The sequestration of carbon is a major world-wide goal for reducing the greenhouse effect. New, low cost methods are needed for determining and verifying carbon sequestration and for lowering its overall cost. Existing biomass and carbon survey methods and technologies are too slow, too expensive, and too inexact. This project will develop a very high frequency (VHF) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system for the airborne remote sensing of biomass and carbon. The system, which will fly at 3,000 meters in altitude with a down-looking antenna, will be faster, more accurate, and much less expensive than present methods. Radar pulses returned from the ground directly below the aircraft will be taken at 150,000 samples per second and converted to the amount of biomass and carbon contained within the radar?s footprint. The system will have the ability to conduct carbon surveys at a rate of 300 square miles per day at a cost of about $0.25 per acre and with an accuracy design goal of +/- 10%. Phase I will investigate the use of a single VHF frequency between 30 and 80 MHz. The selected frequency will be used for field experiments to determine power and sensitivity levels required for the radar operations. A preliminary design for an operational prototype will be developed for fabrication in Phase II.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The biomass and carbon surveys should not only support carbon cycle science but also timber companies? requirements for inventory. It will provide the first method available for the rapid and inexpensive measurement of large forested areas (10,000+ acres)
