JERS-1 - Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1
JERS - 1
© Geoscience Australia
- Introduction
- Historical Information
- Sensor Characteristics
- JERS SAR Characteristics
- How to get JERS-1 imagery and data
- Enquiries
Introduction
JERS-1 is no longer available from Geoscience Australia. The Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1 (JERS-1) was a joint project between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). JAXA was in charge of the satellite while MITI is responsible for the observation equipment.
Historical Information
JERS-1 was launched in February 1992 and ceased operation on 11 October 1998, four years more than the original two year mission plan. It observed the Earth's surface using optical sensors and a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor. The optical sensors collected information from eight spectral bands, while the SAR sensor operated in the L-band of the microwave wavelengths.
ACRES acquired JERS-1 SAR data at the Alice Springs ground station between September 1993 and October 1998.
Sensor Characteristics
Optical Data
Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
| Band no. | Spectral Range (µm) | EM Region | Generalised Application Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.52 - 0.60 | visible green | Vegetation surveys, land use, water monitoring |
| 2 | 0.63 - 0.69 | visible red | Chlorophyll absorption for vegetation differentiation |
| 3 | 0.76 - 0.86 | near infrared | Biomass surveys (nadir viewing) |
| 4 | 0.76 - 0.86 | near infrared | Biomass surveys (forward looking, at 15.3 degrees, to give stereo coverage with band 3) |
Short Wave Infrared (SWIR)
| Band no. | Spectral Range (µm) | EM Region | Generalised Application Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1.60 - 1.71 | middle infrared | Vegetation moisture |
| 6 | 2.01 - 2.12 | middle infrared | Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils, geology) |
| 7 | 2.13 - 2.25 | middle infrared | Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils, geology) |
| 8 | 2.27 - 2.40 | middle infrared | Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils, geology) |
Optical Data Characteristics (VNIR and SWIR)
| Product Pixel Size | 18 meters |
|---|---|
| Scene Size | 75 km |
| Data quantisation | 6 bits |
Synthetic Aperture Radar Data
The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor is an active microwave sensor capable of imaging the Earth regardless of time of day, cloud, haze or smoke over an area. The instrument is classified as "active" as it emits the microwave energy necessary to image the Earth's surface. In contrast, 'passive' or 'optical' sensors rely on the Sun's reflected energy to image the Earth.
An important difference between ERS SAR, RADARSAT and JERS SAR is that the latter operates in L-band, while the former two operate in the C-band part of the spectrum, making JERS SAR data well suited to land based studies.
JERS SAR Characteristics
| Frequency | 1.3 GHz |
|---|---|
| Band Width | 15 MHz |
| Band Name | L-Band |
| Wavelength | 235 mm |
| Off Nadir Angle | 35 degrees |
| Ground Resolution | 18 meters |
| Swath Width | 75 km |
| Polarisation | HH* |
| * H=horizontal. | |
Generalised Applications
| Geology | Geological structural mapping |
|---|---|
| Forestry | Tree density, Forest-type mapping |
| Soils | Soil moisture studies |
| Agriculture | Crop type discrimination |
| Land Use | Surface feature discrimination |
How to get JERS-1 imagery and data
Topic contact: earth.observation@ga.gov.au Last updated: August 20, 2012
