Cropland Carbon Monitoring System (CCMS): A satellite-based system to estimate carbon fluxes on U.S croplands

The primary goal of this project is to create a prototype of a Cropland Carbon Monitoring System (CCMS) that improves the existing cropland C storage and flux estimates developed under previous NASA CMS activities in terms of spatial and temporal scales as well as completeness. This project will use RS-EPIC developed as part of Global Agricultural Monitoring Program (GEO-GLAM) to estimate, at 500-m resolution, the 2015-2016 seasonal and annual C fluxes of nine major crops (corn, soybean, winter wheat, spring wheat sorghum, cotton, alfalfa, barley, rice, and peas) grown over ~96% of the cropland area in the conterminous United States. The product developed under this project will provide the knowledge base at required spatial and temporal scale to understand complex carbon cycling outcomes under various land use and land management practices and develop joint policies to meet objectives of food and energy security while stabilizing atmospheric CO₂. Further, the data product will help improve national inventories and carbon budget reporting.