Premium
Spatial variability in soil moisture as predicted from airborne thematic mapper (ATM) data
Author(s) -
Davidson Donald A.,
Watson Alistair I.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290200304
Subject(s) - thematic mapper , transect , water content , environmental science , land cover , hydrology (agriculture) , spatial variability , alluvium , channel (broadcasting) , remote sensing , soil science , geology , land use , satellite imagery , geomorphology , ecology , oceanography , statistics , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , engineering , electrical engineering , biology
In the first part of this project, the extent to which moisture content of alluvial soils could be predicted from imagery derived from an airborne thematic mapper (ATM) was investigated. From sampling done on the same day as the flight, it was found that digital numbers derived from the thermal channel (waveband 11) were strongly correlated with gravimetric moisture content. From sampling three fields of contrasting land cover, the relationship between waveband 11 values and moisture content was found to be independent of land cover type. Spatial variation in waveband 11 values and thus moisture content were related to palaeochannel patterns on the alluvial land. This was investigated by deriving variograms for long transects from each of the three investigated fields. The range and sills of the variograms are shown to express the nature and pattern of palaeochannels. By the application of such geostatistical techniques, high resolution imagery can thus be used to quantify palaeochannel characteristics on alluvial land.