The Japanese Earth Resources Satellite (JERS-1) was launched by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) aboard a Japanese H-1 launcher. The platform carried an L-band (HH polarization) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and a nadir-pointing optical sensor (OPS).
Using its high-resolution, all-weather SAR, JERS-1 was used to map important forests of the world: Southeast Asia, Africa, Central America, South America (Amazon Basin), and Boreal North America.
JERS-1 carried an L-band (HH polarization) synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
| Center Frequency | 1.275 GHz (L-band, 23.5 cm wavelength) |
| Bandwidth | 15 MHz |
| Spatial Resolution | 18 m (range) x 18 m (azimuth, 3 looks) |
| Swath Width | 175 km |
| Transmitting Power | 35 µs |
| Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) | 1505.8 - 1606.0 Hz |
| Antenna Polarization Look Angle Antenna Gain Signal to Ambiguity Ratio | Array of 1024 microstrip radiation elements HH 35.21° >33.5 dB >14 dB |
| Data Quantization | 3 bits |
| Data Rate | 3 Mbit/s |
The JERS-1 optical sensor (OPS) was a nadir-pointing multi-spectral imager.
| Band No | Spectral Range | General Application |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.52 - 0.60 µm VIS (green) | Vegetation surveys, land use, water monitoring |
| 2 | 0.63 - 0.69 µm VIS (red) | Chlorophyll absorption for vegetation differentiation |
| 3 | 0.76 - 0.86 µm NIR | Biomass surveys (nadir viewing) |
| 4 | 0.76 - 0.86 µm NIR | Biomass surveys (forward looking, at 15.3º to give stereo coverage with band 3) |
| 5 | 1.60 - 1.71 µm (SWIR) | Vegetation moisture |
| 6 | 2.01 - 2.12 µm (SWIR) | Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils; geology) |
| 7 | 2.13 - 2.25 µm (SWIR) | Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils; geology) |
| 8 | 2.27 - 2.40 µm (SWIR) | Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils; geology) |
Two JERS-1 datasets are distributed by NASA:
| Dataset | Description |
| L0_JERS-1 | Unprocessed/Raw Data |
| L1_JERS-1 | Amplitude Imagery — Processed Images |
The Level 0 and Level 1 products are restricted datasets, and researchers must have permission to download data. Researchers must currently be living in the United States. For information contact the NASA Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center (ASF DAAC) User Support Office.
The following open access image mosaics also are available:
Global map showing JERS-1 Level 1 product coverage available through NASA's ASF DAAC. JERS-1 data can be downloaded (after filling out an agreement) at ASF's Vertex data portal (vertex.daac.asf.alaska.edu).
JERS-1 products can be accessed using several tools available through NASA's ESDS Program:
| Data Discovery Tool | Link |
|---|---|
| NASA Earthdata Search | JERS-1 |
| ASF Vertex Data Search | Vertex |
| Python Search Module | asf_search |
| ASF Search API | ASF Search API |
| Dataset Product | How to Cite | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| JERS-1 Data | Cite data in publications such as journal papers, articles, presentations, posters, and websites. Please send copies of, or links to, published works citing data, imagery, or tools accessed to NASA's ASF DAAC User Services Office at uso@asf.alaska.edu with “New Publication” on subject line. | Dataset: JERS-1, JAXA [year of data acquisition]. Retrieved from ASF DAAC [day month year of data access]. | Dataset: JERS-1, JAXA 1994. Retrieved from ASF DAAC 21 June 2015. |
| JERS-1 Imagery | Include credit with each image shown in publications such as journal papers, articles, presentations, posters, and websites. | © JAXA [year of data acquisition] | © JAXA 1994 |
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