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NASA NTRS1998

Modeling the Effect of Vegetation on Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture

The effect of vegetation on passive microwave remote sensing of soil moisture is studied. The radiative transfer modeling work of Njoku and Kong is applied to a stratified medium of which the upper layer is treated as a layer of vegetation. An effective dielectric constant for this vegetation layer is computed using estimates of the dielectric constant of individual components of the vegetation layer. The horizontally-polarized brightness temperature is then computed as a function of the incidence angle. Model predictions are used to compare with the data obtained in the Huntsville '96, remote sensing of soil moisture experiment, and with predictions obtained using a correction procedure of Jackson and Schmugge.

Liu, Y. P.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Radiometer design concepts for large aperture microwave radiometer spacecraft

Concepts involving active and passive microwave systems for soil-moisture monitoring are discussed. It is shown that the first major development efforts should be directed toward the simpler passive design concepts. Subsequently, five passive design concepts for a microwave radiometer spacecraft are outlined and compared. Some common technology needs, such as large space structures and controls, are shown to exist. Also, some peculiar technology needs are identified, such as complicated phasing networks, dielectric lenses, tapered illumination, and reflector-surface irregularity and distortion control techniques. More detailed studies to address these design concepts and assess the associated technology needs are recommended.

Keafer, L. S., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Assimilation of Satellite Derived Soil Moisture Profiles into a Crop Modeling System for Robust Yield Estimates

Soil Moisture Measurement - Remote Sensing. - Microwave (MW) Remote Sensing: Physically based and quantitative in nature; Based on difference in dielectric constant; Coarse spatial resolution 25-40 km; Shallow SM estimation depth 0-5 cm (approx.); All weather capabilities (e.g. Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) etc.) - Thermal Infrared (TIR) Remote Sensing: Indirect SM retrieval through energy flux estimations; Relatively better spatial resolution 1-10 km; Root-zone moisture retrieval capability; Can not penetrate through clouds, hence data gaps (e.g. Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), Atmospheric Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) etc.)

SERVIR↗

NASA NTRS1997

High-Temperature Passive Power Electronics

In many future NASA missions - such as deep-space exploration, the National AeroSpace Plane, minisatellites, integrated engine electronics, and ion or arcjet thrusters - high-power electrical components and systems must operate reliably and efficiently in high-temperature environments. The high-temperature power electronics program at the NASA Lewis Research Center focuses on dielectric and insulating material research, the development and characterization of high-temperature components, and the integration of the developed components into a demonstrable 200 C power system - such as an inverter. NASA Lewis has developed high-temperature power components through collaborative efforts with the Air Force Wright Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, and the University of Wisconsin. Ceramic and film capacitors, molypermalloy powder inductors, and a coaxially wound transformer were designed, developed, and evaluated for high-temperature operation.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1987

An investigation of the forward scattering theorem

The calculation of an EM wave's extinction loss during propagation within an inhomogeneous medium, as in active and passive remote sensing modeling, can be undertaken either through the summation of the scattering and absorption losses or through the use of the forward scattering theorem. Attention is presently given to the similarities and differences of these two approaches as a function of dielectric properties of a spherical scatterer and the incident frequency. Scattering loss is obtainable by integrating the magnitude-squared of the scattered field over a spherical surface surrounding the scatterer; the scattered field and the field within the scatterer are computed according to Mie theory.

Karam, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A theoretical and numerical study of polarimetric scattering and emission from random rough surfaces with anisotropic directional spectrum

In this paper, theoretical and numerical results of the polarimetric scattering and emission from random rough surfaces with anisotropic directional spectrum are presented for the remote sensing of ocean and soil surfaces. The polarimetric scattered field for rough dielectric surfaces is derived to the second order by the small perturbation method (SPM). It is found that the second-order scattered field is coherent in nature, and its coefficients for different polarizations present the lowest-order corrections to the Fresnel reflection coefficients of the surfaces. In addition, the cross-polarized (HV and VH) components of the coherent fields are reciprocal and not zero for surfaces with anisotropic directional spectrum when the azimuth angle of the incident direction is not aligned with the symmetry directions of surfaces. In order to verify the energy conservation condition of the theoretical results, which is important if the theory is to be applied to the passive polarimetry of rough surfaces, a Monte Carlo simulation is performed to numerically calculate the polarimetric reflectivities of one-dimensional random rough surfaces which are generated with a prescribed power-law spectrum in the spectral domain and transformed to the spatial domain by the FFT. The surfaces simulated by this approach are periodic with the period corresponding to the low-wavenumber cutoff. To calculate the scattering from periodic dielectric surfaces, the authors present a new numerical technique which applies the Floquet theorem to reduce the problem to one period and does not require the evaluation of one-dimensional periodic Green's function used in the conventional method of moment formulation. Once the scattering coefficients are obtained, the polarimetric Stokes vectors for the emission from the random surfaces are then calculated according to the Kirchhoff's law and are illustrated as functions of relative azimuth observation and row directions. The second-order SPM is also reduced to this one-dimensional case, and theoretical results for all four Stokes parameters are in excellent agreement with the numerical results obtained from the Monte Carlo simulation. Moreover, the second order coherent fields are found to be necessary for the theoretical evaluation of the third and fourth Stokes parameters. Without that, the reflectivities of random rough surfaces are significantly over-estimated, and the signs of the third and the fourth Stokes parameters are found to be incorrect, if calculated by using the first-order incoherent fields alone.

