The L-band PBMR measurements of surface soil moisture in FIFE

• Published in: IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 906 - 914
• Main Authors: Wang, J.R., Shiue, J.C., Schmugge, T.J., Engman, E.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Legacy CDMS IEEE 01.09.1990; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Aircraft; Biological and medical sciences; Calibration; Earth Resources And Remote Sensing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microwave measurements; Microwave radiometry; Moisture measurement; NASA; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Soil measurements; Soil moisture; Soil science; Structure, texture, density, mechanical behavior. Heat and gas exchanges; Surface soil; Vegetation mapping; Great Plains of America; Kansas; United States; North America; America; Grassland; Microwave; Radiometry; Soil moisture; Ground surface; Grassland soil
• ISSN: 0196-2892; 1558-0644
• DOI: 10.1109/36.58980

The NASA Langley Research Center's L-band pushbroom microwave radiometer (PBMR) aboard the NASA C-130 aircraft was used to map surface soil moisture at and around the Konza Prairie Natural Research Area in Kansas during the four intensive field campaigns of FIFE in May-October 1987. A total of 11 measurements were made when soils were known to be saturated. This measurement was used for the calibration of the vegetation effect on the microwave absorption. Based on this calibration, the data from other measurements on other days were inverted to generate soil moisture maps. Good agreement was found when the estimated soil moisture values were compared with those independently measured on the ground at a number of widely separated locations. There was a slight bias between the estimated and measured values, the estimated soil moisture on the average being lower by about 1.8%.< >