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Title: A POTENTIAL ROLE OF PASSIVE MICROWAVE REMOTE SENSING IN FLOOD FORECASTING

Author
item BINDLISH, RAJAT - SSAI
item Jackson, Thomas

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2002
Publication Date: 5/28/2002
Citation: Bindlish, R., Jackson, T. 2002. A Potential Role of Passive Microwave Remote Sensing In Flood Forecasting. American Geophysical Union Meeting, May 28-31, 2002, Washington, DC, EOS Transactions of AGU. 83:S191.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Large-scale soil moisture observations can be an important input variable in hydrological modeling. Satellite remote sensing, in general, and microwave radiometry in particular have the potential of providing reliable and repetitive surface soil moisture. Soil moisture as a state variable describes the hydrologic response of the watershed to a precipitation event. Current soil moisture conditions govern the separation of infiltration from overland flow. The potential of using satellite based microwave observations of soil moisture was explored using an available system during a major flood event. Data from the Multi-frequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR) onboard Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-P4) were used. MSMR has eight channels, 6.6 GHz, 10.65 GHz, 18 GHz and 21 GHz, with both horizontal and vertical polarization in each. The 6.6 GHz channel has a footprint of 150 km and a global coverage of 2 days. This instrument offers the opportunity to demonstrate the potential of future satellites (AMSR, AMSR-E, SMOS), which will have better products. The current study demonstrates potential of these observations to predict the floods in the north-central states (North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa) during spring 2001.