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Title: SOIL MOISTURE RETRIEVAL THROUGH CHANGING CORN USING ACTIVE/PASSIVE MICROWAVE REMOTE SENSING

Author
item O'NEILL, P. - NASA/GSFC
item JOSEPH, A. - NASA/GSFC
item DE LANNOY, G. - GHENT UNIVERSITY
item LANG, R. - GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV
item UTKU, C. - GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV
item KIM, E. - NASA/GSFC
item HOUSER, P. - NASA/GSFC
item Gish, Timothy

Submitted to: International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/2003
Publication Date: 7/20/2003
Citation: O'Neill, P., Joseph, A., De Lannoy, G., Lang, R., Utku, C., Kim, E., Houser, P., Gish, T.J. 2003. Soil moisture retrieval through changing corn using active/passive microwave remote sensing. In: Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium [CDROM].

Interpretive Summary: Soil moisture can have a significant impact on hydrology and climate by influencing how energy is partitioned at the earth's surface. When the soil is dry, energy can heat up the soil surface, whereas if the soil is moist the energy goes into evaporating soil water. As a result, regional-scale soil moisture mapping based on microwave remote sensing would be valuable in many different practical and theoretical applications. A new space mission in the near future may utilize simultaneous active/passive microwave measurements for global soil moisture retrieval. The combination of simultaneous radar and radiometer data can enhance soil moisture estimates, especially in the presence of growing crop. This paper investigates why a joint active/passive microwave retrieval algorithm may be necessary when estimating soil moisture under a growing crop canopy.

Technical Abstract: Soil moisture is critical state variable in land surface hydrology, and has a significant influence on interactions between the land surface and the atmosphere through the exchange of water vapor and sensible heat. Large-scale soil moisture mapping based on microwave remote sensing would be valuable in many different practical and theoretical applications, and a real potential exists for new space missions in the near future which will utilize simultaneous active/passive microwave measurements for global soil moisture retrieval [1]. Although radars and radiometers are both sensitive to soil moisture to varying degrees and can be used independently to estimate soil moisture, the combination of simultaneous radar and radiometer data can enhance soil moisture retrievals, especially in the presence of dynamic vegetation [2]. To take full advantage of these opportunities, however, further development of joint active/passive microwave retrieval algorithms is necessary, especially over the full range of changing vegetation conditions typical of a normal growing season.