The SIR-B observations of microwave backscatter dependence on soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation covers

An experiment was conducted from an L-band SAR aboard Space Shuttle Challenger in October 1984 to study the microwave backscatter dependence on soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation cover. The results based on the analyses of an image obtained at 21-deg incidence angle show a positive correlatlion between scattering coefficient and soil moisture content, with a sensitivity comparable to that derived from the ground radar measurements reported by Ulaby et al. (1978). The surface roughness strongly affects the microwave backscatter. A factor of two change in the standard deviation of surface roughness height gives a corresponding change of about 8 dB in the scattering coefficient. The microwave backscatter also depends on the vegetation types. Under the dry soil conditions, the scattering coefficient is observed to change from about -24 dB for an alfalfa or lettuce field to about -17 dB for a mature corn field. These results suggest that observations with a SAR system of multiple frequencies and polarizations are required to unravel the effects of soil moisture, surface roughness, and vegetation cover.