Karol Przeździecki, Jarosław Zawadzki, Chris Cieszewski, Pete Bettinger. (2017). Estimation of soil moisture across broad landscapes of Georgia and South Carolina using the triangle method applied to MODIS satellite imagery. Silva Fennica vol. 51 no. 4 article id 1683. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1683

Keywords: soil moisture; remotely sensed imagery; satellite observations of forests; triangle method; TVDI; MODIS

Highlights: Temperature vegetation dryness indices were calculated from MODIS satellite imagery to estimate subsurface soil moisture at different depths using the triangle method; Observations were carried out over the vast areas of Georgia and South Carolina, USA, covered with diverse land uses that, included dense forests and agricultural areas; The triangle method may be useful in forestry management applications where the productivity potential of a region and the hydrologic role of forests in that region are of concern.

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We describe here a study based on analysis of vegetation indices and land surface temperatures, which provides relevant information for estimating soil moisture at regional scales. Through an analysis of MODIS satellite imagery and in situ moisture data, the triangle method was used to develop a conceptual land surface temperature−vegetation index model, and spatial temperature-vegetation dryness index (TVDI) values to describe soil moisture relationships for a broad landscape. This study was situated mainly within two states of the southern United States (Georgia and South Carolina). The total study area was about 30 million hectares. The analyses were conducted using information gathered from the 2009 growing season (from the end of March to September). The results of the study showed that soil moisture content was inversely proportional to TVDI, and that TVDI based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) had a slightly higher correlation with soil moisture than TVDI based on the enhanced vegetation index (EVI).

Przeździecki, Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, 00-653, Nowowiejska 20, Warszawa, Poland http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2275-5223 E-mail: karol_przezdziecki@is.pw.edu.pl
Zawadzki, Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Building Services, Hydro and Environmental Engineering, 00-653, Nowowiejska 20, Warszawa, Poland http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2842-0018 E-mail: j.j.zawadzki@gmail.com
Cieszewski, University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2842-4406 E-mail: thebiomat@gmail.com
Bettinger, University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5454-3970 E-mail: pbettinger@warnell.uga.edu

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