ID: 65851
Title: Georesources and geohazards in the Himalaya: a way forward for economy and ecology
Author: Kalachand Sain
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (10) 1191-1192 25 May (2024)
Subject: Georesources and geohazards in the Himalaya: a way forward for economy and ecology
Keywords: None
Abstract: There are a variety of resources available in the Himalaya:
snow and glaciers; springs and river systems; precious
minerals and ores; abundant renewable energy resources –
geothermal, wind and sunshine; hydrocarbons in thrustfold belts; medicinal plants and herbs; scenic beauty and
tourist attractions, which can be harnessed for socio-economy and agricultural advancement. Glaciers, snow and
mighty rivers are lifelines for tens of millions of people
for irrigation, drinking water, hydro-power, domestic usage
and industrial requirements. Thus, there are excellent opportunities for investment and development in terms of
constructing roads, bridges, tunnels and ropeways; building hydro-power projects and geothermal or hybrid energy
plants; developing agriculture and livestock farms; and
expanding micro-scale industries using available local resources.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1:
Literature cited 2:
ID: 65850
Title: Soil organic carbon stock and erodibility indices under different land uses of Nagaland, India
Author: Gaurav Mishra , Abhishek Jangir and Benukantha Dash
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1166-1171 10 May (2024)
Subject: Soil organic carbon stock and erodibility indices under different land uses of Nagaland, India
Keywords: Forest, shifting cultivation, soil erosion, soil organic carbon, tea garden
Abstract: Soil erosion is one of the major environmental concerns, causing a reduction in soil carbon stock and soil
fertility. It is generally difficult to estimate soil erosion
in hilly terrains. To overcome this, different types of
erodibility indices are developed and used to describe
the intensity of soil erosion. The present study was
conducted in Nagaland state of northeast India, where
clay ratio (CR), modified clay ratio (MCR), critical
level of organic matter (CLOM) and erodibility factor
(K) were used to assess the severity of soil erosion under
different land uses. To study these, soil samples from
forest, jhum, fallow jhum and tea gardens were collected from 0 to 30 cm soil depth. The results showed
that sand and clay content were significantly different
under different land uses, while soil organic carbon
(SOC) and stocks followed the same trend, with maximum and minimum values under tea (60.55 t C ha–1
)
and jhum lands (40.74 t C ha–1
) respectively. Among the
different erodibility indices, only CR and MCR values
were found to be significantly different from each other.
Higher values of CR and MCR under jhum and fallow
jhum lands indicate that these land uses are more
prone to erosion. The present study provides a picture
of severity of soil erosion under different land uses in
Nagaland and recommends that CR and MCR can be
used to evaluate soil erosion in hilly terrain areas.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Borrelli, P. et al., An assessment of the global impact of 21st century land use change on soil erosion. Nat. Commun., 2017, 8(1),
2013; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02142-7.
Ebabu, K. et al., Effects of land use and sustainable land management practices on runoff and soil loss in the Upper Blue Nile basin,
Ethiopia. Sci. Total Environ., 2019, 648, 1462–1475; https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.273.
Literature cited 2: Bhattacharyya, R. et al., Soil conservation issues in India. Sustainability, 2016, 8(6), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8060565.
Kumar, K., Tripathi, S. K. and Bhatia, K. S. Erodibility characteristics of Rendhar watershed soils of Bundelkhand. Indian J. Soil Conserv., 1995, 23, 200–204.
ID: 65849
Title: Evaluation of the influence of land-use and land-cover changes on ecosystem services in Deepor Beel Ramsar Site using high resolution remote sensing
Author: Sameer Mandal, Kasturi Chakraborty and Biman Kr. Dutta
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1159-1165 10 May (2024)
Subject: Evaluation of the influence of land-use and land-cover changes on ecosystem services in Deepor Beel Ramsar Site using high resolution remote sensing
Keywords: Land-use/land-cover change, remote sensing, image segmentation, wetland ecosystem service value.
Abstract: It is important to assess the rapid land-use/land-cover
change (LULCC) and its impact on ecosystem service
value (ESV), affecting the socio-economic and climatic
stabilization of wetlands. In this study, a multi-resolution
image segmentation and k-nearest neighbours algorithm were used for the thematic classification of satellite
images of 2003 and 2018 in the Deepor Beel wetland, a
lake of international significance. A notable increase in
built-up areas was observed from 9.07 to 32.19 sq. km
during this period. Proximity analysis in the 500 m
buffer from the Deepor Beel boundary revealed an
increasing built-up areas in close proximity. The ESV
evaluation estimated a net decrease in the monetary
value of 4.85 × 104 USD of the wetland for the respective
years. The study recommends strict demarcation of
zones of influence on the ground and regular monitoring
of LULCC to protect important wetlands and preserve
their ecosystem services
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Global Wetland Outlook: State of
the World’s Wetlands and their Services to People, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland, 2018.
