GeoChronos: A Platform for Earth Observation Scientists

GeoChronos

A platform for earthobservation scientists

Arturo Sánchez-Azofeifa, Ph.D.Centre for Earth Observation Sciences

University of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta

[email protected]

Challenges of the 21st Centuryto Environmental Research

Our environmental work has global connotations and linkages. Sitebase observations can no longer be isolated, but must be linked toplanetary responses.

We are now confronting high volumes of new satellite and field dataat multiple temporal and spatial scales.

Development of new wireless sensing technologies allow forunprecedented monitoring capabilities, without a sufficientcyberinfrastructure in place.

Need for fast, integrated access to information by earth observationscientists interested on quantifying large and local landscape changes.

GeoChronos: Building onPartnerships

Canada: University of Victoria University of Alberta Cybera

USA: SpecNet (Spectral Network)

Latin America Inter American Institute for

Global Change Research (IAI) Universidad Federal de Minas

Gerais, Brazil Universidad de Montes

Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil Instituto Nacional de

Pesquisas Espaciales (INPE),Brazil

Universidad NacionalAutonoma de Mexico(UNAM)

Smithsonian TropicalResearch Institute (STRI)

MODIS Land Products

• Ecosystem Variables– Vegetation Indices– Leaf Area Index

(LAI) and FractionalPhotosyntheticallyActive Radiation(FPAR)

– VegetationProduction

– Net PrimaryProductivity (NPP)

Challenges: Validating MODIS Products with a multi-scale datasystem that links to ground/real-time observations.

Near-Real Time Remote Sensing: MODIS

GeoChronos-IAI-Tropi-Dry: Realtimephenology monitoring

MODIS Realtime: March 19, 2008

MODISTerra A.M.

MODISAqua P.M.

TROPI-DRY: Real timeMonitoring

Real timePAR

Strong need to linkfield observationswith remote sensingin real time.

Non Parametric Seasonal Kendall Test for Trend

Length of dry season: Statistically significant positive trend.

Length of Growing Season: Statistically significant negative trend.

GeoChronos and CyberaSummary

Our join work has helped to reduce processing time fromweeks to days.

Faster interaction with partners and real-time monitoringprocesses without the need of expensive field seasons.

More time on data analysis than on data processing.