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Earth Science: Biological Information in Optical Spectra
RO#
17515
Location
Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
Advisor Information
Name
Phone
Email
Vanderbilt, Vern Corwin
(650)604-4254
vvanderbilt@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Research Area
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Keywords
Environmental models; Optical spectra; Radiative transfer; Vegetation;
Description
The optical light-scattering properties of leaves and plant canopies are being examined as a potential source of information with regard to their biological and biochemical properties. Theoretical models that employ the equation of radiative transfer are under investigation for predicting these properties. Comparing the modeling results with laboratory, field, aircraft, and spacecraft measurements provides a basis for extrapolation among these scales. The measurements program has studies involving both single leaves and plant canopies, including a study of the surface and bulk optical properties of leaves; a study of how these optical properties change in response to the physiological, morphological, and phenological properties of the leaf; and a study of the relationship among these same properties for plant canopies. Supporting these microscale studies are synoptic aircraft and spacecraft measurements, which are used to test the microscale research results when applied to the macroscale-the larger environment represented by geographically large plant canopies and ecosystems.