Xu, T. et al., Wetlands of International Importance: status, threats,
and future protection. Int. J. Environ. Res. Publ. Health, 2019,
16(10), 1818.
Literature cited 2: Kingsford, R. T. et al., Ramsar wetlands of international importance –
improving conservation outcomes. Front. Environ. Sci., 2021, 9,
643367.
Ramsar Convention Secretariat, The Fourth Ramsar Strategic Plan
2016–2024, Ramsar handbooks for the Wise Use of Wetlands,
Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland, 2016, vol. 2,
5th edn, p. 54
ID: 65848
Title: Decoding the copulation and courtship patterns of an invasive pest, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) from India
Author: N. Ramya , Vinod K. Padala, D. Sagar, J. S. Rupali , Hemant Kumar , R. Reshma , Priya Yadav and S. Subramanian
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1152-1158 10 May (2024)
Subject: Decoding the copulation and courtship patterns of an invasive pest, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) from India
Keywords: Calling behaviour, copulation, fall armyworm, mating frequency, scotophase.
Abstract: Experiments were conducted to study and document the
copulation duration and effect of mating on the female
calling behaviour of the Indian population of an invasive pest, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Results
showed that 58.39% of the females exhibited calling in
the absence of males and 88.18% of females in the
presence of males on the first scotophase. The onset
time of calling was early in females when males were
present. Calling length and calling bouts varied significantly with an increase in the age of virgin females,
while in multiple-mated females, the trend was different. The copulation duration of S. frugiperda varied
between 78.00 ± 7.35 min and 197.14 ± 11.06 min. The
copulation duration and percentage of females mated
were maximum in the second scotophase. The fecundity of multiple-mated females ranged between 841 and
1849 with a mean of 1176 ± 113 eggs per female, while
in single-mated females, it ranged between 476 and
1368 with a mean of 878 ± 175 eggs per female. Our
results indicated that the calling and mating took place
in the first scotophase and were at a peak in the second
scotophase. This information can be used in formulating biorational molecules, which can modulate calling
behaviour and improve mating disruption in S. frugiperda for its management.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Silva, A. G. A., Goncalves, C. R. and Galvao, D. M., Quarto
Catálogo dos Insetos que Vivem nas Plantas do Brasil: Seus Parasitos e Predadores, Parte II, tomo 1o, Insetos, hospedeiros e inimigos
naturais. Ministério da Agricultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 1968.
Ferguson, D. C., Hilburn, D. J. and Wright, B., The Lepidoptera of
Bermuda: their food plants, biogeography, and means of dispersal.
Mem. Ent. Soc., 1991, 123, 158.
Literature cited 2: Pogue, G. M. A., World revision of the genus Spodoptera Guenee
(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Philadelphia: Ann. Entomol. Soc Am.,
2002, 43, 1–202.
Murua, M. G., Vera, M. T. and Abraham, S., Fitness and mating
compatibility of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
populations from different host plant species and regions in Argentina. Ann. Entomol. Soc Am., 2008, 101, 639–64
ID: 65847
Title: Energy use pattern and greenhouse gas emission of winter vegetables: insights from Chotanagpur Plateau region, India
Author: Bikash Sarkar , S. S. Mali , Pawan Jeet , P. K. Sundaram , A. P. Anurag , Ujjwal Kumar , Anil Kumar Singh , A. Upadhyaya , Anirban Mukherjee , Pinaki Roy and B. P. Bhatt
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1143-1151 10 May (2024)
Subject: Energy use pattern and greenhouse gas emission of winter vegetables: insights from Chotanagpur Plateau region, India
Keywords: Chotanagpur Plateau, energy pattern, energy use efficiency, GHG emissions, vegetable production
Abstract: The study investigated energy use efficiency (EUE) and
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for winter vegetable
production in India’s Chotanagpur Plateau region, focusing on garden peas and potatoes. Data from vegetable
growers revealed garden peas required 6564.29 MJ/ha,
primarily from human energy (25.56%), farmyard
manure (21.33%), seed (20.15%) and diesel (12.22%). For
potatoes, the energy requirement was 40,282.29 MJ/ha,
with fertilizer (42.30%), chemicals (24.43%), and seed
(16.98%) major contributors. EUE was 9.80 for garden
peas and 1.11 for potatoes. GHG emissions were 718.32
and 369.69 kg CO2 eq./ha for garden peas and potatoes
respectively. Promoting small farm machinery and
optimizing resource management could enhance energy
efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. Sustainable
farming practices are crucial for mitigating energy use
and GHG emissions in the region’s vegetable production,
urging further research for effective strategies
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Paltasingh, T. and Paliwal, G., Tribal population in India: regional
dimensions and imperatives. J. Reg. Dev. Plan., 2014, 3(2), 27–36.
