Wintertime satellite imagery of Maryland farmland shows areas with higher amounts of green vegetation in deeper red colors. Bare fallow fields are distinguishable from cover crops and winter cereal crops, and evergreen forest is distinguishable from deciduous forest.
Brian T. Lamb, Ph.D.
Brian T Lamb is a Research Physical Scientist in the Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Duty Station: Coram, New York.
His research seeks to improve remote sensing-based approaches for characterizing land surface processes related to water quality. His primary research focuses on the evaluation of tillage practices and cover crop performance in agricultural watersheds using satellite imagery. His secondary research foci include the characterization of wetland vegetation and inundation dynamics in addition to assessments of water quality and water optical properties using remote sensing.
Professional Experience
Research Physical Scientist, October 2021 – Present, USGS Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center.
Geospatial Technician: Remote Sensing Specialist, June 2015 – September 2021, Contracted to USGS Eastern Geographic Science Center through Cherokee Nation Technologies, Inc.
Graduate Research Assistant, August 2015 – September 2020, City University of New York (CUNY) City College of New York, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Tzortziou Bio-Optics Laboratory
Graduate Research Assistant, August 2013 – June 2015, CUNY City College of New York, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, McDonald Terrestrial Ecology Laboratory.
Adjunct Lecturer, January 2013 – December 2013, CUNY City College of New York, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Project Monitor & Air Monitoring Technician, June 2011 – August 2012, Enviro-Control Technologies, Inc.
Laboratory Technician, March 2010 – December 2010, Cornell University, Department of Biotechnology, Buckler Laboratory.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY Graduate Center (2020)
M.Sc. in Geology, CUNY City College of New York (2015)
B.Sc. in Natural Resources, Cornell University (2011)
Honors and Awards
NASA National Earth and Space Science PhD Fellowship (2017- 2020)
Science and Products
Winter cover crop biomass sampling at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 2019-2021, with corresponding Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 derived indices and metrics
This data release contains in situ biomass samples collected from cereal grain winter cover crop fields at the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, in the winters of 2019-20 and 2020-21. It also contains corresponding spectral reflectance and radar data acquired from the Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 satellite platforms on dates proximal to the biomass collection. Data are
Reflectance spectra of agricultural field conditions supporting remote sensing evaluation of non-photosynthetic vegetation cover (ver. 1.1, November 2022)
This data release contains spectra used to evaluate narrow-band shortwave infrared indices suitable for measurement of non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV). The original data were collected using a proximal Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) FieldSpecPro spectroradiometer, and are also provided in various states of processing, all of which is described in the manuscripts referenced below.
Items
Keeping It Green Image 5
Wintertime satellite imagery of Maryland farmland shows areas with higher amounts of green vegetation in deeper red colors. Bare fallow fields are distinguishable from cover crops and winter cereal crops, and evergreen forest is distinguishable from deciduous forest.
Intercomparison of same-day remote sensing data for measuring winter cover crop biophysical traits
Winter cover crops are planted during the fall to reduce nitrogen losses and soil erosion and improve soil health. Accurate estimations of winter cover crop performance and biophysical traits including biomass and fractional vegetative groundcover support accurate assessment of environmental benefits. We examined the comparability of measurements between ground-based and spaceborne sensors as well
Authors
Alison Thieme, Kusuma Prabhakara, Jyoti Jennewein, Brian T Lamb, Gregory T. McCarty, W. Dean Hively
Atmospheric correction intercomparison of hyperspectral and multispectral imagery over agricultural study sites
In this research effort we assess the performance of atmospheric correction-based surface reflectance (SR) retrievals from two satellite image sources, one with very high spatial resolution (VHR) (
Authors
Brian T Lamb, W. Dean Hively, Jyoti Jennewein, Alison Thieme, Alex M. Soroka
Comparing NISAR (using Sentinel-1), USDA/NASS CDL, and ground truth crop/non-crop areas in an urban agricultural region
