An inter-comparison of soil moisture data products from satellite remote sensing and a land surface model

Significant advances have been achieved in generating soil moisture (SM) products from satellite remote sensing and/or land surface modeling with reasonably good accuracy in recent years. However, the discrepancies among the different SM data products can be considerably large, which hampers their usage in various applications. The bias of one SM product from another is well recognized in the literature. Bias estimation and spatial correction methods have been documented for assimilating satellite SM product into land surface and hydrologic models. Nevertheless, understanding the characteristics of each of these SM data products is required for many applications where the most accurate data products are desirable. This study inter-compares five SM data products from three different sources with each other, and evaluates them against in situ SM measurements over 14-year period from 2000 to 2013. Specifically, three microwave (MW) satellite based data sets provided by ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) (CCI-merged, -active and -passive products), one thermal infrared (TIR) satellite based product (ALEXI), and the Noah land surface model (LSM) simulations. The in-situ SM measurements are collected from the North American Soil Moisture Database (NASMD), which involves more than 600 ground sites from a variety of networks. They are used to evaluate the accuracies of these five SM data products. In general, each of the five SM products is capable of capturing the dry/wet patterns over the study period. However, the absolute SM values among the five products vary significantly. SM simulations from Noah LSM are more stable relative to the satellite-based products. All TIR and MW satellite based products are relatively noisier than the Noah LSM simulations. Even though MW satellite based SM retrievals have been predominantly used in the past years, SM retrievals of the ALEXI model based on TIR satellite observations demonstrate skills equivalent to all the MW satellite retrievals and even slightly better over certain regions. Compared to the individual active and passive MW products, the merged CCI product exhibits higher anomaly correlation with both Noah LSM simulations and in-situ SM measurements.     

基于AMSR-E数据的中国地区微波湿度指数研究

土壤中的水分是地球生态系统的重要组成部分,在全球水循环中发挥着重要的作用。基于被动微波数据提取的湿度指数因其具有全天候、高时间分辨率和数据处理简单等优点,大大推进了大范围地区土壤湿度的重复观测。基于AMSR-E(advanced microwave scanning radiometer-earth observing system)数据提取了8种微波湿度指数,利用密云和汉中气象台站的数据,分别对各个微波湿度指数进行时间序列分析,通过比较得到与降水量相关性较好的垂直极化多时相微波湿度指数PIV,6.9和比值指数DIV,10.7;在此基础上,分析该2种微波湿度指数在密云和汉中10像元×12像元矩形区域随降水量的变化;同时,与10.7 GHz的微波极化差异指数(microwave polarization difference index,MPDI)进行比较,评价3种指数对土壤湿度的监测优劣;在全国范围内,分别对3种微波湿度指数与降水量进行相关分析,得到全国土壤湿度监测的最优指数。结果表明:PIV,6.9作为一种新的微波湿度指数效果最优,可以用于全国范围的土壤湿度监测研究。     

土壤湿度微波遥感监测研究进展

土壤湿度是农业生产的重要影响因子,获取土壤湿度信息以制定人工干预调节措施是稳固生产的重要保证,实时、有效地监测土壤墒情显得尤为重要。利用遥感数据反演土壤湿度有多种方法,微波遥感法被认为是目前最佳的监测方法。本文总结了被动、主动微波土壤湿度遥感监测的主要模型、方法及其优缺点和适用范围,分析了雷达遥感监测土壤湿度的最优参数选取等,展望了微波遥感监测土壤湿度的应用前景,以期为土壤湿度微波遥感监测研究提供参考和借鉴。     

风云三号温度植被指数反演土壤湿度研究

为了研究利用我国自主产权极轨卫星风云三号(FY-3)的MERSI数据反演区域土壤水分的效果,该文利用MERSI数据分别提取归一化植被指数(NDVI)和陆地表面温度并构建NDVI-Ts特征空间;依据该特征空间计算温度植被干旱指数(TVDI)作为土壤湿度监测指标,反演了2012年乌昌地区4—9月的土壤湿度。从反演结果看乌昌地区2012年4—5月土壤湿度较低,造成农区农作物不同程度的缺水,这与实际旱情监测相一致。研究结果表明:基于MERSI数据的TVDI指数能够较好地反映区域土壤湿度的变化情况,为今后应用风云三号数据进行干旱监测提供参考。     

Estimation of soil moisture using optical/thermal infrared remote sensing in the Canadian Prairies

A new approach to estimate soil moisture (SM) based on evaporative fraction (EF) retrieved from optical/thermal infrared MODIS data is presented for Canadian Prairies in parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta. An EF model using the remotely sensed land surface temperature (Ts)/vegetation index concept was modified by incorporating North American Regional Reanalysis (NAAR) Ta data and used for SM estimation. Two different combinations of temperature and vegetation fraction using the difference between Ts from MODIS Aqua and Terra images and Ta from NARR data (Ts−Ta Aqua-day and Ts−Ta Terra-day, respectively) were proposed and the results were compared with those obtained from a previously improved model (ΔTs Aqua-DayNight) as a reference. For the estimation of SM from EF, two empirical models were tested and discussed to find the most appropriate model for converting MODIS-derived EF data to SM values. Estimated SM values were then correlated with in situ SM measurements and their relationships were statistically analyzed. Results indicated statistically significant correlations between SM estimated from all three EF estimation approaches and field measured SM values (R² = 0.42–0.77, p values < 0.04) exhibiting the possibility to estimate SM from remotely sensed EF models. The proposed Ts−Ta MODIS Aqua-day and Terra-day approaches resulted in better estimations of SM (on average higher R² values and similar RMSEs) as compared with the ΔTs reference approach indicating that the concept of incorporating NARR Ta data into Ts/Vegetation index model improved soil moisture estimation accuracy based on evaporative fraction. The accuracies of the predictions were found to be considerably better for intermediate SM values (from 12 to 22 vol/vol%) with square errors averaging below 11 (vol/vol%)². This indicates that the model needs further improvements to account for extreme soil moisture conditions. The findings of this research can be potentially used to downscale SM estimations obtained from passive microwave remote sensing techniques.     

