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Title: SKYLAB L BAND MICROWAVE RADIOMETER OBSERVATIONS OF SOIL MOISTURE REVISITED

Author
item Jackson, Thomas
item HSU, ANN - ARS USDA HRSL
item VAN DE GRIEND, A - FREE UNIVERSITY
item EAGLEMAN, J - UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Submitted to: International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2002
Publication Date: 6/23/2002
Citation: Jackson, T.J., Hsu, A.Y., Van de Griend, A., Eagleman, J.R. 2002. Skylab L band Microwave Radiometer Observations of Soil Moisture Revisited. International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS02), June 23-28, 2002, Toronto, Canada. III: 1396-1398.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The potential of low frequency microwave radiometry in remote sensing of soil moisture has been recognized for quite some time. In preparing for future L band (1.4 GHz, 21 cm) soil moisture satellite missions, investigators have employed ground, aircraft and satellite sensors. Of the satellite sensors, there has been only one instrument that has provided any yheritage at L band, the Skylab S-194 instrument. This sensor was part of the Earth observation program on Skylab in the 1970s. Data have been analyzed and reported in a few applications. These results have been valuable. However, they utilized only a portion of the remotely sensed data collected. Our hypothesis was that with the products currently being produced by climate model reanalysis projects it might be possible to exploit the S-194 data for a broader range of soil moisture conditions by using these as ground truth. There are limitations on this approach that will be described. However, we expect that the effort will expand our knowledge of the L band brightness temperature over land that these results will be useful to future missions. This paper describes the Skylab S-194, the data sets recovered and our soil moisture analyses of these data.