A general limitation in assessing the accuracy of land cover mapping is the availability of ground truth data. At sites where ground truth is not available, potentially inaccurate proxy datasets are used for sub-field-scale resolution investigations at large spatial scales, i.e., in the Contiguous United States. The USDA/NASS Cropland Data Layer (CDL) is a popular agricultural land cover dataset d
Authors
Simon Kraatz, Brian T Lamb, W. Dean Hively, Jyoti Jennewein, Feng Gao, Michael H. Cosh, Paul Siqueira
Optimizing Landsat Next shortwave infrared bands for crop residue characterization
This study focused on optimizing the placement of shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands for pixel-level estimation of fractional crop residue cover (fR) for the upcoming Landsat Next mission. We applied an iterative wavelength shift approach to a database of crop residue field spectra collected in Beltsville, Maryland, USA (n = 916) and computed generalized two- and three-band spectral indices for all w
Authors
Brian T Lamb, Phillip Dennison, W. Dean Hively, Raymond F. Kokaly, Guy Serbin, Zhuoting Wu, Philip W. Dabney, Jeffery G. Masek, Michael Campbell, Craig S. T. Daughtry
Integration of satellite-based optical and synthetic aperture radar imagery to estimate winter cover crop performance in cereal grasses
The magnitude of ecosystem services provided by winter cover crops is linked to their performance (i.e., biomass and associated nitrogen content, forage quality, and fractional ground cover), although few studies quantify these characteristics across the landscape. Remote sensing can produce landscape-level assessments of cover crop performance. However, commonly employed optical vegetation indice
Authors
Jyoti Jennewein, Brian T Lamb, W. Dean Hively, Alison Thieme, Resham Thapa, Avi Goldsmith, Phillip Dennison
Evaluation of SWIR crop residue bands for the Landsat Next mission
This research reports the findings of a Landsat Next expert review panel that evaluated the use of narrow shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectance bands to measure ligno-cellulose absorption features centered near 2100 and 2300 nm, with the objective of measuring and mapping non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV), crop residue cover, and the adoption of conservation tillage practices within agricultural
Authors
W. Dean Hively, Brian T. Lamb, Craig S.T. Daughtry, Guy Serbin, Phillip Dennison, Raymond F. Kokaly, Zhuoting Wu, Jeffrey G. Masek
Estimating the effect of winter cover crops on nitrogen leaching using cost-share enrollment data, satellite remote sensing, and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling
This study employed a novel combination of data (winter cover crop cost-share enrollment records, satellite remote sensing of wintertime vegetation, and results of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) water quality simulations) to estimate the environmental performance of winter cover crops (WCC) at the watershed scale, from 2008 through 2017, within the Tuckahoe sub-watershed of the Choptank Riv
Authors
W. Dean Hively, Sangchul Lee, Ali M. Sadeghi, Gregory W. McCarty, Brian T. Lamb, Alex M. Soroka, Jason Keppler, In-Young Yeo, Glenn E. Moglen
Mapping crop residue by combining Landsat and WorldView-3 satellite imagery
A unique, multi-tiered approach was applied to map crop-residue cover on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. Field measurements of crop-residue cover were used to calibrate residue mapping using shortwave infrared (SWIR) indices derived from WorldView-3 imagery for an 8-km x 8-km footprint. The resulting map was then used to calibrate and subsequently classify residue mapping of Landsat
Authors
W. Dean Hively, Jacob Shermeyer, Brian T. Lamb, Craig S.T. Daughtry, Miguel Quemada, Jason Keppler
Non-USGS Publications**
• Evaluation of SWIR Crop Residue Bands for the Landsat Next Mission
Remote Sensing | 2021-09 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs13183718
W. Dean Hively; Brian Lamb; Craig S. T. Daughtry; Guy Serbin; Philip E Dennison; Raymond F. Kokaly; Zhuoting Wu; Jeffery G. Masek
Remote Sensing | 2021-09 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs13183718
W. Dean Hively; Brian Lamb; Craig S. T. Daughtry; Guy Serbin; Philip E Dennison; Raymond F. Kokaly; Zhuoting Wu; Jeffery G. Masek
• A Fused Radar–Optical Approach for Mapping Wetlands and Deepwaters of the Mid–Atlantic and Gulf Coast Regions of the United States
Remote Sensing | 2021-06-26 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs13132495
Brian T. Lamb; Maria A. Tzortziou; Kyle C. McDonald
Remote Sensing | 2021-06-26 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs13132495
Brian T. Lamb; Maria A. Tzortziou; Kyle C. McDonald
• New in situ aerosol hyperspectral optical measurements over 300–700 nm – Part 1: Spectral Aerosol Extinction (SpEx) instrument field validation during the KORUS-OC cruise
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | 2021-01-29 | Journal article | DOI: 10.5194/amt-14-695-2021
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Charles H. Hudgins; Kenneth L. Thornhill;
