RADIOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF A MARSH SITE AT THE ARGENTINIAN PAMPAS IN THE CONTEXT OF HYPERNETS PROJECT (A NEW AUTONOMOUS HYPERSPECTRAL RADIOMETER)

Abstract. In the context of HYPERNETS project, which is developing a relatively low cost hyperspectral radiometer (and associated pointing system and embedded calibration device for automated measurement of water and land bidirectional reflectance), the tidal coastal marsh in the Mar Chiquita (Argentina) lagoon is being characterized as a test site for validation of radiometric variables. High quality in situ measurements will be available at all spectral bands at this site (and other sites over land and water around the world) for the validation of the surface reflectance data issued from all earth observation missions. This site, dominanted by Sporobolus densiflorus vegetation, is a coastal habitat that provides ecosystem services essential to people and the environment. There is evidence that growth and photosynthetic apparatus of S. densiflorus is negatively affected by the herbicide glyphosate, which is extensively used in the Argentinian agricultural production. As a way to monitor this risk, in this work a theoretical study was performed to establish if it is possible to estimate the chlorophyll content (C_a+b in S. densiflorus), which concentrations are known to be affected by the herbicide, using hyperspectral reflectance. Signatures recorded in situ plus other parameters obtained from a biochemical characterization of the plant were used to obtain a simulated reflectance with the radiative transfer model PROSAIL. Then, a BaseLine Residual approach, based on close band triplets, was proposed to retrieve C_a+b. As a result, we found that it is possible to distinguish between two levels of C_a+b.