BIOPHYSICAL PARAMETER RETRIEVAL FOR GLOBAL MODEL- LING FROM SATELLITE LASER ALTIMETRY

This research aims to evaluate the potential of satellite light detection and ranging ( Lidar) for the retrieval of land surface biophysical parameters, in particular over forest biomes. The data source is the Geoscience Laser AltimeterSystem (GLAS) aboard the Ice Cloudand land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). This new instrumentation has the potential to directly estimate key land surface parameters such as canopy height, currently difficult to obtain by other means. In addition, data from airborne Lidarexperiments have been shown to offer information on the vertical distribution of leaf area index(LAI), and, by correlation, biomass. This research aims to combine field measurements and a modelling approach to explore which parameters may be retrieved from satellite Lidardata and evaluate use in support of land surface and climate modelling.