Circumarctic wetland dataset based on ENVISAT ASAR Global Monitoring Mode with links to geotiff image and NetCDF files (2005-01 to 2011-12) ...

• Main Authors: Widhalm, Barbara, Bartsch, Annett, Heim, Birgit
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2015
• Subjects: File content; Uniform resource locator/link to file; File format; File size; Changing Permafrost in the Arctic and its Global Effects in the 21st Century PAGE21; permafrost; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.840548; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.840548

A circumpolar representative and consistent wetland map is required for a range of applications ranging from upscaling of carbon fluxes and pools to climate modelling and wildlife habitat assessment. Currently available data sets lack sufficient accuracy and/or thematic detail in many regions of the Arctic. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from satellites have already been shown to be suitable for wetland mapping. Envisat Advanced SAR (ASAR) provides global medium-resolution data which are examined with particular focus on spatial wetness patterns in this study. It was found that winter minimum backscatter values as well as their differences to summer minimum values reflect vegetation physiognomy units of certain wetness regimes. Low winter backscatter values are mostly found in areas vegetated by plant communities typically for wet regions in the tundra biome, due to low roughness and low volume scattering caused by the predominant vegetation. Summer to winter difference backscatter values, which in ... : This dataset is the version 1 release of the circumpolar wetness level map developed within PAGE21 for the purpose of upscaling of carbon pools and fluxes. It is static and based on ENVISAT ASAR Global monitoring mode data (gridded to 15'') from 2005-2011. Classes are (1) wet, (2) medium and (3) dry. An additional class represents sandy soils (with segdes) or bare ground. ...