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Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bindlish, R; Barros, AP
Published in: Remote Sensing of Environment
May 3, 2001

The Integral Equation Model (IEM) was previously used in conjunction with an inversion model to retrieve soil moisture using multifrequency and multipolarization data from Spaceborne Imaging Radar C-band (SIR-C) and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR). Convergence rates well above 90%, and small RMS errors were attained, for both vegetated and bare soil areas, using radar data collected during Washita 1994. However, the IEM was originally developed to describe the scattering from bare soil surfaces only, and, therefore, vegetation backscatter effects are not explicitly incorporated in the model. In this study, the problem is addressed by introducing a simple, semiempirical, vegetation scattering parameterization to the multifrequency, soil moisture inversion algorithm. The parameterization was formulated in the framework of the water - cloud model and relies on the concept of a land-cover (land-use)-based dimensionless vegetation correlation length to represent the spatial variability of vegetation across the landscape and radar-shadow effects (vegetation layovers). An application of the modified inversion model to the Washita 1994 data lead to a decrease of 32% in the RMSE, while the correlation coefficient between ground-based and SAR-derived soil moisture estimates improved from 0.84 to 0.95. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Remote Sensing of Environment

DOI

ISSN

0034-4257

Publication Date

May 3, 2001

Volume

76

Issue

1

Start / End Page

130 / 137

Related Subject Headings

  • Geological & Geomatics Engineering
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 0909 Geomatic Engineering
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
 

Citation

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MLA
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Bindlish, R., & Barros, A. P. (2001). Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation. Remote Sensing of Environment, 76(1), 130–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(00)00200-5
Bindlish, R., and A. P. Barros. “Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation.” Remote Sensing of Environment 76, no. 1 (May 3, 2001): 130–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(00)00200-5.
Bindlish R, Barros AP. Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2001 May 3;76(1):130–7.
Bindlish, R., and A. P. Barros. “Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation.” Remote Sensing of Environment, vol. 76, no. 1, May 2001, pp. 130–37. Scopus, doi:10.1016/S0034-4257(00)00200-5.
Bindlish R, Barros AP. Parameterization of vegetation backscatter in radar-based, soil moisture estimation. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2001 May 3;76(1):130–137.
Journal cover image

Published In

Remote Sensing of Environment

DOI

ISSN

0034-4257

Publication Date

May 3, 2001

Volume

76

Issue

1

Start / End Page

130 / 137

Related Subject Headings

  • Geological & Geomatics Engineering
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 0909 Geomatic Engineering
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience