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Title: A PARAMETERIZED SURFACE REFLECTIVITY MODEL AND ESTIMATION OF BARE SURFACE SOIL MOISTURE WITH L-BAND RADIOMETER

Author
item SHI, J - UNIV OF CA
item CHEN, K - NATIONAL CENTRAL UNIV
item LI, Q - UNIV OF WA
item Jackson, Thomas
item O'NEILL, P - NASA/GSFC
item TSANG, L - UNIV OF WA

Submitted to: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2003
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: Shi, J., Chen, K.S., Li, Q., Jackson, T.J., O'Neill, P.E., Tsang, L. 2003. A Parameterized Surface Reflectivity Model and Estimation of B are Surface Soil Moisture with L-Band Radiometer. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 2003. 40:2674-2686.

Interpretive Summary: A remote sensing soil moisture model that uses dual polarization passive microwave measurements to minimize surface roughness effects and to estimate surface dielectric properties directly was developed. A highly complex model was validated and then used to generate a large simulated data set. This data set was analyzed to establish the algorithm. The algorithm was validated using ground observations. Understanding the effects of surface roughness on microwave emission and developing quantitative bare surface soil moisture retrieval algorithms are essential to many applications of geophysical properties in complex earth terrain by microwave remote sensing. These results will contribute to the potential operational implementation of this technique in hydrologic, climate and agricultural applications.

Technical Abstract: Soil moisture is an important parameter for hydrological and climatic investigations. Future satellite missions with L-band passive microwave radiometers will significantly increase the capability of monitoring Earth's soil moisture globally. Understanding the effects of surface roughness on microwave emission and developing quantitative bare surface soil moisture retrieval algorithms is one of the essential components in many applications of geophysical properties in the complex earth terrain by microwave remote sensing. In this study, we explored the use of the Integral Equation Model (IEM) for modeling microwave emission. This model was validated using a three dimensional Monte Carlo model. The results indicate that the IEM model can be used to simulate the surface emission quite well for a wide range of surface roughness conditions with high confidence.