Complementing Optical Remote Sensing with Synthetic Aperture Radar Observations of Hail Damage Swaths to Agricultural Crops in the Central United States

• DOI: 10.1175/jamc-d-19-0124.1
• Publication Date: 2020-02-28T13:48:03Z
• Authors: Jordan R. Bell; Esayas Gebremichael; Andrew L. Molthan; Lori A. Schultz; Franz J. Meyer; Christopher R. Hain; Suravi Shrestha; K. Cole Payne
• Keywords: Backscatter (email); Growing season

Abstract The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been frequently used to map hail damage vegetation, especially in agricultural areas, but observations can be blocked by cloud cover during the growing season. Here, European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1A / 1B C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery co- and cross polarization is identify changes backscatter of corn soybeans damaged intense thunderstorm events early late Following a June event, hail-damaged areas produced lower mean when compared with surrounding, unaffected pixels [vertical–vertical (VV): −1.1 dB; vertical–horizontal (VH): −1.5 dB]. Later, another event August an increase cross-polarized (VV: 0.7 VH: 1.7 dB) that hypothesized result from combined effects crop growth, change structure crops, soil moisture conditions. Hail regions inferred were further assessed through coherence detections support crops within swath. While studies using NDVI have routinely concluded decrease associated damage, cause respect SAR values more complex. Influences environmental variables, such as structure, maturity, conditions, need considered interpreting will vary throughout