Yueh, S. H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Effects of soil tillage on the microwave emission of soils

In order to understand the interactions of soil properties and microwave emission better, a series of field experiments were conducted in 1984. Small plots were measured with a truck-mounted passive microwave radiometer operating at 1.4 GHz. These data were collected concurrent with ground observations of soil moisture and bulk density. Treatment effects studied included different soil moisture contents and bulk densities. Evaluations of the data have shown that commonly used models of the dielectric properties of wet soils do not explain the observations obtained in these experiments. This conclusion was based on the fact that the roughness parameters determined through optimization were significantly larger than those observed in similar investigations. These discrepancies are most likely due to the soil structure. Commonly used models assume a homogeneous three phase mixture of soil solids, air and water. Under tilled conditions the soil is actually a two phase mixture of aggregates and voids. Appropriate dielectric models for this tilled condition were evaluated and found to explain the observations. These results indicate that previous conclusions concerning the effects of surface roughness in tilled fields may be incorrect, and they may explain some of the inconsistencies encountered in roughness modeling.

Jackson, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS2012

High Absorptance Coatings for THz Applications

High absorptance materials find application throughout the electromagnetic spectrum as radiation terminations, calibration standards, and glint reduction coatings. Successful use of materials at millimeter through submillimeter wavelengths requires an accurate knowledge and control over their thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic properties in order to achieve the desired response while minimizing mass and volume. In practice, the achieved blackness is intimately linked to the material properties and geometry. Here, we summarize the characteristics of a variety of tunable artificial dielectric mixtures appropriate for THz applications at room and cryogenic temperatures. Theoretical guidelines for their application will be provided in the context of the effective-medium mean-field-approximation. The performance of these coatings as elements of reflectance standards, radiometric flux calibrators, passive thermal radiators, and stray light suppression baffles for imaging systems will be reviewed.

Wollack, Edward J.↗

NASA NTRS1973

The 4-8 GHz Microwave Active and Passive Spectrometer (MAPS). Volume 1: Radar section

The performance characteristics of the radar section of the prototype 4-8 GHz Microwave Active and Passive Spectrometer system are reported. Active and passive spectral responses were measured of natural, cultivated, and human-made surfaces over the 4-18 GHz region of frequencies for look angles between zero and 70 degrees and for all possible linear polarization combinations. Soil and plant samples were collected to measure their dielectric properties and moisture content. The FORTRAN program for area calculation is provided.

Ulaby, F. T.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Microwave emission and scattering from vegetated terrain

Models are developed for the apparent temperature and backscattering coefficient of vegetated terrain to illustrate the effects of vegetation on the sensitivity of these parameters to variations of soil moisture. Three types of terrain are simulated for both the passive and the active case: a uniform canopy over a smooth surface, plant rows on a smooth surface, and plant rows on a rough surface. In each case the canopy is defined by its overall dimensions and by its electric permittivity, which is determined from Weiner model for dielectric mixture. Emission and scattering from both the soil and the canopy are considered, but atmospheric effects are neglected. Calculated data indicate that the sensitivity of the apparent temperature and backscattering coefficient to variations of soil moisture, decreases as the amount of vegetation increases. It is shown that the same effect results from increasing signal frequency or angle of incidence.

