Calculating soil moisture by remote sensing and analyzing hydrologic cycle process in the Yellow River basin

Abstract

Based on the AVHRR pathfinder remote sensing data, soil moisture, precipitation and evaporation during the period of 1982–1998, soil moisture of all layers of soil-profile (0–1 m) in the Yellow River basin over the 17 years are calculated by the remote sensing model of calculating soil water. The Yellow River basin is divided into seven subcatchments as control sections at the location of six hydrologic stations (Lanzhou, Toudaoguai, Longmen, Sanmenxia, Huayuankou and Lijin). After calculating soil moisture and obtaining runoff data and precipitation data, the dynamical features of hydrological cycle in the Yellow River basin are analyzed for the period from 1982 to 1988 using water balance method. The conclusions are as follows: It is feasible to calculate the soil water on the macro-scale, in the soil profile with temporal continuity by means of remote sensing and survey in land. Some values of the key water cycle factors in the Yellow River are obtained, which include the annual precipitation of 4000 km³, the evapotranspiration of 3000–3500 km³, and the soil moisture transformation of −500–500 km³. Consequently, we analyzed the process of the water cycle in the Yellow River over the 17 years, and the results show that the segment upstream of Lanzhou city is a relatively humid region, and the area of internal waters and the reaches of Shanshan is the most desiccated region. Therefore, the runoff in the depth process is intensive and the runoff-generating process is weak in more arid regions.