AVHRR monitoring of U.S. crops during the 1988 drought

摘要: Effects of the 1988 drought on crops in U.S. Corn Belt were assessed and monitored by Foreign Crop Condition Assessment Division (FCCAD), Department Agriculture. The primary data vegetation index numbers (VINs), each which was calculated as an average a geographically referenced cell AVHRR pixels. Using VINs, FCCAD able to detect existence early season, monitor changing conditions, provide objective assessments drought's extent severity. Field observations confirmed image analyses, underlined importance timing extreme weather events with respect crop stages for interpreting VINs. analyses conducted operational environment, providing unique test large area, near real-time monitoring. Because remote sensing is quite different from traditional, controlled, small plot research studies, more work needed link two; this would improve assessment capabilities.