Tamotsu Igarashi

Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) for Monitoring Carbon, Water Cycles, and Climate Change

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is pursuing the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) that will inherit the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II) mission and develop into long-term monitoring. GCOM is not the name of a single satellite, but of a mission that consists of two series of medium-size satellites, GCOM-W (Water) and GCOM-C (Climate), and three generations of each satellite series to continue the observations for 10 to 15 years. The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR2) will be the single instrument on the GCOM-W1 satellite, which is the first satellite of the GCOM series. The second satellite will be GCOM-C1, which will carry the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI). GCOM-W will mainly contribute to the observations related to global water and energy circulation, while GCOM-C will contribute to the measurements related to the carbon cycle and radiation budget. Current target launch years are calendar year 2011 for GCOM-W1 and 2014 for C1.

Alos mission requirement and sensor specifications

Abstract Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) is an advanced remote sensing satellite of the mission dedicated for the global high resolution earth observation, with compatibility of high resolution and wide swath width observation, and simultaneous observation of three-dimensional land topography, two-dimensional spectral images and geodetic land surface deformation. This paper introduces ALOS mission requirement and corresponding sensor specifications and further potential of data utilization. ALOS will provide global high spatial resolution earth observation data sets from three remote sensing instruments. PRISM (Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping); AVNIR-2 (Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer type 2) and PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar), for the generation of a spatial information infrastructure applicable to the geographic information system (GIS) useful to the various kind of applications.

Support to multi-national environmental conventions and terrestrial carbon cycle science by ALOS and ADEOS-II -the Kyoto & carbon initiative

The Kyoto & Carbon Initiative is an international collaboration initialised by NASDA in 2000 [1], set out to support dataand information needs raised by certain multinational environmental conventions and by global carbon cycle science, through provision of data products and high level information derived from ALOS, JERS-1 and ADEOS-II data. The conventions primarily in focus are the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, to which fineresolution, multi-scale information about the status and changes in forests and wetlands will be derived. There is apparent synergy with terrestrial carbon cycle science information needs, where improved spatial information about carbon pools, sources and sinks at local, regional to global scales are of high priority. Support to the UN Millennium Development goal on water access, as well as to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, are

Initiating the ALOS Kyoto & Carbon Initiative

The ALOS Kyoto & Carbon Initiative is an international endeavour initialized by NASDA, with the main objective to support information needs raised by the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol and by the international global carbon cycle science community, by provision of systematic, consistent, repetitive and regional scale data of the global forest cover. Of central importance for the Initiative is a Dedicated Data Acquisition Strategy for the polarimetric Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) sensor onboard the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) satellite, which, as a major project output, is foreseen to result in an extensive data archive with consistent time series of dual-polarization (HH/HV) PALSAR data over any given land area on the Earth. Tentative plans for derived data products include regional scale image mosaics, maps of annual forest change, wetland flood distribution/duration, and rice cultivation.

On a possibility to monitor seismic activity using satellites

Abstract Methods of satellite monitoring of different phenomena around the date of large earthquakes are evaluated and reviewed. A combination of satellite and ground-based monitoring will be evidently useful for the study of seismo-electromagnetic phenomena either directly connected with the radiation from seismic source or revealed from the radio sounding of atmosphere and ionosphere.

Ground validation of radar reflectivity and rain rate retrieved by the TRMM precipitation radar

Abstract The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) has calibrated and validated radar reflectivity and rain rate retrieved by the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) based on the data of operational meteorological radars and the field campaign. Well-calibrated radars and disdrometers demonstrated good agreement with PR within 1 to 2dBZ accuracy and are quite stable. Some ground-based radars exhibited quantitatively higher values than PR, and others were, lower values. Therefore we could not get as good agreement with ground-based radards as expected. PR-estimated rain rates were compared with ground-based rain-gauge data and radar-based rain data on an instantaneous and a monthly basis. So far, PR estimates are lower than ground-based measurements. There is also a seasonal dependence of rain intensity estimated by PR 2A25. The sampling error may not be as large as it had been feared. It is necessary to take statistics to determine the amounts of sampling errors at various area sizes.

