SOWACS: PBand SAR soil moisture

[Marty Grogan]

Marty Grogan writes to the sowacs list:
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Dr. Wester might find interested collegues at the University of Kansas 
KARS program:  http://www.kars.ukans.edu/


>Andrew Western writes to the sowacs list:
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>
>Dear Colleagues,
>
>While sowacs emails usually concern ground-based measurements, I thought 
>some members may have in interest in remotely sensed soil moisture data, if 
>so read on.
>
>I am currently part of a team assessing the potential for a P band SAR 
>satellite mission aiming to measure forest biomass and soil moisture for 
>ESA.  Due to the characteristics of SAR and also the likely priority given 
>to forest biomass, there are some limitations on the resolution, repeat 
>time, measurement depth and accuracy characteristics of the proposed data 
>set from a soil moisture perspective.  The key characteristics are given 
>below for two possible data sets.
>
>We wish to explore what the range of potential scientific applications 
>might be of the data from a soil moisture and/or land surface modelling 
>perspective.  To that end I am seeking comments on what you see as the 
>applications and value of the proposed data from both a research and an 
>operational perspective.  In particular it would be good to get comments on 
>your view as to whether there are some key advantages compared with current 
>and proposed soil moisture missions (e.g. passive C and L band) or if the 
>data would essentially represent a duplication.  If people have any views 
>on the accuracy requirements for various applications of remotely sensed 
>moisture, I'd also like to hear them.
>
>Please pass this request on to any person with an interest in using 
>remotely sensed soil moisture.  All replies should be directed to 
>a.western@civenv.unimelb.edu.au
>
>Thanks for your time.
>
>Andrew Western
>
>Data set 1.
>Duration:               3 years
>Pixel size:             250m
>Swath width:            80km
>Repeat time:            50 days
>Measurement depth:      10cm
>Accuracy:               0.04 m3/m3 rms
>
>Data set 2
>Duration:               3 months
>Pixel size:             250m
>Swath width:            80km
>Repeat time:            3 days
>Measurement depth:      10cm
>Accuracy:               0.04m3/m3 rms   
>
>Data set 2 could possibly be collected at the start of a mission that would 
>later concentrate on biomass (i.e. with data set 1 type specifications).
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Dr Andrew Western
>Senior Research Fellow
>Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology and
>Centre for Environmental Applied Hydrology
>Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
>The University of Melbourne
>Victoria 3010
>Australia
>
>Ph +61 3 8344 7305
>Fax +61 3 8344 6215
>Mobile 0408 577 855
>
>email: a.western@unimelb.edu.au, a.western@civenv.unimelb.edu.
>www:   http://www.civenv.unimelb.edu.au/~western
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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