed to render wide area base line information on wetland distributions in semi-arid West Africa, as a data-scarce region. The results can provide (spatially) interoperable information feeds for inter-zonal as well as local scale water assessments.}, subject = {Geologie}, language = {en} } @article{ConradFritschZeidleretal.2010, author = {Conrad, Christopher and Fritsch, Sebastian and Zeidler, Julian and R{\"u}cker, Gerd and Dech, Stefan}, title = {Per-Field Irrigated Crop Classification in Arid Central Asia Using SPOT and ASTER Data}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-68630}, year = {2010}, abstract = {The overarching goal of this research was to explore accurate methods of mapping irrigated crops, where digital cadastre information is unavailable: (a) Boundary separation by object-oriented image segmentation using very high spatial resolution (2.5-5 m) data was followed by (b) identification of crops and crop rotations by means of phenology, tasselled cap, and rule-based classification using high resolution (15-30 m) bi-temporal data. The extensive irrigated cotton production system of the Khorezm province in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, was selected as a study region. Image segmentation was carried out on pan-sharpened SPOT data. Varying combinations of segmentation parameters (shape, compactness, and color) were tested for optimized boundary separation. The resulting geometry was validated against polygons digitized from the data and cadastre maps, analysing similarity (size, shape) and congruence. The parameters shape and compactness were decisive for segmentation accuracy. Differences between crop phenologies were analyzed at field level using bi-temporal ASTER data. A rule set based on the tasselled cap indices greenness and brightness allowed for classifying crop rotations of cotton, winter-wheat and rice, resulting in an overall accuracy of 80 \%. The proposed field-based crop classification method can be an important tool for use in water demand estimations, crop yield simulations, or economic models in agricultural systems similar to Khorezm.}, subject = {Geologie}, language = {en} } @article{Sponholz1994, author = {Sponholz, Barbara}, title = {Silicate karst associated with lateritic formations (examples from eastern Niger)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-53852}, year = {1994}, abstract = {Silicate and iron crust karst pits and sinkholes in eastern Niger are filled with reworked lateritic sediments or with unconsolidated palaeosoils and aeolian deposits. The fillings facies depend on the environmental conditions during deposition. Geomorphological and sedimentological studies on the karst fillings and the interpretation of various karst/filling associations allow an approach to the chronology of landscape development in eastern Niger plateaus.}, subject = {Geographie}, language = {en} } @article{SponholzBaumhauerFelixHennignsen1993, author = {Sponholz, Barbara and Baumhauer, Roland and Felix-Hennignsen, P.}, title = {Fulgurites in the southern central Sahara, Republic of Niger and their palaeoenvironmental significance}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-63337}, year = {1993}, abstract = {The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of fulgurites ( = natural glasses forrned by lightning strikes to the ground) from the southern Centrat Sahara (Niger) are presented. The fulgurites are indicators of thunderstorms. The northernmost important fulgurite formation in the study area reached up to about l8°N, with decreasing fulgurite concentration from south to north. Their distribution pattern and the relative dating of their formation in relation to Iandscape history from the Late Pleistocene onwards (e.g., palaeolakes, palaeosols), and to Neolithic settlement reveals their value as palaeoenvironmental indicators. They indicate: (1) local palaeoenvironmental conditions depending on the topographical situation in a complex dune relief; (2) climatic change during the mid-Holocene from northerly rains to southerly rains; and (3) the northernmost Iimit of important thunderstorrns and rainfall activity since this time in the southern Centrat Sahara.}, subject = {Sahara}, language = {en} } @article{KlemdMatthesSchuessler1994, author = {Klemd, R. and Matthes, S. and Sch{\"u}ssler, Ulrich}, title = {Reaction textures and fluid behaviour in very high-pressure calc-silicate rocks of the M{\"u}nchberg gneiss complex, Bavaria, Germany}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-31035}, year = {1994}, abstract = {Calc-silicate rocks occur as elliptical bands and boudins intimately interlayered with eclogites and high-pressure gneisses in the Munchberg gneiss complex of NE Bavaria. Core assemblages of the boudins consist of grossular-rich garnet, diopside, quartz, zoisite, clinozoisite, calcite, rutile and titanite. The polygonal granoblastic texture commonly displays mineral relics and reaction textures such as postkinematic grossular-rich garnet coronas. Reactions between these mineral phases have been modelled in the CaO-Al203-Si02-C02-H2 0 system with an internally consistent thermodynamic data base. High-pressure metamorphism in the calc-silicate rocks has been estimated at a minimum pressure of 31 kbar at a temperature of 630°C with X^oSQ.Gi. Small volumes of a C02-N2-rich fluid whose composition was buffered on a local scale were present at peak-metamorphic conditions. The P-T conditions for the onset of the amphibolite facies overprint are about 10 kbar at the same temperature. A'co., of the H20-rich fluid phase is regarded to have been <0.03 during amphibolite facies conditions. These P-T estimates are interpreted as representing different stages of recrystallization during isothermal decompression. The presence of multiple generations of mineral phases and the preservation of very high-pressure relics in single thin sections preclude pervasive post-peak metamorphic fluid flow as a cause of a re-equilibration within the calc-silicates. The preservation of eclogite facies, very high-pressure relics as well as amphibolite facies reactions textures in the presence of a fluid phase is in agreement with fast, tectonically driven unroofing of these rocks.}, language = {en} } @article{DechHolzwarthAsametal.2021, author = {Dech, Stefan and Holzwarth, Stefanie and Asam, Sarah and Andresen, Thorsten and Bachmann, Martin and Boettcher, Martin and Dietz, Andreas and Eisfelder, Christina and Frey, Corinne and Gesell, Gerhard and Gessner, Ursula and Hirner, Andreas and Hofmann, Matthias and Kirches, Grit and Klein, Doris and Klein, Igor and Kraus, Tanja and Krause, Detmar and Plank, Simon and Popp, Thomas and Reinermann, Sophie and Reiners, Philipp and Roessler, Sebastian and Ruppert, Thomas and Scherbachenko, Alexander and Vignesh, Ranjitha and Wolfmueller, Meinhard and Zwenzner, Hendrik and Kuenzer, Claudia}, title = {Potential and challenges of harmonizing 40 years of AVHRR data: the TIMELINE experience}, series = {Remote Sensing}, volume = {13}, journal = {Remote Sensing}, number = {18}, issn = {2072-4292}, doi = {10.3390/rs13183618}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246134}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Earth Observation satellite data allows for the monitoring of the surface of our planet at predefined intervals covering large areas. However, there is only one medium resolution sensor family in orbit that enables an observation time span of 40 and more years at a daily repeat interval. This is the AVHRR sensor family. If we want to investigate the long-term impacts of climate change on our environment, we can only do so based on data that remains available for several decades. If we then want to investigate processes with respect to climate change, we need very high temporal resolution enabling the generation of long-term time series and the derivation of related statistical parameters such as mean, variability, anomalies, and trends. The challenges to generating a well calibrated and harmonized 40-year-long time series based on AVHRR sensor data flown on 14 different platforms are enormous. However, only extremely thorough pre-processing and harmonization ensures that trends found in the data are real trends and not sensor-related (or other) artefacts. The generation of European-wide time series as a basis for the derivation of a multitude of parameters is therefore an extremely challenging task, the details of which are presented in this paper.}, language = {en} }