Autumn-colored leaves captured by GCOM-C

Earth observation by GCOM-C, which was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in 2017, is on track. Let us introduce the autumn-colored leaves and defoliated trees captured by GCOM-C in Japan.

GCOM-C has multiple channels in the visible range with a 250-m resolution and observes the Earth’s surface approximately once every two days. We previously reported that GCOM-C captured the spring leaf expansion in the forest and would be happy to report that it also captured autumn-colored leaves and defoliated trees.

Look at Figure 1, an RGB color image of Japan from Hokkaido to the Kinki region, observed by the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) onboard GCOM-C in October 2018. The white areas are clouds and snow-covered areas.

Figure 1. The autumn-colored Japan from Hokkaido to the Kinki region in October 2018. A multi-day, color composite image was created from the data of SGLI onboard GCOM-C. The SGLI’s red (VN08: 673.5 nm), green (VN05: 530 nm), and blue (VN03: 443 nm) channels’ data were assigned to R, G, and B, respectively. The discontinuity in the image was attributed to the differences in the observed day with distinctive observation directions depending on the satellite position.

Look at Figure 2, an RGB color image that extended the yellow-squared area in Figure 1. In the forests, leaves looked green, while autumn-colored leaves and defoliated trees looked brown. We could find the progress of autumn coloring and falling leaves in a month in the mountainous area from Mt. Zao to the Azuma Mountains. Now look at Figure 3, an RGB color image that extended the red-squared area in Figure 1 in Akita and Iwate prefectures observed on September 19, October 13, and October 21. We could find that the leaves are turning red and falling around Mt. Hachimantai, Mt. Iwate, and Mt. Komagatake (see the red circles in Figure 3) and the Kitakami Highlands.

Figure 2. The progress of autumn coloring and falling leaves abound three prefectures’ borders with Fukushima, Miyagi, and Yamagata observed by SGLI onboard GCOM-C on September 19, 2018 (left) and October 21, 2018 (right). The target area of a composite color image was within the yellow square in Figure 1. The SGLI’s red (VN08: 673.5 nm), green (VN06: 565 nm), and blue (VN04: 490 nm) channels were assigned to R, G, and B, respectively. The color image slightly differed from the true color because the red and green were emphasized to clarify that normal leaves looked green, while autumn-colored leaves and defoliated trees looked brown.

Figure 3. The progress of autumn coloring and falling leaves in Akita and Iwate prefectures. It was observed by SGLI onboard GCOM-C on September 19, 2018 (left), October 13, 2018 (middle), and October 21, 2018 (right). The target area of a composite color image was within the red square in Figure 1. The SGLI’s red (VN08: 673.5 nm), green (VN06: 565 nm), and blue (VN04: 490 nm) channels were assigned to R, G, and B, respectively. The color image slightly differed from the true color because the red and green were emphasized to clarify that normal leaves looked green, while autumn-colored leaves and defoliated trees looked brown.

GCOM-C observes forests and land surfaces on a global scale with high frequency. Figure 1 is an image generated from SGLI’s atmospheric corrected surface reflectance data, which is corrected for the effects of light scattering and absorption by gas molecules and aerosol particles in the air. JAXA will release the atmospheric corrected surface reflectance data and vegetation index data corresponding to vegetation density in December 2018.

Explanation of the Images

Figs. 1-3

Satellite	Global Change Observation Mission-Climate “SHIKISAI” (GCOM-C)
Sensor	Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI)
Date	October 2018 (Fig. 1). September 19, 2018 and October 21, 2018 (Fig. 2) September 19, 2018, October 13, 2018, and October 21, 2018 (Fig. 3)

Autumn-colored leaves captured by GCOM-C

Explanation of the Images

Figs. 1-3

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