Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion
Though current remote sensing technologies, especially synthetic aperture radars (SARs), exhibit huge potential for soil moisture content (SMC) retrievals, such technologies also present several performance disadvantages. This study explored the merits of proposing a novel data fusion methodology (p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/10/3457 |
| _version_ | 1797533973141782528 |
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| author | Oualid Yahia Raffaella Guida Pasquale Iervolino |
| author_facet | Oualid Yahia Raffaella Guida Pasquale Iervolino |
| author_sort | Oualid Yahia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Though current remote sensing technologies, especially synthetic aperture radars (SARs), exhibit huge potential for soil moisture content (SMC) retrievals, such technologies also present several performance disadvantages. This study explored the merits of proposing a novel data fusion methodology (partly decision level and partly feature level) for SMC estimation. Initially, individual estimations were derived from three distinct methods: the inversion of an Empirically Adapted Integral Equation Model (EA-IEM) applied to SAR data, the Perpendicular Drought Index (PDI), and the Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) determined from Landsat-8 data. Subsequently, three feature level fusions were performed to produce three different novel salient feature combinations where said features were extracted from each of the previously mentioned methods to be the input of an artificial neural network (ANN). The latter underwent a modification of its performance function, more specifically from absolute error to root mean square error (RMSE). Eventually, all SMC estimations, including the feature level fusion estimation, were fused at the decision level through a novel weight-based estimation. The performance of the proposed system was analysed and validated by measurements collected from three study areas, an agricultural field in Blackwell farms, Guildford, United Kingdom, and two different agricultural fields in Sidi Rached, Tipasa, Algeria. Those measurements contained SMC levels and surface roughness profiles. The proposed SMC estimation system yielded stronger correlations and lower RMSE values than any of the considered SMC estimation methods in the order of 0.38%, 1.4%, and 1.09% for the Blackwell farms, Sidi Rached 1, and Sidi Rached 2 datasets, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:23:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9e6e88148704c02abba7281175671f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:23:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9e6e88148704c02abba7281175671f82023-11-21T19:55:22ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202021-05-012110345710.3390/s21103457Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data FusionOualid Yahia0Raffaella Guida1Pasquale Iervolino2Centre des Techniques Spatiales, Algerian Space Agency, Arzew 31200, AlgeriaSurrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UKAirbus Defence and Space, Connected Intelligence, Guildford GU2 7AG, UKThough current remote sensing technologies, especially synthetic aperture radars (SARs), exhibit huge potential for soil moisture content (SMC) retrievals, such technologies also present several performance disadvantages. This study explored the merits of proposing a novel data fusion methodology (partly decision level and partly feature level) for SMC estimation. Initially, individual estimations were derived from three distinct methods: the inversion of an Empirically Adapted Integral Equation Model (EA-IEM) applied to SAR data, the Perpendicular Drought Index (PDI), and the Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) determined from Landsat-8 data. Subsequently, three feature level fusions were performed to produce three different novel salient feature combinations where said features were extracted from each of the previously mentioned methods to be the input of an artificial neural network (ANN). The latter underwent a modification of its performance function, more specifically from absolute error to root mean square error (RMSE). Eventually, all SMC estimations, including the feature level fusion estimation, were fused at the decision level through a novel weight-based estimation. The performance of the proposed system was analysed and validated by measurements collected from three study areas, an agricultural field in Blackwell farms, Guildford, United Kingdom, and two different agricultural fields in Sidi Rached, Tipasa, Algeria. Those measurements contained SMC levels and surface roughness profiles. The proposed SMC estimation system yielded stronger correlations and lower RMSE values than any of the considered SMC estimation methods in the order of 0.38%, 1.4%, and 1.09% for the Blackwell farms, Sidi Rached 1, and Sidi Rached 2 datasets, respectively.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/10/3457soil moisture contentdata fusionintegral equation modelSentinel-1perpendicular drought indextemperature vegetation dryness index |
| spellingShingle | Oualid Yahia Raffaella Guida Pasquale Iervolino Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion Sensors soil moisture content data fusion integral equation model Sentinel-1 perpendicular drought index temperature vegetation dryness index |
| title | Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion |
| title_full | Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion |
| title_fullStr | Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion |
| title_short | Novel Weight-Based Approach for Soil Moisture Content Estimation via Synthetic Aperture Radar, Multispectral and Thermal Infrared Data Fusion |
| title_sort | novel weight based approach for soil moisture content estimation via synthetic aperture radar multispectral and thermal infrared data fusion |
| topic | soil moisture content data fusion integral equation model Sentinel-1 perpendicular drought index temperature vegetation dryness index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/10/3457 |
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