OBIA4RTM – towards an operational open-source solution for coupling object-based image analysis with radiative transfer modelling. (5th February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Graf, Lukas; Papp, Levente; Lang, Stefan
• Is Part Of: European journal of remote sensing. Volume 54(2021)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 59
• Page End: 70
• Publication Date: 2021-02-05
• Subjects: Vegetation parameters -- object-based image analysis -- radiative transfer modelling -- lookup-table based inversion -- open-source software -- leaf area index; Remote sensing -- Periodicals; Remote sensing; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.3678
• DOI: 10.1080/22797254.2020.1810132
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2279-7254

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Radiative transfer models (RTM) provide universally applicable, highly accurate prospects for plant parameter retrieval. Due to the ill-posed nature of radiative transfer theory, however, the retrieval of plant parameters requires sophisticated strategies for model inversion. We argue that object-based image analysis (OBIA) works as an effective regularization measure to cope with this ill-posedness. Despite similar findings reported in the literature, OBIA and RTM are rarely used in a combined manner. Additionally, there is a clear lack of software solutions ready for operational usage. Therefore, we propose OBIA4RTM as an approach to combine OBIA and RTM using Python and PostgreSQL/PostGIS spatial databases in a fully Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) compliant way. First results obtained in agricultural regions in southern Germany and Austria using Sentinel-2 data during the 2017 and 2018 growing season show root mean squared errors (RMSE) in the leaf area index (LAI) of 1.47 m²/m² in the case of silage maize and 1.31 m²/m² in the case of winter cereals. Issues of integrating space and time as well as defining appropriate validation strategies, however, require further research.