Earth Observation

Earth Observation specialists at CEH use data recorded by satellites and aircraft to develop new ways of monitoring the Earth and its life processes. This remotely sensed information can give us unique information on the Earth's plant life (from microbes to forests), oceans and freshwaters; and the impacts of environmental change and human activities. The work includes the calibration and validation of existing data and the design of new measurement methods. Biophysical and ecosystem models help to estimate vegetation parameters, such as forest stem volume and tree height.

Outputs such as the UK Land Cover Map are widely used in research, policy and environmental management. Work focuses on i) underpinning technologies, ii) biophysical modelling and iii) integrated applications of remote sensing.

CEH is a founding partner of the NERC Climate and LAnd Surface Systems Interaction Centre (CLASSIC), an Earth Observation Centre of Excellence.

CEH also plays a key role in the European Initiative on Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), in the Priority Themes of Land Cover Change in Europe (BIOPRESS project) and Global Vegetation Monitoring (SIBERIA-II project). The cross-cutting study Building an Information Capacity for Environmental Protection and Security (BICEPS) has provided a scientific and technical assessment of GMES requirements. We are also a partner in the GMES-Integrated Project GEOLAND (FP6).

CEH carries out research and development for the NERC Airborne Remote Sensing Facility (ARSF), providing high spectral, spatial and temporal resolution environmental data products to the UK community which can be spatially referenced to sub-pixel accuracy.

 

Current and past projects

  • GEOLAND Integrated Project on Land Cover and Vegetation (GMES, EU Framework 6).
    • Nature observatory.
    • Land cover and vegetation change observatory.
    • Core biophysical parameters.
  • NERC Centre of Excellence in Earth Observation - Climate and LAnd Surface Systems Interaction Centre (CLASSIC) – since March 2003.
  • NERC Airborne Remote Sensing Facility.
  • Accuracy Assessment Of Surface Height Estimation Over Forest With Airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (INSAR), CASE studentship.
  • Linking pan-European land cover change to pressures on biodiversity (BIOPRESS), EU Framework 5 – since January 2003.
  • Habitat audit and change detection in Sierra Leone (Defra, Darwin initiative) - since January 2002.
  • Multi-sensor concepts for greenhouse gas accounting of Northern Eurasia (SIBERIA-II), EU Framework 5 – since January 2002.
  • Carbon Observation and Retrieval from Synthetic Aperture Radar (CORSAR), NERC New Observing Techniques – since September 2001.
  • Linking Earth Observation and vegetation growth models, CEH Integrating Fund.
  • Carbon Offset Verification of Forest Ecosystems (LINK-CARBON), BNSC-LINK Programme.
  • SAR Imaging for Boreal Ecology and Radar Interferometry Applications (SIBERIA), EU Framework 5 – concluded.
  • Northern Hemisphere Climate-Processes Land-Surface Experiment (NOPEX), EU Framework 4 – concluded.