Tandem-L: A Mission Proposal for Monitoring
            Dynamic Earth Processes

A. Moreira, G. Krieger, M. Younis, I. Hajnsek , K. Papathanassiou,
                   M. Eineder, P. Dekker, F. De Zan

              German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Dynamic Processes on the Earth Surface

 Deforestation, Degradation, Fires* (REDD)
                              Forest Biomasse Change*
                                         Biodiversity

    Earthquakes
   Volcanic Activities
       Land Slides

         Sea Ice Extent*
                           Permafrost*
                   Glacier & Ice Cap Dynamics*

  Soil Moisture*
    Flooding
                                                        *) Essential Climate
                               Ocean Currents*
                                                           Variables
Carbon Balance and Vegetation
  The terrestrial carbon is the greatest unknown in the carbon cycle

                                               6.4 ± 0.4




           3.2 ± 0.1




                                     Sources
                                                           1.6 ± 1.1
                                                                                   Unknown




                       =Σ
                                                                       Ocean       terrestrial
                                                                        sink          sink

             Carbon                             Fossil     Land use
         accumulation in                         fuels      change
                                     Sink


         the atmosphere
                                                                       2.2 ± 0.4

                                                                                    2.6 ± 1.7
         Numbers in Billions of Tons – Carbon / Year (IPCC)
Forest and Carbon
 Biomass and the spatial distribution of carbon
 (50% of the biomass is Carbon)


 Global biomass distribution
 and its dynamic are widely
 unknown!

         Amazon basin




 … the estimation ranges from
         39 to 93 GtC
3-D Structure Mode
                                                 Polarimetric SAR
Polarimetric Backscattering                       Interferometry
                                                    (Pol-InSAR)




             3-D Forest Structure




Forest height and Biomass           Tomography
Forest Height Estimation (3D Structure Mode)




                       Pol-InSAR Forest Height [m]




                                                     Forest Height (in Situ) [m]
Traunstein Test Site                       Forest type            Temperate
                                           Topography          Moderate slopes
                             2003 Oct.     Height                  25 ~ 35m
                                           Species        N. Spruce, E. Beech, White Fir
                                           Biomass               40 ~ 450 t/ha




                        50


                        40


                        30


                        20


                        10

   HV Amplitude Image           Pol-InSAR Forest Height         Elevation Model
                        0m
Traunstein Test Site

                        2003 Oct.   2008 June




                   50


                   40


                   30


                   20


                   10


                   0m
Biomass Estimation from                       Combination
Height + Structure                              of Multiple
                                               Single-Pass
  Profile Decomposition                      Interferograms
  (Series Expansion)


     f (z)                              pass 1
  Example (Testsite Bayerischer Wald)            pass 2
Structure - Biomass Allometry                                                          H     3
                                                                         B = 3.11    a P
                                                                                      i =0 j =1
                                                                                                   j     j




                                                                          a1           a2                    a3

Nationalpark Bayrischer Wald             Ebersberger Forst               Bürgerwald Traunstein




                Three Legendre polynomials explain the 92% of the total biomass !!!        VU 10 > Autor Name
Dynamic Processes on the Earth Surface

 Deforestation, Degradation, Fires* (REDD)
                              Forest Biomasse Change*
                                         Biodiversity

    Earthquakes
   Volcanic Activities
       Land Slides

         Sea Ice Extent*
                           Permafrost*
                   Glacier & Ice Cap Dynamics*

  Soil Moisture*
    Flooding
                                                        *) Essential Climate
                               Ocean Currents*
                                                           Variables
Deformation Mode                   measurement of
  Earthquakes                         deformations of mm – cm




  Volcanoes
                                        
                   λ/2 ≈ 12 cm




  Subsidence    Land & Sea Ice



                                       systematic multi-temporal
                                       acquisitions (image stacks)
Cryosphere: Ice Motion and Topography of Glaciers

ICESAT                   GRACE



    15 km track-              > 200 km
distance at equator       spatial resolution

CryoSAT-2                TanDEM-X



  15 km x 250 m           1 year for global
 spatial resolution           coverage




  Tandem-L
                            Tandem-L provides unique &
                            complementary information:
                              • 3D Ice flow
   3 – 10 m resolution
    weekly coverage           • Ice Structure
                              • DEM
                              • weekly coverage, high resolution   Courtesy: Ian Joughin
Hydrosphere: Soil Moisture
     SMOS                       SMAP


                                                              50




                                                              40




                                                              30
35 km resolution         10-40 km resolution

                                                              20




                                                              10
 Tandem-L

                         Tandem-L provides unique &            0
                         complementary information:
   3 – 10 m resolution                                       [vol.%]
    weekly coverage        • soil moisture
                           • water level changes
                           • river & ocean currents
                           • weekly coverage & high resolution
Mission Concept
Radar System Concepts
                              …at start of DLR/JPL collaboration
Planar Array with Digital Beamforming   Reflector with Analog Beamforming
Digital Beamforming with Reflector Antennas




     digital feed
     array with
    T/R modules
Digital Beamforming with Reflector Antennas




     digital feed
     array with
    T/R modules
Digital Beamforming with Reflector Antennas




                                              
Tandem-L Science Products           Resolution   Revisit
              Forest height
                                                               16 days -
 Biosphere    Above ground biomass                20 - 50 m
                                                               seasonal
              Vertical forest structure
              Plate tectonics
    Geo-/     Volcanoes
                                                  5 - 100 m     weekly
Lithosphere   Landslides
              Deformation
              Glacier flow                                      weekly
              Soil moisture                                     weekly
                                                                 on
  Cryo- &     Water level change
                                                  50 - 500 m   demand
Hydrosphere
              Snow water equivalent                            seasonal
              Ice structure Change                             seasonal
              Ocean Currents                                    weekly
  Global      Digital Terrain and surface model   20 - 50 m     yearly
Dynamic Earth Monitoring and Climate Change