Sibley, T. G.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Large-Aperture Membrane Active Phased-Array Antennas

Large-aperture phased-array microwave antennas supported by membranes are being developed for use in spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar systems. There may also be terrestrial uses for such antennas supported on stationary membranes, large balloons, and blimps. These antennas are expected to have areal mass densities of about 2 kg/sq m, satisfying a need for lightweight alternatives to conventional rigid phased-array antennas, which have typical areal mass densities between 8 and 15 kg/sq m. The differences in areal mass densities translate to substantial differences in total mass in contemplated applications involving aperture areas as large as 400 sq m. A membrane phased-array antenna includes patch antenna elements in a repeating pattern. All previously reported membrane antennas were passive antennas; this is the first active membrane antenna that includes transmitting/receiving (T/R) electronic circuits as integral parts. Other integral parts of the antenna include a network of radio-frequency (RF) feed lines (more specifically, a corporate feed network) and of bias and control lines, all in the form of flexible copper strip conductors on flexible polymeric membranes. Each unit cell of a prototype antenna (see Figure 1) contains a patch antenna element and a compact T/R module that is compatible with flexible membrane circuitry. There are two membrane layers separated by a 12.7-mm air gap. Each membrane layer is made from a commercially available flexible circuit material that, as supplied, comprises a 127-micron-thick polyimide dielectric layer clad on both sides with 17.5-micron-thick copper layers. The copper layers are patterned into RF, bias, and control conductors. The T/R module is located on the back side of the ground plane and is RF-coupled to the patch element via a slot. The T/R module is a hybrid multilayer module assembled and packaged independently and attached to the membrane array. At the time of reporting the information for this article, an 8 16 passive array (not including T/R modules) and a 2 4 active array (including T/R modules) had been demonstrated, and it was planned to fabricate and test larger arrays.

Karasik, Boris↗

NASA NTRS1979

Microwave and gamma radiation observations of soil moisture

The unique dielectric properties of water at microwave wavelengths afford the possibility for remotely sensing the moisture content in the surface layer of the soil. The surface emissivity and reflectivity for the soils at these wavelengths are strong functions of its moisture content. The changes in emissivity can be observed by passive microwave techniques (radiometry) and the change in reflectivity can be observed by active microwave techniques (radar). The difference in the natural terrestrial gamma ray flux measured for wet and dry soil may be used to determine soil moisture. The presence of water moisture in the soil causes an effective increase in soil density, resulting in an increased attenuation of the gamma flux for wet soil and a corresponding lower flux above the ground surface.

Schmugge, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Effects of corn stalk orientation and water content on passive microwave sensing of soil moisture

A field experiment was conducted utilizing artificial arrangements of plant components during the summer of 1982 to examine the effects of corn canopy structure and plant water content on microwave emission. Truck-mounted microwave radiometers at C (5 GHz) and L (1.4 GHz) band sensed vertically and horizontally polarized radiation concurrent with ground observations of soil moisture and vegetation parameters. Results indicate that the orientation of cut stalks and the distribution of their dielectric properties through the canopy layer can influence the microwave emission measured from a vegetation/soil scene. The magnitude of this effect varies with polarization and frequency and with the amount of water in the plant, disappearing at low levels of vegetation water content. Although many of the canopy structures and orientations studied in this experiment are somewhat artificial, they serve to improve understanding of microwave energy interactions within a vegetation canopy and to aid in the development of appropriate physically based vegetation models.

Oneill, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Microwave remote sensing: Active and passive. Volume 2 - Radar remote sensing and surface scattering and emission theory

The fundamental principles of radar backscattering measurements are presented, including measurement statistics, Doppler and pulse discrimination techniques, and associated ambiguity functions. The operation of real and synthetic aperture sidelooking airborne radar systems is described, along with the internal and external calibration techniques employed in scattering measurements. Attention is given to the physical mechanisms responsible for the scattering emission behavior of homogeneous and inhomogeneous media, through a discussion of surface roughness, dielectric properties and inhomogeneity, and penetration depth. Simple semiempirical models are presented. Theoretical models involving greater mathematical sophistication are also given for extended ocean and bare soil surfaces, and the more general case of a vegetation canopy over a rough surface.

Ulaby, F. T.↗

NASA NTRS1970

A study of passive microwave techniques applied to geologic problems

Passive microwave techniques were applied to geologic problems, in order to establish the microwave properties of representative rocks and minerals, and to examine the feasibility of using microwave radiometry for geologic mapping problems. A review of microwave pertaining to geology was conducted, coupled with laboratory and field investigations of the microwave emission characteristics of various geologic features. The laboratory studies consisted of dielectric constant measurements of rocks and minerals. A majority of field investigations conducted in the western United States, involved the microwave emission charateristics of rock types, and a portion of the study was concerned with microwave properties of mineralized areas. Experiments were also conducted in the vicinity of a coal seam fire in Colorado and across the San Andreas Fault Zone near the Salton Sea, in Southern California.

