Mapping Soil Moisture with a Passive Microwave Sensor

Hydrology and Remote Sensing Lab

A model to compute soil moisture was developed using the ESTAR (Electronically Steered Thin Arrary Radiometer) microwave radiometer. The radiometer is able to sense changes in the temperature of the soil (Brightness Temperature, or TB). Data were collected for eight days during June 1992 over the Little Washita Watershed, Oklahoma.


Soil Moisture Algorithm
Alternative text version
Soil Moisture Algorithm.
.
Normalize TB using deep soil temperature
.
Remove vegetation effects using estimate of vegetation water content (Wv) derived from land use and NDVI
.
Remove surface roughness effects using estimate of rms height (h) - minor effect
.
Compute soil dielectric constant (k)
.
Compute soil moisture using a dielectric mixing model and soil texture
Contact: Dr. Tom Jackson tjackson@hydrolab.arsusda.gov


Next Model Input imagery: ESTAR TB and Soil Texture, Land Cover, NDVI

Model results: Soil Moisture Maps

Remote Sensing at BARC Home Back to the remote sensing at BARC overview