ARTMO – a toolbox for optimizing and automating mapping of vegetation properties

Tutor: Jochem Verrelst & Pablo Antonio Morcillo Pallarés (University of Valencia)

Tutorial description: This tutorial will focus on the use of ARTMO’s (Automated Radiative Transfer Models Operator) radiative transfer models (RTMs), retrieval toolboxes and post-processing tools. ARTMO brings together a diverse collection of leaf and canopy RTMs (PROSPECT, SAIL, FLIGHT, etc.) into a synchronized user-friendly GUI environment. Essential tools are provided to create all kinds of look-up tables (LUT). These LUTs can then subsequently be used for mapping applications. Those – or alternatively user-collected field data – can be inserted into three types of mapping toolboxes: (1) through parametric regression (e.g. vegetation indices), (2) nonparametric methods (e.g. machine learning methods), or (3) through LUT-based inversion strategies. Post-processing tools include: (1) global sensitivity analysis, and (2) emulation.

As a novelty presented in this tutorial, we also plan to teach the ALG (Atmospheric Look-up table Generator) GUI tool, which allows streamlining the widely used MODTRAN and 6SV atmospheric RTMs. The goal of ALG is to facilitate users to create atmospheric LUTs and work with these data in a wide range of applications such as atmospheric correction, sensitivity analysis and model intercomparison“.

Step-by-step demonstrations will be given on following topics:

  • Running of leaf and canopy RTMs
  • Running the ALG tool for generation of atmospheric LUTs.
  • Familiarizing with the Sensor tool in order to create LUTs for specific band settings.
  • Applying retrieval strategies to airborne and satellite images for semi-automated mapping of vegetation properties.
  • Emulation, i.e. developing statistical models from physical RTMs.

The software runs in Matlab and makes use of a locally-installed MySQL server.

For more information about ARTMO please see: http://ipl.uv.es/artmo/

Requirements: Participants need to bring their own laptops with Matlab preinstalled. MySQL can be downloaded and installed during the tutorial. Alternatively, students can team up in small groups. Demo data will be provided.

Number of participants: max. 20

Date: 5 February 2019, 9:00 – 12:30

Location: Lecture room at Global Change Research Institute (CzechGlobe), Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00 Brno

Fee: Free of charge

Registration: Subscribe for the tutorial during abstract submission / registration via ConfTool