Elimination of the Effect of Surface Microtopography in an Improved Soil Skin Moisture Determinator.

Abstract

This report discusses the development of an instrument, the soil surface moisture determinator (SSMD), that provides soil surface moisture independent of the microstructure of the surface. Such an instrument was needed because the reflection characteristics of soils and sands depend on the moisture and microstructure of the surface layer; and under natural conditions; the many surfaces of different slope and exposure that account for the soil surface layer interfere with a simple relation between soil moisture and reflection. Tests performed with the SSMD show that the instrument can provide knowledge of the moisture content of the soils with one simple measurement. The results of the measurements do not provide information on the moisture condition within the soil, but the knowledge of the moisture of the surface layer can readily be correlated with all remotely detected data. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1979
Accession Number
ADA072614

Entities

People

  • Inge Dirmhirn

Organizations

  • Utah State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Detectors
  • Electronics
  • Grain Size
  • Instrumentation
  • Light Sources
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Microstructure
  • Moisture
  • Moisture Content
  • Power Supplies
  • Reflectance
  • Reflection
  • Reflectivity
  • Saturated Soils
  • Spectra

Fields of Study

  • Agricultural and Food sciences

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Remediation and Restoration.