PE&RS June 2008

May 2008 PE&RS — An Important Correction

In the May 2008 issue of PE&RS text was inadvertently printed over the cover image. Causing sections of the image to be covered with white text and an error was printed in the cover description. Both have been reprinted here for your convenience.

We apologize for the confusion.

Ground truth data overlaid on a color combination of GeoSAR X- and P-band orthorectified radar imagery and X-band digital elevation data in Yazoo County, Mississippi.

Under contract to the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Aerial Photography Field Office, Fugro EarthData acquired airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) data over Yazoo County in August 2007 using its unique GeoSAR (X- and P- band) system that is permanently mounted on a Gulfstream II jet aircraft (inset). Semi-automated methodologies for crop identification from the GeoSAR data are currently being evaluated for potential use in USDA compliance programs. GeoCue has partnered with Fugro EarthData to enhance the effi ciency of the GeoSAR production process.

In the image, locations of ground truth data of calibrated soil samples are indicated by red data points while crop measurements from ground truth data are indicated by green data points. Varying crop heights and conditions (harvested, in-field, irrigated or non-irrigated, etc.) affect the way the X-and P- band radar signal interact with the crops. This results in the distinct coloration of the crops, which along with the ground truth data, allows us to distinguish between crop types.

For more information on GeoSAR, contact jjenkins@earthdata.com. For more information on systems integration, contact lgraham@geocue.com.