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Title: EVALUATION OF DATA FROM TO MULTI-FREQUENCY SCANNING MICROWAVE RADIOMETER (MSMR) AND ITS POTENTIAL FOR SOIL MOISTURE RETREIVAL

Author
item WEN, J - WAGENINGEN UNIV
item Jackson, Thomas
item BINDLISH, R - SSAI INC
item SU, Z - WAGENINGEN UNIV

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/2003
Publication Date: 12/8/2003
Citation: Wen, J., Jackson, T.J., Bindlish, R., Su Z. 2003. Evaluation of data from to two multi-frequency scanning microwave radiometer (MSMR) and its potential for soil moisture retrieval [abstract]. EOS Transactions. American Geophysical Union. 84(46):F619.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Multi-frequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR) aboard the India Space Research Organization - Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) platform measured land surface brightness temperature at low frequencies and provided an opportunity for exploring large-scale soil moisture retrieval during its two year period of observation. Several data issues had to be addressed before using the data. These included geolocation errors, data calibration and anthropogenic Radio-frequency Interference (RFI). Calibration was evaluated by comparisons to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission/Microwave Imager (TRMM/TMI) measured brightness temperatures. A negative bias of 3.4 and 3.6 K were observed for the 10.6 GHz horizontal and vertical polarization bands respectively, negative differences of 14.0 and 10.1 K were found between the MSMR 6.6 GHz and TMI 10.6 GHz horizontal and vertical polarizations over land surface. These results suggested that additional calibration of the MSMR data was required. Comparisons between the MSMR measured brightness temperature and ground measured volumetric soil moisture collected during two field campaigns indicated that the lower frequency and horizontal polarization had higher sensitivity to the ground soil moisture. Using a previously developed soil emission model, multi-temporal soil moisture was retrieved for the continental United States. Comparisons between the MSMR based soil moisture and ground measured volumetric soil moisture indicated an uncertain error of 3.8% in the estimated soil moisture. This data may provide a valuable extension to the SMMR and AMSR instruments since it covers a portion of the time between the two missions.