Sarkar, B. et al., Energy input–output analysis and greenhouse gas
emission in okra and tomato production in Chotanagpur plateau
region of India. Environ., Dev. Sustain., 2023, 25, 12945–12964;
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02596-w.
Literature cited 2: Heidari, M. D. and Omid, M., Energy use patterns and econometric
models of major greenhouse vegetable productions in Iran. Energy,
2011, 36, 220–225.
Hamedani, S. R., Shabani, Z. and Rafiee, S., Energy inputs and
crop yield relationship in potato production in Hamadan province
of Iran. Energy, 2011, 36, 2367–2371.
ID: 65846
Title: Effective utilization of RISAT-1A multi-mode satellite data for near real time flood mapping and monitoring: case study and implementation at the national level
Author: A. V. Suresh Babu, Y. V. Sai Bhageerath, K. H. V. Durga Rao, K. Sreenivas and Prakash Chauhan
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1134-1142 10 May (2024)
Subject: Effective utilization of RISAT-1A multi-mode satellite data for near real time flood mapping and monitoring: case study and implementation at the national level
Keywords: Flood damage assessment, flood disaster, flood mapping, RISAT-1A, synthetic aperture radar data.
Abstract: Flooding is a recurring issue in India, affecting 10–15
states annually during monsoon season and coastal regions due to cyclones. Microwave satellite data from
SAR sensors like RISAT-1A, launched in February 2022,
offers near real-time flood mapping crucial for relief
efforts. Various acquisition modes, including medium
resolution ScanSAR (MRS) mode, coarse resolution
ScanSAR (CRS) mode and fine resolution Strimap
(FRS) mode, provide suitable resolutions for flood
mapping. Case studies demonstrate the behaviour of
the backscatter coefficient in flood pixels, essential for
flood map preparation. Validation against optical datasets shows a high accuracy of 91% in CRS, 94% in
MRS and 94% in FRS, which is acceptable for near
real-time mapping. The 67 and 91 flood maps were
generated in 2022 and 2023 respectively, aiding state
and central disaster management
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: NDMA Annual Report 2022–23; https://ndma.gov.in/sites/default/
files/PDF/Reports/Annual_Report_NDMA_2022-2023.pdf
Agnihotri, A. K., Ohri, A., Gaur, S., Shivam Das, N. and Mishra,
S., Flood inundation mapping and monitoring using SAR data and
its impact on Ramganga river in Ganga basin. Environ. Monit. Assess, 2019, 191, 1–16; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7903
Literature cited 2: Tripathi, G. et al., Flood inundation mapping and impact assessment
using multi-temporal optical and SAR satellite data: a case study of
2017 flood in Darbhanga District, Bihar, India. Water Resour.
Manage., 2020, 34, 1871–1892; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-020-
02534-3.
Flood Affected Area Atlas of India (1998–2022) – Satellite based
approach; https://ndem.nrsc.gov.in/documents/downloads/Flood%20-
Affected%20Area%20%20Atlas%20of%20India.%20-Satellite%-
20based%20study.pdf
ID: 65845
Title: Characterization of ocean and coastal features using EOS-04 and application in deciphering its spatio-temporal dynamics
Author: Ratheesh Ramakrishnan, Suchandra Aich Bhowmick, S. V. V. Arun Kumar, Anup Kumar Mandal, M. Seemanth and Aditya Chaudhary
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1126-1133 10 May (2024)
Subject: Characterization of ocean and coastal features using EOS-04 and application in deciphering its spatio-temporal dynamics
Keywords: Coastal bathymetry, EOS-04, internal solitary waves, oil spill, Ocean wave spectra.
