Active-Passive Microwave Sensing for Earth System Parameters

Dear Colleagues,

Active and passive microwave signals from the Earth co-vary depending on the scattering and emission characteristics of natural media (e.g. soil, vegetation snow or ice). Based on such characteristic covariations, signals from different sensors can be combined for joint data analyses and retrieval of Earth system properties such as soil or plant moisture.

The currently operating fleet of Earth remote sensing satellites comprises various microwave radiometers (e.g. SMAP, SMOS & AMSR-2) and SAR sensors (e.g. SAOCOM-1, ALOS-2, Sentinel-1 & TanDEM-X). Moreover, new missions are planned for launch in the next years (e.g. RCM, WCOM, Tandem-L).

Their data can be integrated for joint estimation of parameters reflecting conditions of the Earth system. In this way, the advantages of different sensing techniques can be combined, and their individual drawbacks alleviated.

The special issue aims at presenting novel algorithms, application case studies and review discussions on active-passive microwave sensing for estimation of Earth system parameters (e.g. soil or plant moisture, surface roughness, vegetation or ice structure, snow water equivalent, …).

Contributions dealing with all components of the Earth System are welcome and may include in-situ measurements and/or non-microwave remote sensing data for parameter estimation at various spatial and temporal scales. Example potential focus areas include:

• Advances in combining active and passive microwave sensing techniques to provide spatially distributed, high-resolution data,
• Multi-sensor (active-passive) algorithms for estimation of Earth system parameters,
• Space-borne, airborne or ground-based experiments to study active-passive estimation techniques of soil, vegetation, snow or ice parameters,
• Case studies at global or local scale for dedicated estimation of single Earth system parameters with comparison of in-situ observations or modelling results.

Prof. Dr. Joel T. Johnson
Dr. Narendra N. Das
Dr. Jian Peng
Dr. Thomas Jagdhuber
Guest Editors

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