New boreal forest biomass maps produced from radar satellite data

DNA India
ANI
Saturday, March 27, 2010 16:28 IST

Paris: A new processing algorithm has been developed using stacks of images from the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) on ESA's (European Space Agency's) Envisat satellite that allows for the retrieval of boreal forest biomass well beyond the levels that have been previously reported.

Forests play a crucial role in Earth's carbon cycle by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in biomass.

Undisturbed forests are carbon sinks as they absorb carbon, while forests that are logged or burnt down become carbon sources as they release carbon into the atmosphere.

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