Abstract: Here we discuss various coastal and ocean science applications of the Earth Observation Satellite-04 (EOS04) mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation. Automated oil spill detection using EOS-04, Medium Resolution ScanSAR data is carried out that
involves segmenting of dark regions and classification
of oil spills from look-alikes using a rank based algorithm. Lagrangian forecasting model is then used to
predict the oil spill track. Genetic algorithm is employed
to convert backscatter from EOS-04 into Significant
Wave Height and wave spectra. The wavelength and
propagation direction of ocean internal solitary waves
are estimated using EOS-04 data. High resolution data
in Fine Resolution Stripmap mode is used to estimate
coastal bathymetry based on wave shoaling effect. The
unique ability of EOS-04, with a range of spatial resolutions and various modes of operation form an essential
ocean observation dataset that enables the scientific
community to improve the understanding of complex
coastal ocean processes.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Solberg, A., Brekke, C. and Husoy, P. O., Oil spill detection in
RADARSAT and ENVISAT SAR images. IEEE Trans. Geosci.
Remote Sensing, 2007, 45(3), 746–755.
Topouzelis, K., Oil spill detection by SAR images: dark formation
detection, feature extraction and classification algorithms. Sensors,
2008, 8, 6642–6659.
Literature cited 2: Alpers, W., Holt, B. and Zeng, K., Oil spill detection by imaging
radars: challenges and pitfalls. Remote Sensing Environ., 2017,
201, 133–147.
Ira, L. et al., State-of-the-art satellite and airborne marine oil spill
remote sensing: application to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Remote Sensing Environ., 2012, 124, 185–209.
ID: 65844
Title: Probing atmospheric phenomena using C-band synthetic aperture radar onboard Earth Observation Satellite-04
Author: Abhisek Chakraborty, Neerja Sharma, Neeru Jaiswal and Bipasha Paul Shukla
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1118-1125 10 May (2024)
Subject: Probing atmospheric phenomena using C-band synthetic aperture radar onboard Earth Observation Satellite-04
Keywords: Atmospheric phenomena, EOS-04, SAR
Abstract: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its second civilian C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mission onboard Earth Observation
Satellite-04 (EOS-04). The SAR data monitors and
measures various atmospheric features and parameters.
In this paper, we report on the investigation of EOS-04
data for several atmospheric phenomena. One of the
crucial parameters for studying atmospheric manifestations in SAR data is ocean surface winds and an algorithm for its retrieval has been developed using EOS-04
data. The wind speed products thus generated are
evaluated using observations from the Advanced Scatterometer and subsequently used to study atmospheric
phenomena like boundary layer structures. The EOS-04
SAR data is also demonstrated for studying structures
associated with tropical cyclones, coupling of rain and
wind imprints and distinct signatures of an atmospheric
front. The study outcomes are used to interpret atmospheric phenomena and understand backscattering signals
from EOS-04 SAR. This indicates the possibility and
potential of a gamut of atmospheric phenomena that can
be probed using EOS-04 SAR data.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Fu, L. and Holt, B., Seasat views oceans and sea ice with synthetic
aperture radar. Publ. 81–120, Jet Propulsion Lab., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 1982, p. 200.
Hristova-Veleva, S. M. et al., Revealing the winds under the rain.
Part I: passive microwave rain retrievals using a new observation
based parameterization of subsatellite rain variability and intensity–
algorithm description. J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol., 2013, 52, 2828–2848.
Literature cited 2: Zhang, G., Perrie, W., Li, X. and Zhang, J. A., A hurricane morphology
and sea surface wind vector estimation model based on C-band
cross-polarization SAR imagery. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote
Sensing, 2017, 55(3), 1743–1751.
Moore Torres, J. C., Jackson, C. R., Ruff, T. W., Helfrich, S. R.
and Romeiser, R., Observing tropical cyclone morphology using
RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar images.
J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol., 2013, 40, 789–801.
ID: 65843
Title: Characterizing EOS-4 imagery for regional geological observations
Author: Swati Singh, Priyom Roy, Ritwik Majumdar, Nikhil K. Baranval, Tapas R. Martha and Iswar C. Das
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1109-1117 10 May (2024)
Subject: Characterizing EOS-4 imagery for regional geological observations
Keywords: C-band, geology, mapping, synthetic aperture radar.
Abstract: The Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-4, launched by
the Indian Space Research Organisation, operates in
the microwave C-band (5.6 GHz), offering high-quality
backscatter images for various thematic applications.
In this study, we demonstrate applicability of EOS-4
data in visualizing and identifying geological features,
i.e. landforms, structures and rock type variations.
