SHIFTing into the time domain: exploring ecosystem phenology with imaging spectroscopy data

As we look towards a future of space-borne imaging spectrometers, repeat observations across the globe will be an incredible asset to better understand complex ecosystem phenology and stressors. This new ability to explore large areas, at high spectral resolution, through the time domain will provide incredible insight. However, such high temporal resolution imaging spectroscopy data have never been available before and there is much development needed in advance of their arrival. We undertook the SBG High Frequency Timeseries (SHIFT) airborne and field campaign throughout the spring 2022 season in terrestrial and aquatic environments in Southern California in order to gather the high frequency data necessary to more fully understand the value of information of repeat spectral acquisitions at landscape extents. This work is supporting four pillars of NASA’s SBG preparation – mission scoping needs, scientific advancement, applications development, and building an inclusive community of practice. To achieve these goals, airborne collections using AVIRIS-NG were conducted approximately weekly over several months, with identical flight plans, while field teams collected collocated and coincident samples of terrestrial vegetation and coastal aquatic conditions. Together with the latest open-source processing methods and a pilot cloud-based science data system, these data provide a basis to understand our ability to characterize the spatial distribution of phenology. In this talk we overview the recently concluded campaign, present an initial outlook of the results, and highlight efforts to engage early career faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates in the project.