遥感监测土壤湿度综述及其在新疆的应用展望

土壤湿度在全球水循环运动中扮演着非常重要的角色,是水文、气象和农业研究中的重要参数,国内外都极为重视对土壤湿度的研究。国外利用可见光、红外、热红外、微波遥感监测土壤水分已有三、四十年的历史,随着研究的深入和技术的发展,现已形成地面、航空、航天、多星的立体干旱遥感监测格局。国内遥感监测土壤湿度的方法主要有微波遥感、热红外遥感、距平植被指数法、植被供水指数、作物缺水指数等方法。本文通过对国内外已有的土壤湿度遥感监测方法的介绍和总结,对比分析了各种方法的原理、适用领域及其研究进展,并针对新疆的具体情况,认为借助Mod is影像进行新疆地区土壤湿度的监测是较为可行的一种方法。     

RNDSI: A ratio normalized difference soil index for remote sensing of urban/suburban environments

Understanding land use land cover change (LULCC) is a prerequisite for urban planning and environment management. For LULCC studies in urban/suburban environments, the abundance and spatial distributions of bare soil are essential due to its biophysically different properties when compared to anthropologic materials. Soil, however, is very difficult to be identified using remote sensing technologies majorly due to its complex physical and chemical compositions, as well as the lack of a direct relationship between soil abundance and its spectral signatures. This paper presents an empirical approach to enhance soil information through developing the ratio normalized difference soil index (RNDSI). The first step involves the generation of random samples of three major land cover types, namely soil, impervious surface areas (ISAs), and vegetation. With spectral signatures of these samples, a normalized difference soil index (NDSI) was proposed using the combination of bands 7 and 2 of Landsat Thematic Mapper Image. Finally, a ratio index was developed to further highlight soil covers through dividing the NDSI by the first component of tasseled cap transformation (TC1). Qualitative (e.g., frequency histogram and box charts) and quantitative analyses (e.g., spectral discrimination index and classification accuracy) were adopted to examine the performance of the developed RNDSI. Analyses of results and comparative analyses with two other relevant indices, biophysical composition index (BCI) and enhanced built-up and bareness Index (EBBI), indicate that RNDSI is promising in separating soil from ISAs and vegetation, and can serve as an input to LULCC models.     

时序双极化SAR开采沉陷区土壤水分估计

开采沉陷地质灾害诱发矿区生态环境恶化的关键因子是土壤水分变化。研究提出了一种利用Sentinel-1A双极化SAR和OLI地表反射率数据联合反演土壤含水量的方法,即基于归一化水体指数(NDWI)反演植被含水量;采用Water-Cloud Model(WCM)模型消除植被对Sentinel-1A后向散射系数产生的影响,将其转化为裸土区的后向散射系数;利用基于AIEM模型和Oh模型建立的经验模型反演研究区地表参数,并用OLI光学反演结果进行验证;最后比较了开采沉陷区内外土壤水分含量。研究表明:(1)与基于OLI的土壤水分监测指数(SMMI)的土壤水分含量反演结果相比,两种极化方式中VH极化反演的水分结果具有更好的一致性,且两种极化方式反演结果也表明荒漠化草原区比黄土丘陵沟壑区反演效果更好,说明地形对后向散射的影响不可忽略。(2)在2016年内72期数据中,VH极化反演结果对比区土壤水分含量大于沉陷区的有41期,所占比例为57%;VV极化反演结果对比区土壤水分含量大于沉陷区的有36期,所占比例为50%,且不同矿区内的沉陷区受到的影响不同。说明开采沉陷造成的地表粗糙度的增加会对地表土壤水分产生负面影响,但不同矿区之间又有差异。     

中国西部地区基于经验模型的土壤水分反演

地表土壤水分含量的时空分布信息是十分重要的,常常作为水文模型、气候模型、生态模型的输入参数,同时,也是干旱预报、农作物估产等工作的重要指标。被动微波遥感是监测土壤含水量最有效的手段之一。相比红外与可见光,它具有波长长,穿透能力强的优势。相比主动微波雷达,被动微波辐射计具有监测面积大、周期短,受粗糙度影响小,对土壤水分更为敏感,算法更为成熟的优势。目前,已研究出许多反演土壤水分的方法.本课题的主要内容是借助AMSR-E土壤水分影像数据、MODIS归一化植被指数(NDVI)影像数据和MODIS分类影像数据,利用ENVI软件进行遥感图像数据处理,运用统计分析方法建立NDVI与土壤水分的经验模型,研究中国西部地区稀疏植被覆盖区土壤水分的反演。