Through test cases, we have suggested optimization of
parameters like viewing node, geometry, look angle
and polarization for geological applications. In analysis
of geological structures, SAR look direction and node
variation are crucial, whereas for shallow and moist
subsurface features, multiple polarizations may be
investigated for optimum results. FRS data analysis is
essential for mesoscale features like landslides and
glaciers, to bring out the subtle granularities. Finally
for lithological contrast identification, RGB composites
and band ratios derived from the available polarization
channels provides the optimum outcomes. Thus, EOS4 are aptly complementary to any optical datasets for
geological feature identification and mapping
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Spatz, D. M., Remote sensing characteristics of the sediment- and
volcanic-hosted precious metal systems: imagery selection for exploration and development. Int. J. Remote Sensing, 1997, 18(7), 1413–1438.
Woodhouse, I. H., Introduction to Microwave Remote Sensing,
CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, 2006
Literature cited 2: Campbell, J. B., Introduction to Remote Sensing, The Guilford
Press, New York, 2007.
Pettinato, S., Santi, E., Paloscia, S., Pampaloni, P. and Fontanelli,
G., The intercomparison of X-Band SAR image from COSMOSkyMed and TerraSAR-X satellites: case studies. Remote Sensing,
2013, 5, 2928–2942.
ID: 65842
Title: Crustal deformation and lava flow associated with the 2022 Mauna Loa (Hawaii) volcanic eruption using interferometric and polarimetric analysis of EOS-04 and Sentinel-1 SAR data
Author: K. M. Sreejith, Sriram S. Bhiravarasu , S. S. Sreerag, R. Agrawal , M. C. M. Jasir , K. M. Agrawal , P. Parashar, Q. Saquib , D. Putrevu and V. M. Ramanujam
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1102-1108 10 May (2024)
Subject: Crustal deformation and lava flow associated with the 2022 Mauna Loa (Hawaii) volcanic eruption using interferometric and polarimetric analysis of EOS-04 and Sentinel-1 SAR data
Keywords: EOS-04, InSAR, lava flow, Mauna Loa volcano, polarimetry, surface deformation.
Abstract: Mauna Loa volcano (Hawaii) is the world’s largest
subaerial volcano. Interferometric analysis of ISRO’s
EOS-04 and ESA’s Sentinel-1 SAR images provided a
detailed view on the surface deformation associated
with the 2022 Mauna Loa volcano eruption. Co-eruptive
InSAR analysis of Sentinel-1 data revealed Line-of Sight deformation of ±50 cm along the NE and SW rift
zones. The complex bipolar deformation pattern in ascending and descending tracks suggests vertical and
horizontal deformation associated with the sub-surface
magma ascent and spreading respectively. InSAR
analysis of EOS-04 data revealed concentric interferometric fringes east of the caldera. This near-circular
deformation lobe (~ –13 cm) could be interpreted either
as post-eruptive volcanic deflation or topographically
correlated atmospheric artefact. Polarimetric and coherence based analysis revealed extensive lava flow
along the SW and NE rifts (~15 km) and further towards
the north along a topographic channel for about 16 km.
Polarimetric radar analysis of a fresh lava flow channel associated with the NE rift zone revealed a transition
between smooth pāhoehoe and rough a’a flow textures
along its current extent. The present study demonstrates
the interferometric and polarimetric capabilities of
EOS-04 satellite for geophysical applications
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Wilson, J., A possible origin of the Hawaiian Islands. Can. J.
Phys., 1963, 41, 863–870.
Nakamura, K., Why do long rift zones develop in Hawaiian volcanoes: a possible role of thick oceanic sediments. Bull. Geol. Soc. Jpn., 1980, 25, 255–269.
Literature cited 2: Amelung, F., Yun, S. H., Walter, T. R., Segall, P. and Kim, S. W.,
Stress control of deep rift intrusion at Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii.
Science, 2007, 316, 1026–1030.
Ando, M., The Hawaii earthquake of November 29, 1975: low dip
angle faulting due to forceful injection of magma. J. Geophys. Res.,
Solid Earth, 1979, 84, 7616–7626.