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | 2021-01-29 | Journal article | DOI: 10.5194/amt-14-695-2021
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Charles H. Hudgins; Kenneth L. Thornhill;
• New in situ aerosol hyperspectral optical measurements over 300–700 nm – Part 2: Extinction, total absorption, water- and methanol-soluble absorption observed during the KORUS-OC cruise
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | 2021-01-29 | Journal article | DOI: 10.5194/amt-14-715-2021
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | 2021-01-29 | Journal article | DOI: 10.5194/amt-14-715-2021
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C
• New In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral Optical Measurements over 300–700 nm, Part 2: Extinction, Total Absorption, Water- and Methanol-soluble Absorption observed during the KORUS-OC cruise
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-318
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C. Crosbie; Gregory L. Schuster; Richard H. Moo
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-318
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C. Crosbie; Gregory L. Schuster; Richard H. Moo
• Supplementary material to New In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral Optical Measurements over 300–700 nm, Part 1: Spectral Aerosol Extinction (SpEx) Instrument Field Validation during the KORUS-OC cruise
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-317-supplement
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Charles H. Hudgins; Kenneth L. Thornhill; Gregory L. Schuster; Rich
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-317-supplement
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Charles H. Hudgins; Kenneth L. Thornhill; Gregory L. Schuster; Rich
• Supplementary material to New In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral Optical Measurements over 300–700 nm, Part 2: Extinction, Total Absorption, Water- and Methanol-soluble Absorption observed during the KORUS-OC cruise
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-318-supplement
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C. Crosbie; Gregory L. Schu
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-318-supplement
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C. Crosbie; Gregory L. Schu
• Evaluation of Approaches for Mapping Tidal Wetlands of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
Remote Sensing | 2019-10-12 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs11202366
Brian T. Lamb; Maria A. Tzortziou; Kyle C. McDonald
Remote Sensing | 2019-10-12 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs11202366
Brian T. Lamb; Maria A. Tzortziou; Kyle C. McDonald
• Mapping Crop Residue and Tillage Intensity Using WorldView-3 Satellite Shortwave Infrared Residue Indices
Remote Sensing | 2018-10-18 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs10101657 | Part of ISSN: 2072-4292
Brian Lamb
Remote Sensing | 2018-10-18 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs10101657 | Part of ISSN: 2072-4292
Brian Lamb
• Atmospheric Trace Gas (NO2 and O3) Variability in South Korean Coastal Waters, and Implications for Remote Sensing of Coastal Ocean Color Dynamics
Remote Sensing | 2018-10-03 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs10101587 |Part of ISSN: 2072-4292
Brian Lamb
Remote Sensing | 2018-10-03 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs10101587 |Part of ISSN: 2072-4292
Brian Lamb
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
Winter cover crop biomass sampling at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 2019-2021, with corresponding Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 derived indices and metrics
This data release contains in situ biomass samples collected from cereal grain winter cover crop fields at the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, in the winters of 2019-20 and 2020-21. It also contains corresponding spectral reflectance and radar data acquired from the Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1 satellite platforms on dates proximal to the biomass collection. Data areReflectance spectra of agricultural field conditions supporting remote sensing evaluation of non-photosynthetic vegetation cover (ver. 1.1, November 2022)
This data release contains spectra used to evaluate narrow-band shortwave infrared indices suitable for measurement of non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV). The original data were collected using a proximal Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) FieldSpecPro spectroradiometer, and are also provided in various states of processing, all of which is described in the manuscripts referenced below. Items - Maps
- Multimedia
Keeping It Green Image 5
Wintertime satellite imagery of Maryland farmland shows areas with higher amounts of green vegetation in deeper red colors. Bare fallow fields are distinguishable from cover crops and winter cereal crops, and evergreen forest is distinguishable from deciduous forest.
Wintertime satellite imagery of Maryland farmland shows areas with higher amounts of green vegetation in deeper red colors. Bare fallow fields are distinguishable from cover crops and winter cereal crops, and evergreen forest is distinguishable from deciduous forest.
- Publications
Intercomparison of same-day remote sensing data for measuring winter cover crop biophysical traits
Winter cover crops are planted during the fall to reduce nitrogen losses and soil erosion and improve soil health. Accurate estimations of winter cover crop performance and biophysical traits including biomass and fractional vegetative groundcover support accurate assessment of environmental benefits. We examined the comparability of measurements between ground-based and spaceborne sensors as wellAuthorsAlison Thieme, Kusuma Prabhakara, Jyoti Jennewein, Brian T Lamb, Gregory T. McCarty, W. Dean HivelyAtmospheric correction intercomparison of hyperspectral and multispectral imagery over agricultural study sites
In this research effort we assess the performance of atmospheric correction-based surface reflectance (SR) retrievals from two satellite image sources, one with very high spatial resolution (VHR) (AuthorsBrian T Lamb, W. Dean Hively, Jyoti Jennewein, Alison Thieme, Alex M. SorokaComparing NISAR (using Sentinel-1), USDA/NASS CDL, and ground truth crop/non-crop areas in an urban agricultural region
A general limitation in assessing the accuracy of land cover mapping is the availability of ground truth data. At sites where ground truth is not available, potentially inaccurate proxy datasets are used for sub-field-scale resolution investigations at large spatial scales, i.e., in the Contiguous United States. The USDA/NASS Cropland Data Layer (CDL) is a popular agricultural land cover dataset dAuthorsSimon Kraatz, Brian T Lamb, W. Dean Hively, Jyoti Jennewein, Feng Gao, Michael H. Cosh, Paul SiqueiraOptimizing Landsat Next shortwave infrared bands for crop residue characterization
This study focused on optimizing the placement of shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands for pixel-level estimation of fractional crop residue cover (fR) for the upcoming Landsat Next mission. We applied an iterative wavelength shift approach to a database of crop residue field spectra collected in Beltsville, Maryland, USA (n = 916) and computed generalized two- and three-band spectral indices for all wAuthorsBrian T Lamb, Phillip Dennison, W. Dean Hively, Raymond F. Kokaly, Guy Serbin, Zhuoting Wu, Philip W. Dabney, Jeffery G. Masek, Michael Campbell, Craig S. T. DaughtryIntegration of satellite-based optical and synthetic aperture radar imagery to estimate winter cover crop performance in cereal grasses
The magnitude of ecosystem services provided by winter cover crops is linked to their performance (i.e., biomass and associated nitrogen content, forage quality, and fractional ground cover), although few studies quantify these characteristics across the landscape. Remote sensing can produce landscape-level assessments of cover crop performance. However, commonly employed optical vegetation indiceAuthorsJyoti Jennewein, Brian T Lamb, W. Dean Hively, Alison Thieme, Resham Thapa, Avi Goldsmith, Phillip DennisonEvaluation of SWIR crop residue bands for the Landsat Next mission
This research reports the findings of a Landsat Next expert review panel that evaluated the use of narrow shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectance bands to measure ligno-cellulose absorption features centered near 2100 and 2300 nm, with the objective of measuring and mapping non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV), crop residue cover, and the adoption of conservation tillage practices within agriculturalAuthorsW. Dean Hively, Brian T. Lamb, Craig S.T. Daughtry, Guy Serbin, Phillip Dennison, Raymond F. Kokaly, Zhuoting Wu, Jeffrey G. MasekEstimating the effect of winter cover crops on nitrogen leaching using cost-share enrollment data, satellite remote sensing, and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling
