Developing a method to characterise UK peatland condition from radar to better constrain the UK greenhouse gas inventory

Tender description

The UK's peatlands are a major store of carbon. This project will research and develop a new way to assess peatland condition using freely-available, weekly satellite radar data. In particular it will focus on the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar interferometry (InSAR), calibrated against data from peatland monitoring sites across the UK. Description: BEIS is looking for a contractor or contractors to develop a method to characterise UK peatland condition from radar to better constrain the UK greenhouse gas inventory. The purpose of the project is to determine whether data from satellite radar sensors can be used to monitor the condition of the UK's peatlands and use this monitoring information as input into the national land use greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. This will enable the Government to produce a better constrained inventory for use in support of setting and tracking progress in UK Carbon Budgets as well for international reporting and policy development. Defra and the Scottish Government have commissioned research into the use of optical satellite data to characterise UK peatland condition in order to support greenhouse gas reporting. This new BEIS project will complement this research by focusing on the use of radar satellite data, which has the advantage of being able to penetrate clouds, an important issue in the UK. The project will take place from January 2018 to December 2019. The project will involve the satellite radar-based characterisation of a sample of UK peatland sites, using field micrometeorology measurements and high resolution imagery as reference data. Specifically, the project will assess the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar interferometry (InSAR) methods. The main output will be a validated method to classify the condition of peatlands using freely-available, weekly satellite data. Furthermore, the project will demonstrate that this condition information can be used to support the national greenhouse gas reporting process. Finally, the project will lay out a roadmap to implement the new method cost-effectively, including an analysis of the potential to hindcast the approach back towards 1990. The work will be carried out as a separate contract to the GHG emission inventory and projections contract that BEIS currently has with Ricardo Energy and Environment (and subcontractors the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and Forest Research). The contractor(s) will be required to liaise with CEH and/or Forest Research concerning the relevant information already contained within the LULUCF inventory, with a view to ensuring that any potential solutions can be successfully incorporated into the inventory process in the future.