Soil texture estimation over a semiarid area using TerraSAR-X radar data

Abstract : In this letter, it is proposed to use TerraSAR-X data for analysis and estimation of soil surface texture. Our study is based on experimental campaigns carried out over a semiarid area in North Africa. Simultaneously with TerraSAR-X radar acquisitions, ground measurements (texture, soil moisture, and roughness) were made on different test fields. A strong correlation is observed between soil texture and a processed signal from two radar images, with the first acquired just after a rain event and the second corresponding to dry soil conditions, acquired three weeks later. An empirical relationship is proposed for the retrieval from radar signals of clay content percent. Soil texture mapping is proposed over the study site, which includes bare soils and olive groves.