High-Resolution Soil Moisture Estimation Using ASCAT

Authors

Kevin Tew, Brigham Young University
Michael Scott, Brigham Young University

Keywords

soil moisture estimation, ASCAT, decadal survey

College

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Abstract

NASA’s Decadal Survey emphasizes the importance of soil moisture measurements, citing their significance in predicting natural hazards and the role of soil moisture levels in the water and carbon cycles [1]. Soil moisture estimates are used for a variety of applications including drought detection, flood and landslide forecasts, crop yield monitoring, and rain precipitation models [1]–[4]. Orbiting sensors provide an effective way to measure soil moisture globally because measurements of each area can be taken at a relatively high revisit frequency (typically one to two days). These sensors are generally able to measure soil moisture parameters despite cloud coverage and, in some cases, vegetation coverage of the target area.

Recommended Citation

Tew, Kevin and Scott, Michael (2016) "High-Resolution Soil Moisture Estimation Using ASCAT," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2016: Iss. 1, Article 13.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2016/iss1/13