Modelling of soil moisture in high spatial resolution for farmed grasslands in China based on airborne thermal data

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Bernhofer
• Subject Area: Soil Sciences
• Term: from 2011 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 193515634

In Inner Mongolia the heterogeneity of rainfall patterns, differences in grazing intensity and topography lead to strong temporal and spatial variability of soil moisture which has great effects on vegetation growth and influences CO2 and water fluxes. The spatial and temporal distribution and variability of near surface soil moisture will be modelled with a new approach using the atmospheric boundary layer model HIRVAC and thermal imagery obtained during the 2009 field campaign within the MAGIM research group. Thermal imagery was collected using a microlite aircraft which emerged as an adequate platform particularly for remote areas. The resulting soil moisture grids will allow for the analysis of spatial soil moisture variability at field and local scale. The high geometrical resolution (1 m) closes the gap between point surface and satellite measurements.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants