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Retrieval of soil moisture using SIR-C polarimetric data

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Abstract

Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-C) polarimetric data acquired over Gujarat test site, India, during April and October 1994 were processed to retrieve soil moisture and surface roughness using multi-polarization techniques. Synchronous field data were collected and compared with the results obtained using SIR-C data. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) images in visible region were used for locating groundtruth points. Multi-polarization inversion techniques are found to be sensitive to retrieval of soil moisture and surface roughness parameters. However, the accuracy is not adequate. There is a need to improve the existing inversion models to suit to the Indian agricultural fields.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Kuwait University, Kuwait, Kuwait

    K. S. Rao & H. K. Al Jassar

  2. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, CSRE, Bombay, India

    Y. S. Rao

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  1. K. S. Rao
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  2. Y. S. Rao
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  3. H. K. Al Jassar
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Correspondence to Y. S. Rao.

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Rao, K.S., Rao, Y.S. & Al Jassar, H.K. Retrieval of soil moisture using SIR-C polarimetric data. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 36, 109–122 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-008-0012-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-008-0012-4

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