This study employed a novel combination of data (winter cover crop cost-share enrollment records, satellite remote sensing of wintertime vegetation, and results of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) water quality simulations) to estimate the environmental performance of winter cover crops (WCC) at the watershed scale, from 2008 through 2017, within the Tuckahoe sub-watershed of the Choptank RivAuthorsW. Dean Hively, Sangchul Lee, Ali M. Sadeghi, Gregory W. McCarty, Brian T. Lamb, Alex M. Soroka, Jason Keppler, In-Young Yeo, Glenn E. MoglenMapping crop residue by combining Landsat and WorldView-3 satellite imagery
A unique, multi-tiered approach was applied to map crop-residue cover on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. Field measurements of crop-residue cover were used to calibrate residue mapping using shortwave infrared (SWIR) indices derived from WorldView-3 imagery for an 8-km x 8-km footprint. The resulting map was then used to calibrate and subsequently classify residue mapping of LandsatAuthorsW. Dean Hively, Jacob Shermeyer, Brian T. Lamb, Craig S.T. Daughtry, Miguel Quemada, Jason KepplerNon-USGS Publications**
• Evaluation of SWIR Crop Residue Bands for the Landsat Next Mission
Remote Sensing | 2021-09 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs13183718
W. Dean Hively; Brian Lamb; Craig S. T. Daughtry; Guy Serbin; Philip E Dennison; Raymond F. Kokaly; Zhuoting Wu; Jeffery G. Masek
• A Fused Radar–Optical Approach for Mapping Wetlands and Deepwaters of the Mid–Atlantic and Gulf Coast Regions of the United States
Remote Sensing | 2021-06-26 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs13132495
Brian T. Lamb; Maria A. Tzortziou; Kyle C. McDonald• New in situ aerosol hyperspectral optical measurements over 300–700 nm – Part 1: Spectral Aerosol Extinction (SpEx) instrument field validation during the KORUS-OC cruise
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | 2021-01-29 | Journal article | DOI: 10.5194/amt-14-695-2021
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Charles H. Hudgins; Kenneth L. Thornhill;
• New in situ aerosol hyperspectral optical measurements over 300–700 nm – Part 2: Extinction, total absorption, water- and methanol-soluble absorption observed during the KORUS-OC cruise
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | 2021-01-29 | Journal article | DOI: 10.5194/amt-14-715-2021
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C
• New In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral Optical Measurements over 300–700 nm, Part 2: Extinction, Total Absorption, Water- and Methanol-soluble Absorption observed during the KORUS-OC cruise
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-318
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C. Crosbie; Gregory L. Schuster; Richard H. Moo
• Supplementary material to New In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral Optical Measurements over 300–700 nm, Part 1: Spectral Aerosol Extinction (SpEx) Instrument Field Validation during the KORUS-OC cruise
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-317-supplement
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Charles H. Hudgins; Kenneth L. Thornhill; Gregory L. Schuster; Rich
• Supplementary material to New In Situ Aerosol Hyperspectral Optical Measurements over 300–700 nm, Part 2: Extinction, Total Absorption, Water- and Methanol-soluble Absorption observed during the KORUS-OC cruise
2020-08-19 | Other | DOI: 10.5194/amt-2020-318-supplement
Carolyn E. Jordan; Ryan M. Stauffer; Brian T. Lamb; Michael Novak; Antonio Mannino; Ewan C. Crosbie; Gregory L. Schu
• Evaluation of Approaches for Mapping Tidal Wetlands of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
Remote Sensing | 2019-10-12 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs11202366
Brian T. Lamb; Maria A. Tzortziou; Kyle C. McDonald
• Mapping Crop Residue and Tillage Intensity Using WorldView-3 Satellite Shortwave Infrared Residue Indices
Remote Sensing | 2018-10-18 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs10101657 | Part of ISSN: 2072-4292
Brian Lamb
• Atmospheric Trace Gas (NO2 and O3) Variability in South Korean Coastal Waters, and Implications for Remote Sensing of Coastal Ocean Color Dynamics
Remote Sensing | 2018-10-03 | Journal article | DOI: 10.3390/rs10101587 |Part of ISSN: 2072-4292
Brian Lamb
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- News