Estimating the earth surface properties from remotely sensed data

Question 1

What are the 2 vegetation indices designed to monitor specific vegetation properties?

Answer 1

Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)- MODIS instrument
MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index (MTCI)- MERIS instrument

Question 2

How does EVI work?

Answer 2

Designed to estimate LAI and canopy structure, thus providing information on vegetation amount

Question 3

How is LAI measured?

Answer 3

The one sided green leaf are per unit ground area

Question 4

How does the MTCI work?

Answer 4

Designed to estimate chlorophyll content in vegetation canopy, thus provide information on vegetation condition

Question 5

What are the advantages of EVI?

Answer 5

Includes a blue band which accounts for residual atmospheric contamination
Minimise soil background effect
Sensitive to high biomass area

Question 6

What are the advantages of vegetation indices for monitoring vegetation?

Answer 6

Simplicity
Many sensors have wavebands in the red and NIR for calculating a number of indices
Relationships developed in the field translate directly to the satelite data sets- extrapolated to larger area
Widely used from land cover to climate models

Question 7

What is plant phenology?

Answer 7

The timing of a reoccuring life cycle event of vegetation

Question 8

Name a VI which can be used to estimate leaf chlorphyll content

Answer 8

MTCI