L-band dielectric properties of different soil types collected during the mouse 2004 field experiment

The brightness temperature measured from land is related to the soil moisture through the dielectric constant, which depends, among other parameters, on soil composition and porosity. The aim of MOUSE campaign was to establish the brightness temperature dependence on the soil type and moisture content (1). For this study and for the retrieval of the soil moisture content from radiometric measurements, it is necessary to use accurate models for the soil complex dielectric constant. This paper presents a technique to measure the complex dielectric constant using a microwave stripline setup, and its application to the soil samples measured during MOUSE 2004 campaign. The measured dielectric constants of each soil type versus volumetric soil moisture (0% to 40%) are compared with the values obtained using models already appeared in the literature. Keywords-Soil moisture; dielectric constant.