Edgerton, A. T.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Seasonally Frozen Soil Monitoring Using Passive Microwave Satellite Data and Simulation Modeling

Satellite data and simulation modeling were used to assess seasonally frozen soils in the central US - Canada borders area (46-53 degrees N and 96-108 degrees). We used Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) satellite data to delineate the top layer of frozen soils. SMMR is a passive microwave sensor having five channels (6.6, 10, 18, 21 and 37 GHz) with a horizontal and vertical polarization. SMRR data are available between 1978-1987 with noon and midnight overpass and footprint sizes between 25 km and 150 km. SMMR data were processed from resampled 1/4 degree grid cells during fall freeze-up and spring thaw (fall 1985 - spring 1987). The dielectric properties of a target may directly affect the satellite signal. The dielectric value is an order of magnitude smaller for frozen soil water. There are other significant changes to the emitted microwave signal from changes to the surface physical temperature, attenuation of the soil signal from plant water and soil moisture. We further characterized the temporal and spatial dynamic of frozen soils using the FroST (Frozen Soil Temperature) simulation model. The FroST model was used to further predict soil water and ice content, and soil temperature. SMMR results were compared versus 5-cm soil temperature data from available weather stations (14 in Canada and 11 for available months in the US). SMMR data were analyzed as a function of frequency, polarization, polarization difference, and "frequency gradient". In addition, vegetation density, physical temperature and snow depth were also considered. Preliminary analysis of SMMR derived frozen soil/thaw classification using a simple threshold classification indicates a mean overall classification accuracy by season of 85 percent. A sensitivity analysis for different soils with varying amounts of snow was conducted with FroST, which showed that the amount of snow, and the time of snow fall and melt affected the ice and water content, and depth of thaw. These results indicate a potential source of flooding and erosion under conditions when melting snow and spring rains provide a source of infiltrating water.

Toll, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS2009

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2009

Topics covered include: Light-Driven Polymeric Bimorph Actuators; Guaranteeing Failsafe Operation of Extended-Scene Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Algorithm; Cloud Water Content Sensor for Sounding Balloons and Small UAVs; Pixelized Device Control Actuators for Large Adaptive Optics; T-Slide Linear Actuators; G4FET Implementations of Some Logic Circuits; Electrically Variable or Programmable Nonvolatile Capacitors; System for Automated Calibration of Vector Modulators; Complementary Paired G4FETs as Voltage-Controlled NDR Device; Three MMIC Amplifiers for the 120-to-200 GHz Frequency Band; Low-Noise MMIC Amplifiers for 120 to 180 GHz; Using Ozone To Clean and Passivate Oxygen-Handling Hardware; Metal Standards for Waveguide Characterization of Materials; Two-Piece Screens for Decontaminating Granular Material; Mercuric Iodide Anticoincidence Shield for Gamma-Ray Spectrometer; Improved Method of Design for Folding Inflatable Shells; Ultra-Large Solar Sail; Cooperative Three-Robot System for Traversing Steep Slopes; Assemblies of Conformal Tanks; Microfluidic Pumps Containing Teflon[Trademark] AF Diaphragms; Transparent Conveyor of Dielectric Liquids or Particles; Multi-Cone Model for Estimating GPS Ionospheric Delays; High-Sensitivity GaN Microchemical Sensors; On the Divergence of the Velocity Vector in Real-Gas Flow; Progress Toward a Compact, Highly Stable Ion Clock; Instruments for Imaging from Far to Near; Reflectors Made from Membranes Stretched Between Beams; Integrated Risk and Knowledge Management Program -- IRKM-P; LDPC Codes with Minimum Distance Proportional to Block Size; Constructing LDPC Codes from Loop-Free Encoding Modules; MMICs with Radial Probe Transitions to Waveguides; Tests of Low-Noise MMIC Amplifier Module at 290 to 340 GHz; and Extending Newtonian Dynamics to Include Stochastic Processes.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1989

Passive microwave observations of asteroids

The advances made since 1979 in the quantity and quality of the radio observations of asteroids and in the understanding of the physics of asteroidal microwave emission are reviewed. Radio continuum spectra analyses are now available for the four largest asteroids (Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Hygiea) at several wavelengths and several smaller asteroids (including Interamnia and Eunomia) at one wavelength. The spectra show that most asteroids are covered by a layer of material with physical properties of finely divided dust. This surface material is in layers of variable depth and has dielectric properties which vary from asteroid to asteroid. The effect of instrumentation on the interpretation of microwave observations is examined.

Webster, William J., Jr.↗