ID: 65841
Title: Estimation of above-ground biomass and delineation of vegetation of tropical forests using EOS-04 data
Author: Anup K. Das, C. Patnaik , Saroj Maity , M. S. S. Praveen , R. Suraj Reddy , G. Rajashekar, Nilima R. Chaube , Seema Mahajan , Yashraj Jain , Dhruval Bhavsar , Kasturi Chakraborty and Deepak Putrevu
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1088-1101 10 May (2024)
Subject: Estimation of above-ground biomass and delineation of vegetation of tropical forests using EOS-04 data
Keywords: Above-ground biomass, C-band SAR, forest cover, mangrove vegetation, MRS data, random forest regression, tropical forest
Abstract: The C-band SAR on-board EOS-04 mission provides
unique opportunities to characterize forest vegetation
through its sensitiveness to vegetation structure and all weather imaging capability over regions of perpetual
cloud cover. The present study has brought out the
applications of EOS-04 data for estimation of above ground biomass (AGB) of tropical deciduous forests and
scrublands, mapping of forest cover and delineation of
mangroves vegetation. The study suggested that EOS04 data can be used for mapping AGB of tropical
scrublands and low density forests of AGB ≤ 80 t/ha.
The overall RMSE for all vegetation with AGB ≤
80 t/ha was 15.3 t/ha (R2
– 0.49). It was shown that the
integration of EOS-04 and Sentinel-2 data improved
AGB estimates across biomass ranges of 0–245 t/ha
(RMSE – 21.60 t/ha and 0.81). EOS-04 data was also
found to be useful for the delineation of mangroves and
forest vegetation using machine-learning algorithms.
The study supports operational use of EOS-04 data for
estimation of AGB over low biomass tropical forests
and scrublands.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Kasischke, E. S., Melack, J. M. and Craig Dobson, M., The use of
imaging radars for ecological applications – a review. Remote Sensing
Environ., 1997, 59(2), 141–156.
Sarker, Md. L. R., Nichol, J., Iz, H. B., Ahmad, B. B. and Rahman,
A. A., Forest biomass estimation using texture measurements of
high-resolution dual-polarization C-band SAR data. IEEE Trans.
Geosci. Remote Sensing, 2013, 51(6), 3371–3384
Literature cited 2: Naidoo, L., Mathieu, R., Main, R., Wessels, K. and Asner, G. P., Lband synthetic aperture radar imagery performs better than optical
datasets at retrieving woody fractional cover in deciduous, dry savannahs. Int. J. Appl. Earth Obs. Geoinf., 2016, 52, 54–64.
Dusseux, P., Corpetti, T., Hubert-Moy, L. and Corgne, S., Combined
use of multi-temporal optical and radar satellite images for grassland monitoring. Remote Sensing, 2014, 6(7), 6163–6182.
ID: 65840
Title: Harnessing the potential of EOS-04 SAR data for Himalayan and polar cryospheric studies
Author: S. K. Singh, Praveen Thakur , Naveen Tripathi , Purvee Joshi , Vaibhav Garg , Amit Dubey , Satyesh Ghetiya , Madhukar Srigyan , Jay Das , P. Jayaprasad , Aparna Shukla and Sandip R. Oza
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1077-1087 10 May (2024)
Subject: Harnessing the potential of EOS-04 SAR data for Himalayan and polar cryospheric studies
Keywords: EOS-04, Himalayan cryosphere, polar cryosphere, RISAT-1A, synthetic aperture radar.
Abstract: Present study focuses on the utilization of Earth observation satellite-04 (EOS-04) synthetic aperture radar
(SAR) data for maintaining the continuity of the first
Indian radar imaging satellite (RISAT)-1 SAR derived
products along with exploring the potential of capability
of the improved sensor over mountain and polar cryospheric region. Backscattering coefficient (σ0
) of various
snow and ice features over mountain and polar cryosphere have been analysed to understand the interaction mechanism using C-band SAR data. EOS-04 is
able to pick up the spatio-temporal variability of SAR
backscatters over accumulation and ablation zone of
the glacier due to melt-freeze cycles, and observations
were in accordance with variation in elevations over
the glacier surface. When analysed for Drang-Drung
glacier, wet snow zone was found to be prominently
centered around 5500 m elevation zone, having sigmanaught backscatter lower than –10 dB in the ablation
months, whereas percolation zone was observed at
more than 6000 m elevation with higher sigma-naught
backscatter of around –4 dB and above as winter started
setting in. EOS-04 also showed the potential to classify
various polar ice features based on backscattering signature using HH (H, horizontal) (σ0
), HV (V, vertical)
(σ0
) and normalized difference polarization ratio index (NDPRI) respectively. EOS-04 data have been used
to implement approaches to retrieve wet snow cover
and set up of Weather Research and Forecasting Model
Hydrological Modelling System (WRF hydro) model
for snow melt runoff studies, interaction mechanism of
snow and ice, snow/ice facies extraction, ice shelf monitoring, sea ice properties and sea ice advisory for Indian
scientific expedition to Antarctica. Enrichment of EOS-04
data, suitable for cryosphere studies, will be employed
to retrieve parameters such as snowpack properties,
elevation, ice surface velocities over mountain and polar
region, and to further improve comprehensive understanding on regional and global frozen ice dynamics.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Dozier, J., Opportunities to improve hydrologic data. Rev. Geophys., 1992, 30(4), 315–331.
