ABSTRACT
Surface modeling refers to the process of simulating a surface by efficiently combining satellite remotely sensed data with ground-based observation data, such as a scattered point-form dataset, a line-form dataset, and/or an area-form dataset. Surface modeling formulates an object in a grid system. Each grid cell includes an estimate of the object that represents the characteristics for that particular location. There are four advantages to represent data in grid form: (1) a regular grid can be easily regrouped into any new aerial arrangement; (2) ecological data organized in a grid form can facilitate compatibility among heterogeneous datasets; (3) multiresolution and multisource information can be amalgamated more easily when data are in a grid form, and (4) some of the problems caused by different types of boundaries may be avoided when data are converted into a grid form. In this chapter, some methods of earth surface modeling are briefly introduced, with a focus on YUE-HASM. For more details, readers are encouraged to consult for a complete introduction on the subject. A case study of the application of surface modeling to quantify carbon stocks in China is presented.
