Manaus Inundation Map:

These two images were created using data from the Spaceborne
Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR). 
On the left is a false-color image of Manaus, Brazil acquired
April 12, 1994, onboard space shuttle Endeavour.  In the center
of this image is the Solimoes River just west of Manaus before it
combines with the Rio Negro to form the Amazon River.  The scene
is around 8 by 8 kilometers (5 by 5 miles) with north toward the
top.  The radar image was produced in L-band where red areas
correspond to high backscatter at HH polarization, while green
areas exhibit high backscatter at HV polarization.  Blue areas
show low backscatter at VV polarization.  

The image on the right is a classification map showing the extent
of flooding beneath the forest canopy.  The classification map
was developed by SIR-C/X-SAR science team members at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.  The map uses the L-HH,
L-HV, and L-VV images to classify the radar image into six
categories: flooded forest; unflooded tropical rain forest;
open water, Amazon river; unflooded fields, some floating
grasses; flooded shrubs; and, floating and flooded grasses.


Questions:
a) Why is radars' ability to penetrate 1) forest canopies and
2) cloud cover, useful in monitoring flooding in this region?

b) How do the patterns of flooded areas in this image compare to
the patterns of cleared areas in the Southern Rondonia image? 
Which of the effected areas do you think would take longer to
"recover?"  Speculate......

c) Why would earth scientists want to monitor flooding in the
Amazon Basin?  Refer to the lecture handout about deforestation
in the Amazon Basin.