2. Allen, M. R. et al., Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special
Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C Above PreIndustrial Levels and Related Global Greenhouse Gas Emission
Pathways, in the Context of Strengthening the Global Response to
the Threat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty (eds Masson-Delmotte, V. et al.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, USA,
2018, pp. 49–92; https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157940.003
Literature cited 2: Bahuguna, I. et al., Recent glacier area changes in Himalaya–Karakoram and the impact of latitudinal variation. Curr. Sci., 2021,
121(7), 929–940.
Shi, J., Active microwave remote sensing systems and applications
to snow monitoring. In Advances in Land Remote Sensing (ed.
Liang, S.), Springer, Dordrecht, 2008, pp. 19–49
ID: 65839
Title: Hydrological applications of EOS-04 synthetic aperture radar
Author: Praveen K. Gupta, Praveen K. Thakur , Shard Chander , Vaibhav Garg , Nimisha Singh , Ashwin Gujrati and Sandip R. Oza
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1069-1076 10 May (2024)
Subject: Hydrological applications of EOS-04 synthetic aperture radar
Keywords: Bathymetry, EOS-04, flood, hydrology, synthetic aperture radar, water level
Abstract: Synthetic aperture radars (SARs) have enabled all weather sensing of land surfaces, which has significantly
benefitted surface hydrology. In this article, we explore
various hydrological applications enabled by Indian
Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) recently launched Earth observation satellite-04 (EOS-04) C-band
SAR satellite. We present the preliminary results of
EOS-04 driven flood inundation mapping, monitoring
of water bodies and study of river dynamics. Novel application of EOS-04 SAR data in estimation of sedimentation
rate is presented for Jayakwadi reservoir, Maharashtra,
India. Additionally, this article explores the integrated
use of SAR and altimeter data for estimation of lake and
reservoir water level and volume. We have used multidate observations from EOS-04 SAR and Sentinel-3A/
3B altimeters to derive river width and estimate area–
water level hypsometric curves for reservoirs. Long-term
and near real-time availability of EOS-04 data can
provide an indispensable tool for monitoring water bodies
and extreme events like floods, at regional scales
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Aggarwal, S. P., Thakur, P. K. and Dadhwal, V. K., Remote sensing
and GIS applications in flood management. J. Hydrol. Res. Dev.,
2009, 24, 145–158.
Moreira, A., Prats-Iraola, P., Younis, M., Krieger, G., Hajnsek, I.
and Papathanassiou, K. P., A tutorial on synthetic aperture radar.
IEEE Geosci. Remote Sensing Mag., 2013, 1(1), 6–43.
Literature cited 2: Ulaby, F. T., Batlivala, P. P. and Dobson, M. C., Microwave
backscatter dependence on surface roughness, soil moisture and
soil texture, Part-I: Bare soil. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Electron., 1978,
GE-16, 286–295.
Birkett, C. M., Mertes, L. A. K., Dunne, T., Costa, M. H. and Jasinski,
M. J., Surface water dynamics in the Amazon Basin: application of
satellite radar altimetry. In 2nd International LBA Scientific Conference, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, 2002, pp. 7–10
ID: 65838
Title: Operational 500 m surface soil moisture product using EOS-04 C-band SAR over Indian agricultural croplands
Author: Dharmendra Kumar Pandey, Prashant Kumar Srivastava , Rucha Dave , Raj K. Setia , Ompal , Rajiv Sinha , Muddu Sekhar , Manish Parmar , Shubham Gupta , Deepak Putrevu , Raghav Mehra , V. Ramanujam , Bimal Kumar Bhattacharya and Raj
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1061-1068 10 May (2024)
Subject: Operational 500 m surface soil moisture product using EOS-04 C-band SAR over Indian agricultural croplands
Keywords: Active-passive, agricultural applications, EOS-04 SAR, soil moisture active and passive, surface soil moisture
Abstract: Surface soil moisture (SSM) at high spatial resolution is
an essential land parameter for agricultural applications like irrigation mapping, scheduling, crop water
stress assessment, etc. However, available satellite derived soil moisture products are inadequate for meeting
the requirements of agricultural applications due to
coarse scale soil moisture (~10–40 km). In this article,
we developed an operational framework for first of its
kind sub-km (~500 m) operational soil moisture product
over India by utilizing ISRO’s EOS-04 C-band synthetic
aperture radar (SAR) data based on active-passive approach. The potential of EOS-04 SAR for sub-km scale
is demonstrated and tested over major cropland sites
covering highly heterogeneous and dynamic crop conditions in different agro-climatic regions over India which
shows a good agreement with in situ datasets with mean
ubRMSE, ranging from 0.051 to 0.078 m3
/m3
.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Das, N. N. et al., The SMAP mission combined active-passive soil
moisture product at 9 km and 3 km spatial resolutions. Remote Sensing Environ., 2018, 211, 204–217.
