Hyperspectral-derived indices for soil moisture estimation at very high resolution

Abstract

Hyperspectral indices from the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI 550), together with land surface temperatures from the Thermal Airborne Spectrographic Imager (TASI 600) and brightness temperatures from a L-band radiometer were combined in a semi-empirical model to obtain soil moisture at very high spatial resolution (3.5 m). The airborne imagery was acquired in an experiment performed over the Soil Moisture Measurement Stations Network of the University of Salamanca (REMEDHUS) in 2012, including intensive field measurements. The feasibility of the hyperspectral optical bands from CASI acting as soil moisture proxy is tested through the cross-correlation between every possible two-CASI bands combination and in situ soil moisture. Next, the potential of combining the selected hyperspectral indices with thermal and microwave observations for soil moisture mapping is explored, synergistically with thermal and microwave observations, for obtaining soil moisture.