Geology topics

Jose M. Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to Jose M. Moreno.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2024

The EnMAP spaceborne imaging spectroscopy mission: Initial scientific results two years after launch

Imaging spectroscopy has been a recognized and established remote sensing technology since the 1980s, mainly using airborne and field-based platforms to identify and quantify key bio- and geo-chemical surface and atmospheric compounds, based on characteristic spectral reflectance features in the visible-near infrared (VNIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR). Spaceborne missions, a leap in technology, were sparse, starting with the CHRIS/PROBA and EO1/Hyperion missions in the early 2000s, and providing spectroscopy data with limited spectral coverage and/or low data quality in the SWIR. Since 2019, several countries and agencies have successfully launched a number of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy systems into orbit or deployed them on the International Space Station (ISS) such as DESIS, PRISMA, HISUI, GF-5, EnMAP and EMIT. Among these recent missions, the German Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) stands for its long-term development, sophisticated design with on-board calibration, high data quality requirements, and extensive accompanying science program. EnMAP was launched in April 2022 and, following a successful commissioning phase, started its operational activities in November 2022. The EnMAP mission encompasses global coverage from 80° N to 80° S through on-demand data acquisitions. Data are free and open access with 30 m spatial resolution, a high spectral resolution with a spectral sampling distance of 6.5 nm and 10 nm in the VNIR and SWIR regions respectively, and a high signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, we aim to present the mission's current status, coverage, science capabilities and performance two years after launch. We show the potential of EnMAP for space-based imaging spectroscopy to operate in various environments, including high and low light levels, dense forests, Antarctic glaciers, and arid agricultural areas. EnMAP enables various applications in fields such as agriculture and forestry, soil compositional, raw materials, and methane mapping, as well as water quality assessment, and snow and ice properties. The results show that EnMAP's performance exceeds the mission requirements, and highlights the significant potential for contribution to scientific exploitation in various geo- and biochemical sciences. EnMAP is also expected to serve as a key tool for the development and testing of data processing algorithms for upcoming global operational missions.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗

USGS2023

The EnMAP imaging spectroscopy mission towards operations

EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) is a high-resolution imaging spectroscopy remote sensing mission that was successfully launched on April 1st, 2022. Equipped with a prism-based dual-spectrometer, EnMAP performs observations in the spectral range between 418.2 nm and 2445.5 nm with 224 bands and a high radiometric and spectral accuracy and stability. EnMAP products, with a ground instantaneous field-of-view of 30 m x 30 m at a swath width of 30 km, allow for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of surface variables from frequently and consistently acquired observations on a global scale. This article presents the EnMAP mission and details the activities and results of the Launch and Early Orbit and Commissioning Phases until November 1st, 2022. The mission capabilities and expected performances for the operational Routine Phase are provided for existing and future EnMAP users.

Remote Sensing of Environment↗

USGS2019

Global ecological predictors of the soil priming effect

Identifying the global drivers of soil priming is essential to understanding C cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. We conducted a survey of soils across 86 globally-distributed locations, spanning a wide range of climates, biotic communities, and soil conditions, and evaluated the apparent soil priming effect using 13 C-glucose labeling. Here we show that the magnitude of the positive apparent priming effect (increase in CO 2 release through accelerated microbial biomass turnover) was negatively associated with SOC content and microbial respiration rates. Our statistical modeling suggests that apparent priming effects tend to be negative in more mesic sites associated with higher SOC contents. In contrast, a single-input of labile C causes positive apparent priming effects in more arid locations with low SOC contents. Our results provide solid evidence that SOC content plays a critical role in regulating apparent priming effects, with important implications for the improvement of C cycling models under global change scenarios.

Nature Communications↗

USGS2015

Fire activity as a function of fire–weather seasonal severity and antecedent climate across spatial scales in southern Europe and Pacific western USA

Climate has a strong influence on fire activity, varying across time and space. We analyzed the relationships between fire–weather conditions during the main fire season and antecedent water-balance conditions and fires in two Mediterranean-type regions with contrasted management histories: five southern countries of the European Union (EUMED)(all fires); the Pacific western coast of the USA (California and Oregon, PWUSA)(national forest fires). Total number of fires (≥1 ha), number of large fires (≥100 ha) and area burned were related to mean seasonal fire weather index (FWI), number of days over the 90th percentile of the FWI, and to the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) from the preceding 3 (spring) or 8 (autumn through spring) months. Calculations were made at three spatial aggregations in each area, and models related first-difference (year-to-year change) of fires and FWI/climate variables to minimize autocorrelation. An increase in mean seasonal FWI resulted in increases in the three fire variables across spatial scales in both regions. SPEI contributed little to explain fires, with few exceptions. Negative water-balance (dry) conditions from autumn through spring (SPEI8) were generally more important than positive conditions (moist) in spring (SPEI3), both of which contributed positively to fires. The R2 of the models generally improved with increasing area of aggregation. For total number of fires and area burned, the R2 of the models tended to decrease with increasing mean seasonal FWI. Thus, fires were more susceptible to change with climate variability in areas with less amenable conditions for fires (lower FWI) than in areas with higher mean FWI values. The relationships were similar in both regions, albeit weaker in PWUSA, probably due to the wider latitudinal gradient covered in PWUSA than in EUMED. The large variance explained by some of the models indicates that large-scale seasonal forecast could help anticipating fire activity in the investigated areas.

California, Oregon↗

USGS2012

Changes in fire intensity have carry-over effects on plant responses after the next fire in southern California chaparral

Question Do variations in fire intensity within a stand determine changes in fire intensity and plant demographics in a subsequent fire? Location San Diego (CA, USA); chaparral dominated by Adenostoma fasciculatum (resprouter) and Ceanothus greggii (seeder). Methods In 2003, a wildfire burned a young (16-yr-old) stand containing a set of experimental plots burned in 1987 with various levels of fire intensity. In 2004, all the 1987 plots were sampled for Adenostoma survival and the recruitment of both species. Similar measures were carried out in the adjacent old (75-yr) stand. Fire intensity in 2003 was estimated by a surrogate fire severity measure [minimum diameter of burned branches (branch diameter)]. Results In the young stand, branch diameter in 2003 was similar to the control plots in 1987, but lower than in the old stand. Fire intensity in 1987 did not significantly affect branch diameter in 2003. Survival of Adenostoma in the young stand was very low, much lower than after the 1987 burn and that in the old stand. Fire intensity in 1987 did not affect Adenostoma survival. Recruitment in Adenostoma increased, and in Ceanothus decreased, with increased fire intensity in 1987. Conclusions We demonstrate that there is a carry-over effect of fire intensity across a whole fire cycle on plant recruitment of the two dominant species. The 2003 fire partially reversed the relative effects on recruitment caused by elevated fire intensity in 1987. Arguably, this effect was driven by the contrasted relationships of the two species to fire intensity. Adenostoma survival in the young stand was much lower in 2003 than in 1987, despite similar branch diameter, and was also lower than in the old stand, despite higher branch diameter in this case. The causes of such mortality are unknown.

California↗