Chernobyl Doses. Volume 2. Conifer Stress near Chernobyl Derived from Landsat Imagery
Title: Chernobyl Doses. Volume 2. Conifer Stress near Chernobyl Derived from Landsat Imagery
Author: Gene E. McClellan; Terrence H. Hemmer; Ronald N. DeWitt
Reference: Technical rept. 29 Sep 87-28 Feb 92
Keywords: Landsat Thematic Mapper, Forest damage, conifer stress
Abstract: This volume presents Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery of the area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Station and derives quantitative estimates of the spatial extent and time progression of stress on coniferous forests resulting from the 26 April 1986 reactor explosion and release of radioactive material. Change detection between pre- and postaccident images demonstrates convincingly that remote sensing of the spectral reflectance of coniferous forests in visible and infrared wavelengths at moderate spatial resolution (30 meters) will detect the effects of large radiation doses to the forest canopy. This work was initiated at a time when the expectation for direct data from the Soviet Union on local, accident-induced radiation levels was limited and the satellite data provided an alternative source. Although information exchange with the former Soviet Union has improved dramatically, the results of this report are important, since they prove the feasibility of large- scale, spectral response measurements on radiation-exposed pine trees in a natural environment. Volume 1 presents the derivation of radiation doses from the imagery reviewed in this volume, describes changes in spectral reflectivity of the affected trees as a function of dose and time, and discusses the military operational implications of these results….Chernobyl, Forest damage, Landsat, Change detection, Conifer stress.