Reflectivities of selected land surface types at 19 and 37 GHz from SSM/I observations

Abstract Surface reflectivities for horizontally and vertically polarized emission at 19 GHz and 37 GHz are calculated for two locations over sand deserts, one location each over a rainforest, and a savanna from daytime observations by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) on board the DMSP-F8 satellite for the period January 1988 to December 1989. The calculated reflectivities over the deserts are compared against predictions from the Fresnel equations, while the reflectivities over the rainforest are compared against predictions from a radiative transfer model and with field observations. The temporal variation of the reflectivities over the savanna is discussed in relation to those over deserts and rainforest, and in terms of biomass growth and decay. These SSM/I observations can be used to study seasonal and interannual changes of vegetation cover.

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