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3-5 Micron Imaging Spectrometer for Measurement of Terrestrial Carbon Pools

 

DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-00ER86109

Amount:  $100,000

 

Small Business	Research Institution
OptoMechanical Enterprises, Inc.	University of Nebraska-Lincoln
7 Waterbury Court	303 Canfield Administration Building
Allentown, NJ  08501
Dr. Arthur T. Poulos, Principal Investigator	Lincoln, NE  68588-0430
Mrs. Danette N. Poulos, Business Official
609-259-0501

 

Remote measurement methods of terrestrial vegetation are needed to assess the pools and fluxes that make up the global carbon cycle.  Conventional ground-based measurements combine physical sampling, landscape-level surveys, and model simulations, all of which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.  While ground-based spectroscopy is an attractive alternative, commercially available portable spectrometers are limited to sensing wavelengths smaller than 2.5 microns and are point detection devices.  Recent satellite data suggests that mid-infrared (3-5 micron) reflectance images can provide useful contrast between vegetation, soils, and building materials, and among different types of live and aging vegetation.  This project will develop and calibrate a portable imaging spectrometer for the 3-5 micron wavelength range.  A model that converts observed spectral images to estimate the above ground biomass and fractional vegetation cover will also be developed.  In Phase I, an imaging interferometric system will be assembled.  Photometric figures of merit will be evaluated using laboratory light sources.  The ability of the spectrometer to measure differences in spectral reflectivity among plants, soils, and other materials will be tested on indoor and outdoor scenes.  Field tests over corn and soybean canopies will be conducted, and the mid-IR reflectance technique will be verified through independent measurements of above-ground biomass, leaf area index, vegetation fraction, and tissue carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.

 

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:  A portable spectrometer could find use in the agriculture, forestry, and natural resources communities as a tool for estimating aboveground plant biomass and fractional vegetation cover and detecting disturbances such as green canopy removal/reduction, soil disturbance, disturbance of surface plant litter, and addition/subtraction of anthropogenic surfaces.  Other potential markets include thermal imaging for industrial process control, non-destructive evaluation, fugitive gas leaks, reconnaissance, and chemical vapor sensing.