Operational Retrieval of Surface Soil Moisture using Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery in a Semi-arid Environment [Elektronische Ressource] / Lu Dong. Betreuer: Ralf Ludwig

Lu Dong

Informations

• Publié par: ludwig-maximilians-universitat_munchen
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 15
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

Operational Retrieval of Surface Soil
Moisture using Synthetic Aperture Ra-
dar Imagery in a Semi-arid Environment
Dissertation an der Fakultä t fü r Geowissenschaften
der Ludwig Maximilians Universitä t Mü nchen







Vorgelegt von:
Lu Dong



Eingereicht: 10.10.2011




Gedruckt mit Unterstü tzung des Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienstes




















1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig
2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Karsten Schulz
thTag der mündlichen Prüfung: 19 December 2011
II



Abstract
Within the context of the FP7 project CLIMB, according to various climate change sce-
narios the Mediterranean region will suffer further from higher temperature and less
precipitation during the summer, on top of already dry and hot periods for the region.
This climatic trend means a higher water usage projection for both urban and agricul-
tural purposes in this already water scarce region. Suitable strategy and management for
water usage is important for sustainable agricultural development. In this respect, good
irrigation management is helpful for crops growing during summer. For this purpose,
surface soil moisture information can be utilised for parameterising hydrological models.
In this dissertation on the Operational Retrieval of Surface Soil Moisture using Syn-
thetic Aperture Radar Imagery in a Semi-arid Environment, the possibility and capabil-
ity of an operational approach for surface soil moisture inversion using Synthetic Aper-
ture Radar (SAR) imagery is investigated. For this topic, a well-equipped research
based farm is selected as the study area on the island of Sardinia with its unique Medi-
terranean climate. The following aspects are focused on:
1) Exploration of the capability of current C-band SAR sensors – ASAR and Radar-
sat-2 – on surface soil moisture retrieval in terms of the accuracy and spatial scale,
e.g. at field scale;
2) Development of a fully operational approach for surface soil moisture monitoring
and mapping in the semi-arid environment;
3) Assessment of the capability of the Advanced Integral Equation Model (AIEM) in
surface soil moisture inversion.
Extensive field work is conducted in the study area from late April to end of June in
2008 and 2009. In situ measurements, including surface soil moisture, surface rough-
ness, soil texture, vegetation water content and height, crop distance and structure, and
Leaf Area Index (LAI), are taken on corresponding and prepared bare soil fields and
crop fields. Field campaigns are arranged in accordance with satellite passes. In total 26
ENVISAT/ASAR APS and 11 Radarsat-2 FQ mode images are acquired during the
campaigns on a better than weekly basis.
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None of the current approaches is applicable as a fully operational approach for surface
soil moisture inversion, while roughness parameterisation is crucial but problematic,
especially for small-scale studies, where fewer good results are reported from soil mois-
ture inversion at field scale than at larger scales. To explore an operational approach,
various existing semi-empirical and theoretical models are adopted. First, backscattering
coefficients and in situ soil moisture measurements are carefully evaluated against em-
pirical linear relationships according to different polarisations and ranges of incidence
angle. Model assessment is taken for the Oh model, Dubois model, and three AIEM
based approaches. The AIEM approaches are based on different roughness parameteri-
sations – in situ rms height and correlation length, in situ rms height and empirical cor-
relation length, and the third is adopting recently-developed Rahman approach, which is
based on AIEM regression from multi-angular SAR images in extremely dry conditions.
A systematic overestimation of 2–4dB is observed from the Oh model and the AIEM
model which is coupled with in situ roughness measurements. Good agreement is found
from the ―AIEM + empirical correlation length‖ model. The in situ correlation length is
clearly insufficient for roughness parameterisation at field scale. Afterwards, these ap-
proaches are evaluated against in situ soil moisture measurements. Semi-empirical
models are able to provide reasonable soil moisture production after careful backscat-
tering coefficient ―correction‖ with the help of in situ roughness measurements or com-
parable remote sensing based inversion products. Without backscattering coefficient
―correction‖, the AIEM model, coupled with empirical correlation length, is able to
provide accuracy in the order of 6 vol. %, which is slightly better than the performance
in the Rahman approach.
As an operational approach, the Rahman method is further developed by introducing
previously proved empirical length after careful consideration of the limitations of the
original version, namely the Baghdadi-Rahman model. With one or more SAR images
under the extremely dry conditions, surface soil moisture can be inverted with confi-
dence of between 5–6 vol. % at field scale, regardless of SAR geometry. Good results
are also achieved on different crop fields.
Outlooks are given on both technical and application perspectives based on further de-
velopment of the proposed Baghdadi-Rahman model.
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Overall, it is operationally viable to adopt the AIEM based model to retrieve surface soil
moisture (at 5–8 cm depth level) with a confidence of 5–6 vol. % over agricultural fields
at field scale on a weekly basis from co-polarisation C-band SAR in the semi-arid envi-
ronment. The timely and accurate surface soil moisture monitor at field scale and over
large areas from various SAR sensors from the proposed Baghdadi-Rahman model,
along with a well integrated hydrological model and economic and policy based as-
sessment for irrigation management, will contribute to the future of sustainable water
resource management for agricultural usage in the water scarce semi-arid environment
within the CLIMB framework.
Keywords: Operational Approach, Surface Soil Moisture, Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR), Surface Roughness, Advanced Integral Equation Model (AIEM), CLIMB



