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BIOME: An Ecosystem Remote Sensor Based on Imaging InterferometryUntil recent times, optical remote sensing of ecosystem properties from space has been limited to broad band multispectral scanners such as Landsat and AVHRR. While these sensor data can be used to derive important information about ecosystem parameters, they are very limited for measuring key biogeochemical cycling parameters such as the chemical content of plant canopies. Such parameters, for example the lignin and nitrogen contents, are potentially amenable to measurements by very high spectral resolution instruments using a spectroscopic approach. Airborne sensors based on grating imaging spectrometers gave the first promise of such potential but the recent decision not to deploy the space version has left the community without many alternatives. In the past few years, advancements in high performance deep well digital sensor arrays coupled with a patented design for a two-beam interferometer has produced an entirely new design for acquiring imaging spectroscopic data at the signal to noise levels necessary for quantitatively estimating chemical composition (1000:1 at 2 microns). This design has been assembled as a laboratory instrument and the principles demonstrated for acquiring remote scenes. An airborne instrument is in production and spaceborne sensors being proposed. The instrument is extremely promising because of its low cost, lower power requirements, very low weight, simplicity (no moving parts), and high performance. For these reasons, we have called it the first instrument optimized for ecosystem studies as part of a Biological Imaging and Observation Mission to Earth (BIOME).
Document ID
20010114275
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Peterson, David L.
Hammer, Philip
Smith, William H.
Lawless, James G.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1994
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Meeting Information
Meeting: VI International Congress of Ecology
Location: Manchester
Country: United Kingdom
Start Date: August 20, 1994
End Date: August 26, 1994
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 462-43-66-10
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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