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Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture for Estimation of Soil Properties

Surface soil moisture dynamics was derived using microwave remote sensing, and employed to estimate soil physical and hydraulic properties. The L-band ESTAR radiometer was employed in an airborne campaign over the Little Washita watershed, Oklahoma during June 10-18, 1992. Brightness temperature (TB) data were employed in a soil moisture inversion algorithm which corrected for vegetation and soil effects. Analyses of spatial TB and soil moisture dynamics during the dry-down period revealed a direct relationship between changes in TB, soil moisture and soil texture. Extensive regression analyses were carried out which yielded statistically significant quantitative relationships between ratio of percent sand to percent clay (RSC, a term derived to quantify soil texture) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) in terms of change components of TB and surface soil moisture. Validation of results indicated that both RSC and Ksat can be estimated with reasonable accuracy. These findings have potential applications for deriving spatial distributions of RSC and Ksat over large areas.

Mattikalli, Nandish M.

Proposal for a Joint NASA/KSAT Ka-band RF Propagation Terminal at Svalbard, Norway

This slide presentation discusses the placement of a Ka-band RF Propagation Terminal at Svalbard, Norway. The Near Earth Network (NEN) station would be managed by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and would benefit NASA and KSAT. There are details of the proposed NASA/KSAT campaign, and the responsibilities each would agree to. There are several reasons for the placement, a primary reason is comparison with the Alaska site, Based on climatological similarities/differences with Alaska, Svalbard site expected to have good radiometer/beacon agreement approximately 99% of time.

Volosin, Jeffrey

Results from One Year of Ka-Band Beacon Measurements at Svalbard

Since April 1, 2016, a Ka-band (20.198 GHz) propagation terminal has been installed and operating at the Svalsat facility in Longyearbyen, Norway. This campaign is a joint effort between the European Space Agency (ESA), Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), the French Aerospace Laboratory (ONERA), the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to characterize atmospheric attenuation, scintillation, and depolarization in the Ka-band in high latitude regions at low elevation angles. The propagation terminal observes the Thor 7 20.198 GHz RHCP beacon at nominally 2.6 deg elevation angle. Simultaneous 10 Hz and 1 Hz sampling is performed and a total dynamic range of 35 dB is achieved. One year of propagation data has been collected and the preliminary results are presented in this paper. From the first year of measurements, it is observed that at these low elevation angles, strong scintillation/multi-path conditions, as well as significant depolarization events can occur which may impose difficulties in meeting mission link acquisition requirements at 5 deg elevation angle, such as those desired by the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) mission. The design of the dual-polarized terminal with integrated digital radiometer, as well as the data processing techniques are described, along with the first year results and preliminary conclusions.

Nessel, James