     Tandem-L: A proposal for a radar mission for
      environmental and climate change research

Tandem-L-IGARSS-v2-final-2011.pdf

  • 1.
    Tandem-L: A MissionProposal for Monitoring Dynamic Earth Processes A. Moreira, G. Krieger, M. Younis, I. Hajnsek , K. Papathanassiou, M. Eineder, P. Dekker, F. De Zan German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  • 2.
    Dynamic Processes onthe Earth Surface Deforestation, Degradation, Fires* (REDD) Forest Biomasse Change* Biodiversity Earthquakes Volcanic Activities Land Slides Sea Ice Extent* Permafrost* Glacier & Ice Cap Dynamics* Soil Moisture* Flooding *) Essential Climate Ocean Currents* Variables
  • 3.
    Carbon Balance andVegetation The terrestrial carbon is the greatest unknown in the carbon cycle 6.4 ± 0.4 3.2 ± 0.1 Sources 1.6 ± 1.1 Unknown =Σ Ocean terrestrial sink sink Carbon Fossil Land use accumulation in fuels change Sink the atmosphere 2.2 ± 0.4 2.6 ± 1.7 Numbers in Billions of Tons – Carbon / Year (IPCC)
  • 4.
    Forest and Carbon Biomass and the spatial distribution of carbon (50% of the biomass is Carbon) Global biomass distribution and its dynamic are widely unknown! Amazon basin … the estimation ranges from 39 to 93 GtC
  • 5.
    3-D Structure Mode Polarimetric SAR Polarimetric Backscattering Interferometry (Pol-InSAR) 3-D Forest Structure Forest height and Biomass Tomography
  • 6.
    Forest Height Estimation(3D Structure Mode) Pol-InSAR Forest Height [m] Forest Height (in Situ) [m]
  • 7.
    Traunstein Test Site Forest type Temperate Topography Moderate slopes 2003 Oct. Height 25 ~ 35m Species N. Spruce, E. Beech, White Fir Biomass 40 ~ 450 t/ha 50 40 30 20 10 HV Amplitude Image Pol-InSAR Forest Height Elevation Model 0m
  • 8.
    Traunstein Test Site 2003 Oct. 2008 June 50 40 30 20 10 0m
  • 9.
    Biomass Estimation from Combination Height + Structure of Multiple Single-Pass Profile Decomposition Interferograms (Series Expansion) f (z) pass 1 Example (Testsite Bayerischer Wald) pass 2
  • 10.
    Structure - BiomassAllometry H 3 B = 3.11  a P i =0 j =1 j j a1 a2 a3 Nationalpark Bayrischer Wald Ebersberger Forst Bürgerwald Traunstein Three Legendre polynomials explain the 92% of the total biomass !!! VU 10 > Autor Name
  • 11.
    Dynamic Processes onthe Earth Surface Deforestation, Degradation, Fires* (REDD) Forest Biomasse Change* Biodiversity Earthquakes Volcanic Activities Land Slides Sea Ice Extent* Permafrost* Glacier & Ice Cap Dynamics* Soil Moisture* Flooding *) Essential Climate Ocean Currents* Variables
  • 12.
    Deformation Mode   measurement of Earthquakes deformations of mm – cm Volcanoes  λ/2 ≈ 12 cm Subsidence Land & Sea Ice systematic multi-temporal acquisitions (image stacks)
  • 13.
    Cryosphere: Ice Motionand Topography of Glaciers ICESAT GRACE 15 km track- > 200 km distance at equator spatial resolution CryoSAT-2 TanDEM-X 15 km x 250 m 1 year for global spatial resolution coverage Tandem-L Tandem-L provides unique & complementary information: • 3D Ice flow 3 – 10 m resolution weekly coverage • Ice Structure • DEM • weekly coverage, high resolution Courtesy: Ian Joughin
  • 14.
    Hydrosphere: Soil Moisture SMOS SMAP 50 40 30 35 km resolution 10-40 km resolution 20 10 Tandem-L Tandem-L provides unique & 0 complementary information: 3 – 10 m resolution [vol.%] weekly coverage • soil moisture • water level changes • river & ocean currents • weekly coverage & high resolution
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Radar System Concepts …at start of DLR/JPL collaboration Planar Array with Digital Beamforming Reflector with Analog Beamforming
  • 17.
    Digital Beamforming withReflector Antennas digital feed array with T/R modules
  • 18.
    Digital Beamforming withReflector Antennas digital feed array with T/R modules
  • 19.
    Digital Beamforming withReflector Antennas 
  • 20.
    Tandem-L Science Products Resolution Revisit Forest height 16 days - Biosphere Above ground biomass 20 - 50 m seasonal Vertical forest structure Plate tectonics Geo-/ Volcanoes 5 - 100 m weekly Lithosphere Landslides Deformation Glacier flow weekly Soil moisture weekly on Cryo- & Water level change 50 - 500 m demand Hydrosphere Snow water equivalent seasonal Ice structure Change seasonal Ocean Currents weekly Global Digital Terrain and surface model 20 - 50 m yearly
  • 21.
    Dynamic Earth Monitoringand Climate Change Tandem-L: A proposal for a radar mission for environmental and climate change research