Gupta, D. K., Srivastava, P. K., Pandey, D. K., Chaudhary, S. K.,
Prasad, R. and O’Neill, P. E., Passive only microwave soil moisture
retrieval in Indian cropping conditions: model parameterization and
validation. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing, 2022, 61, 1–12.
Literature cited 2: Sharma, J., Prasad, R., Srivastava, P. K., Singh, S. K., Yadav, S. A.
and Yadav, V. P., Roughness characterization and disaggregation
of coarse resolution SMAP soil moisture using single-channel algorithm. J. Appl. Remote Sensing, 2021, 15(1), 01451–014514.
Sharma, J., Prasad, R., Srivastava, P. K., Yadav, S. A. and Yadav,
V. P., Improving spatial representation of soil moisture through different downscaling approaches. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote
Sensing, 2022
ID: 65837
Title: Inventory and mapping of kharif crops using machine learning with EOS-04 time-series SAR data
Author: Bimal K. Bhattacharya, V. M. Chowdary , Ayan Das, Mukesh Kumar , Srikanth Poloju , Mamta Kumari , Abhishek Chakraborty , Dipanwita Haldar and Saroj Maity
Editor: S.K.Satheesh
Year: 2024
Publisher: Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences.
Source: ENVIS, CES & EWRG, CES
Reference: Current Science Vol. 126 (9) 1050-1060 10 May (2024)
Subject: Inventory and mapping of kharif crops using machine learning with EOS-04 time-series SAR data
Keywords: C-band SAR, crop discrimination, EOS-04, kharif season, random forest.
Abstract: Efficient discrimination of diverse kharif crops, remains
crucial for crop monitoring and production forecasting, and plays a pivotal role in decision-making for
food security in India. This study aims to harness temporal backscatter data from EOS-04 C-band synthetic
aperture data (SAR) payload to achieve precise discrimination among six short-duration (cereal, oilseeds,
fibre) and long-duration (fibre, pulses) kharif crops.
The study integrates limited ground-truth polygons
and a Random Forest machine learning approach for
analysing EOS-04 time-series data. The classification
accuracies were found to be higher than 75% across all
kharif crops, with cereals exhibiting the highest accuracy, succeeded by fibre, oilseed and pulse crops. A
key focus lies in identifying optimal polarization combinations for effective discrimination among diverse
kharif crop types. The study reveals that the synergistic
utilization of dual polarizations outperforms individual
co- or cross-polarizations, notably benefiting discrimination of cotton, soybean and groundnut crops. Horizontal–vertical polarizations are found to be most
effective for achieving peak accuracies in rice and red
gram crops. Furthermore, the analysis indicates a
promising potential for early crop assessment, presenting an opportunity to furnish precise crop estimates at
least one and a half months before the harvest.
Location: T E 15 New Biology building
Literature cited 1: Anon., Report of the expert committee on agricultural statistics,
chaired by A. Vaidyanathan, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of
India, February 2011.
Parihar, J. S. and Oza, M. P., FASAL: an integrated approach for
crop assessment and production forecasting. In Agriculture and Hydrology Applications of Remote Sensing, SPIE, 2006, vol. 6411, pp.
641101–641113
Literature cited 2: Lee, J. S., Grunes, M. R. and Pottier, E., Quantitative comparison
of classification capability: fully polarimetric versus dual and single polarization SAR. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing, 2001,
39(11), 2343–2351.
Skriver, H., Crop classification by multitemporal C-and L-band
single-and dual-polarization and fully polarimetric SAR. IEEE
Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing, 2011, 50(6), 2138–2149