Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Data Type
Source(s)
Use
Spectral
Reflectance
Centre National
d'Etudes
Spatiales
[59]
,
NASA
[55]
,NOAA
[7]
,
USGS
[71]
Spectral reflectance is used to com-
pute vegetation indices, surface tem-
perature and a number of other vari-
ables. These variables are funda-
mental to studies in forestry, agricul-
ture and urbanization.
River Discharge
German Federal
Institute of
Hydrology
[30]
,
SAGE
[70]
River discharge levels are an impor-
tant component of the hydrological
cycle, which is in turn connected to
agriculture and urbanization.
Nighttime Lights
Department of
Defense, NOAA
Mapping urbanization dynamics.
NASA
[56]
,World
Data Centre for
Aerosols
[78]
, Japan
Aerospace
Exploration
Agency
[38]
Aerosols
Atmospheric aerosol concentration is
often higher in urban areas. Aerosol
concentration impacts regions tem-
perature and precipitation patterns.
NOAA
[58]
Carbon Cycle
Greenhouse
Gases
Impacts of land disturbances on the
carbon cycle.
METI
[49]
,USGS
[72]
Digital Elevation
Model
Topography can affect landslide risk,
spread of wildfires, agricultural pro-
ductivity, potential for urbanization,
etc.
NCDC
[57]
,
SPARC
[67]
Climate Data
Climate datasets that are obtained
through
in situ
or satellite based sen-
sors consist of information about the
land, ocean and atmosphere such as
temperature, pressure, sea surface
height, precipitation etc.
MERRA
[52]
,
GEOS5
[33]
,RIO
[64]
Model Data
Model data generally comprise of
reanalysis datasets that supplement
observational data with physics
based models, such as general circu-
lation models, for interpolating and
projecting over regions and time in-
tervals where sensor observations are
sparse.
Table 15.1.
Sensor datasets used in earth science research.