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Preface
The thesis ―Operational Retrieval of Surface Soil Moisture using Synthetic Aperture
Radar Imagery in a Semi-arid Environment‖ is funded by the Deutscher Akademischer
Austausch Dienst (DAAD) through the special programme Studies and Research in Sus-
tainability. The work is carried out in the working group of Prof. Dr Ralf Ludwig in the
Department of Geography at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitä t (LMU) Munich.
Radar remote sensing has become an increasingly demanding area of remote sensing in
recent decades. Throughout the whole exploration period of the past three and a half
years, radar remote sensing has been a challenging yet exciting area to me. I can still
remember, when I telephoned my master supervisor, Prof. Daniel Donoghue at Durham
University, for his assistance by way of a reference letter for my DAAD scholarship
application in the autumn of 2007, he kindly indicated that my subject would be ―radar‖
whereas the work I had mainly been doing was in optical remote sensing. Nevertheless
it was my firm decision to do my PhD in Munich.
I am grateful for all the help and support that has been given to me during this time so
that the work and thesis can be formulated.
First, I sincerely thank my supervisor at LMU Munich, Prof. Dr Ralf Ludwig, for his
permanent support since the very beginning. Without his efficient help, I would not
have been able to make a full DAAD scholarship application only two weeks before the
deadline. I am also grateful for his support for domestic and international meetings and
conferences, where I gained experience and confidence and managed to make some
good friends as well as see beautiful places. I was even able to go home twice. Of
course it is even greater that we share an interest in the greatest football club in the
world – FC Bayern Mü nchen – ―Mia san mia!‖
The service from DAAD should be marked with five stars (!) for all aspects. I send my
great thanks to our programme coordinator Mrs Cordula Behrsing at DAAD for her
excellent work and great patience through these years. Administration issues became far
easier with her help. I certainly recommend the ―did‖ deutsch-institut in Munich, which
DAAD organised for the scholarship holders, to those who looked forward to enjoying
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learning German from the very beginning. To me it was one of the best periods in Mu-
nich.
Although some of them have found a better way of life of their own after years in re-
search, it was also a great experience to see our group growing. Mr Josef Schmid (pref-
erably addressed as Seppo) and I have known each other since the first two months of
the PhD during the hot and sparkling Sardinian summer. I should thank him not least for
his most recent hel