Howdoes dew affect L-band backscatter? analysis of pals data at the Iowa validation site and implications for smap

摘要

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite mission will use both an L-band radiometer and radar to produce global-scale measurements of soil moisture. L-band backscatter is also sensitive to the water content of vegetation. We found that a moderate dew increased the L-band backscatter of a soybean canopy by 1 dB. Dew thus has the potential to add error to satellite observations of soil moisture.