A general analytical framework was established to investigate the scale-related variabilities in remote
sensing. The variabilities were studied first by investigating canopy structure, canopy interaction with
light, relation between spectral reflectance and plant phenological parameters. The variabilities
simulated by the plant model were compared with the actual spectral data acquired...
Remote sensing offers the potential for monitoring photosynthesis over large temporal and spatial scales. The purpose of this thesis is to provide information that
will help to develop methods to predict photosynthesis from the light reflected by
canopies. The studies focused on a simple model of canopy photosynthetic potential:
Acanopy...
Wave breaking in the surf zone is an important forcing
mechanism on the generation of nearshore currents and in the driving
of sediment transport. At the same time, wave breaking can have
significant spatial and temporal variability that needs to be
accounted for in the description of nearshore processes. Remote...
The North Unit irrigation District of Central Oregon,
a water project developed under the guidelines of the
Bureau of Reclamation, is characterized by limited water
and the need for efficient utilization and control of the
irrigation system. To manage the limited water resource,
irrigators need a timely and economical method...
Irrigation is essential for profitable agriculture in the western
United States. It is the largest consumer of water and power in
Oregon. Conflicting uses of water and power and their scarcity demands
judicious planning for allocation of these resources. Creditable
baseline data are not only needed for irrigated crop acreages,...
This dissertation focuses on two core aspects of remote sensing: (a) interpretation of the remotely sensed data to identify and characterize sea surface features of interest, and (b) the quantitative analysis of previously characterized features to produce robust estimates of geophysical variables. Specifically, these aspects are addressed in the context...
Waves are the primary input of energy in the nearshore region, and together with the currents forced through the transfer of momentum that occurs during the wave breaking process they are the principal mechanism for sediment transport in the nearshore. The basic physics of waves and currents are thought to...
A radiation model was developed for retrieving cloud visible optical depth,
droplet effective radius, and cloud top emission temperature using AVHRR satellite
observations at 0.63, 3.7, and 11 μm. The model was used to determine the sensitivity
of the retrieved properties to various approximations often employed in such retrievals.
Droplet...
A multispectral retrieval method is developed on the 100 km regional scale to extract
the temperature, particle size, fractional cover and 11-μm emissivity of clouds which
may be semitransparent in the infrared based on emitted radiances. The scheme utilizes
the nonlinear relationship between emitted radiances when clouds are semitransparent and...
Forest spatial pattern is a primary interest of landscape ecology due to the relationships between spatial configuration of biotic components and ecological processes. The spatial pattern must be measured in meaningful ways so that relationships between forests and their environment can be analyzed. Aerial and satellite imageries provide ecologists a...
