Dear Neil Noble Soil ...

Dear Neil Noble

Soil Moisture maps can be used by governmental agencies managing water distribution or by farmers

Agriculture mapping and surveys are presently conducted throughout the world in order to gather information and statistics on crops, rangeland, livestock and other related agricultural resources. This information of data is most important for the implementation of effective management decisions. Agricultural survey is needed for planning and allocation of the limited resources to different sectors of the economy.

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC) provides satellite image data at different spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions for agriculture and crop assessment, crop health, change detection, environmental analysis, irrigated landscape mapping, yield determination and soils analysis. Scheduling and timing of image acquisition is very important and will hinge on the main goals and the type of information that the end user is hoping to gain.

Optical sensors are remote sensing instruments that can acquire data in several bands of the optical and near infrared part of the spectrum. The variable that is possible to measure with this type of instrument is the spectral reflectance, i.e. the ratio of reflected energy to incident energy as a function of wavelength. This quantity can be directly related to surface soil moisture, although soil reflectance is influenced also by other variables, such as soil roughness, texture and plant cover, which can lead to a wide variation in the measurements for a constant value of soil moisture. A more robust methodology makes use of combined information from the optical and infrared part of the spectrum. A major drawback of optical instruments is the impact of atmospheric conditions and the need for the sun as a source of illumination.

Microwave sensors acquire measurements in the frequency range from 0.3GHz to 300GHZ (i.e. a wavelength that spans from 1m to 1mm). There are two main types of such instruments: passive and active.

In Numbers of countries municipal, agricultural, and environmental demands increasingly compete for limited water supplies. Continued environmental and regulatory constraints on water supplies in lands are anticipated as the effects of population growth, climate change, and declining water conveyance infrastructure continue to evolve.

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Regards,

Prem Baboo