Status of calibration and data evaluation of AMSR on board ADEOS-II

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) is the multi-frequency, passive microwave radiometer on board the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II), currently called Midori-II. The instrument has eight-frequency channels with dual polarization (except 50-GHz band) covering frequencies between 6.925 and 89.0 GHz. Measurement of 50-GHz channels is the first attempt by this kind of conically scanning microwave radiometers. Basic concept of the instrument including hardware configuration and calibration method is almost the same as that of ASMR for EOS (AMSR-E), the modified version of AMSR. Its swath width of 1,600 km is wider than that of AMSR-E. In parallel with the calibration and data evaluation of AMSR-E instrument, almost identical calibration activities have been made for AMSR instrument. After finished the initial checkout phase, the instrument has been continuously obtaining the data in global basis. Time series of radiometer sensitivities and automatic gain control telemetry indicate the stable instrument performance. For the radiometric calibration, we are now trying to apply the same procedure that is being used for AMSR-E. This paper provides an overview of the instrument characteristics, instrument status, and preliminary results of calibration and data evaluation activities.

Preliminary study on data sets of ADEOS-II and ALOS dedicated to terrestrial carbon observation

Abstract Global carbon observations is a fundamental requirement in the context of the Terrestrial Carbon Observation (TCO) theme within the Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO) theme of Integrated Global Observation Strategy Partners (IGOS-P), for quantitative estimation of key biophysical parameters such as net primary productivity (NPP), carbon stocks and their changes in time. In support to this major international effort, NASDA, through its Earth Observation Research Center (EORC), is planning global systematic data observations using the Phased-Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) onboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) from 2004. Like its predecessor - the JERS-1 SAR - the PALSAR instrument will operate in the longer L-band wavelength range (23.5 cm), with added polarimetric features making it attractive for assessment of regenerating and lower-density above-ground biomass, and changes therein. In addition to ALOS, the Global Imager (GLI) instrument onboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II), launched successfully in December 2002, will be used to estimate annual change of global NPP at 1 km and 250 m spatial resolutions. Notable is that the six terrestrial channels on GLI operate with the same wavelength as Landsat ETM+ and MODIS, but all with a spatial resolution of 250 m. This paper describes the preliminary study on the applicability and improvement of data sets from PALSAR on ALOS and GLI on ADEOS-11 for terrestrial carbon observation.

Space-time clustering characteristics of dengue based on ecological, socio-economic and demographic factors in northern Sri Lanka

The aim of the present study was to identify geographical areas and time periods of potential clusters of dengue cases based on ecological, socio-economic and demographic factors in northern Sri Lanka from January 2010 to December 2013. Remote sensing (RS) was used to develop an index comprising rainfall, humidity and temperature data. Remote sensing data gathered by the AVNIR-2 instrument onboard the ALOS satellite were used to detect urbanisation, and a digital land cover map was used to extract land cover information. Other data on relevant factors and dengue outbreaks were collected through institutions and extant databases. The analysed RS data and databases were integrated into a geographical information system (GIS) enabling space-time clustering analysis. Our results indicate that increases in the number of combinations of ecological, socio-economic and demographic factors that are present or above the average contribute to significantly high rates of space-time dengue clusters. The spatio-temporal association that consolidates the two kinds of associations into one can ensure a more stable model for forecasting. An integrated spatiotemporal prediction model at a smaller level using ecological, socioeconomic and demographic factors could lead to substantial improvements in dengue control and prevention by allocating the right resources to the appropriate places at the right time.

Japan’s efforts to promote global health using satellite remote sensing data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for prediction of infectious diseases and air quality

In this paper we review the status of new applications research of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for global health promotion using information derived from Earth observation data by satellites in cooperation with inter-disciplinary collaborators. Current research effort at JAXA to promote global public health is focused primarily on the use of remote sensing to address two themes: (i) prediction models for malaria and cholera in Kenya, Africa; and (ii) air quality assessment of small, particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). Respiratory and cardivascular diseases constitute cross-boundary public health risk issues on a global scale. The authors report here on results of current of a collaborative research to call attention to the need to take preventive measures against threats to public health using newly arising remote sensing information from space.