To establish ground truth for microwave remote sensing experiments, seven intensive soil moisture surface observing programs were carried out on seven different dates as indicated below. For the first, SAR 580, soil moisture data were acquired on one day and on many locations in the same area in order to have a spatial knowledge of wetness patterns. The next four experiments were carried out on two different days and for each day soil moisture measurements were taken. Measurements were also taken in different positions in the same area.

Experiment SAR 580, 22/10/1991.

Place: Matera, Italy;

Coordinates: 40° 57' N/ 16° 30' E (map of the zone available);

Vegetation: Bare soils;

Number of locations: 38;

Measurements: roughness properties and dielectric constants for each location

Measurement method: gravimetric

Notes: soil properties not available / dielectric constant values regard the top five centimeters of soil.
 

Experiment SIRC/XSAR 02-04/10/1994.

Place: Matera, Italy;

Coordinates: 40° 57' N/ 16° 30' E (map of the zone available);

Vegetation: Bare soils;

Number of fields: 6;

Measurements: roughness properties and volumetric soil moisture for each field

Measurement method: gravimetric

Notes: soil properties available / soil moisture values regard the top five and ten centimeters of soil.
 

Experiment SC1 20-21/02/1998.

Place: Bari, Italy;

Coordinates: 41° 03' N/ 16° 50' E (map of the zone available);

Vegetation: Bare soils;

Number of fields: 2;

Measurements: roughness properties and volumetric soil moisture for each field

Measurement method: TDR

Notes: soil properties available / soil moisture values regard the top five centimeters of soil.
 

Experiment SC2 15-16/01/2000.

Place: Bari, Italy;

Coordinates: 41° 03' N/ 16° 50' E (map of the zone available);

Vegetation: Bare soils;

Number of fields: 2;

Measurements: roughness properties, volumetric soil moisture for each field, soil temperature

Measurement method: gravimetric

Notes: soil properties available / soil moisture values regard the top five and ten centimeters of soil.
 

Experiment SC3 08-09/04/2000.

Place: Bari, Italy;

Coordinates: 41° 03' N/ 16° 50' E (map of the zone available);

Vegetation: Bare soils;

Number of fields: 2;

Measurements: roughness properties, volumetric soil moisture for each field, soil temperature

Measurement method: gravimetric

Notes: soil properties available / soil moisture values regard the top five and ten centimeters of soil.

Experiment SC4 22/05/2001

Place: Bari (Italy)

Coordinates: 41° 03' N/ 16° 50' E

Vegetation: Bare soils

Number of fields: 1 (high roughness)

Measurements: roughness properties, volumetric soil moisture, soil temperature

Penetration depth for soil samples: 5 cm and 10 cm

Measurement method: manual profilemeter (3 m length), gravimetric and TDR

Radar measurements: Ground-base scatterometer. incidence angles 23° and 40°. C-band

The field has been irrigated before measurements.

External calibration: corner reflector

Experiment SC5 05/06/2001

Place: Bari (Italy)

Coordinates: 41° 03' N/ 16° 50' E

Vegetation: Bare soils

Number of fields: 1 (low roughness)

Measurements: roughness properties, volumetric soil moisture, soil temperature

Penetration depth for soil samples: 5 cm and 10 cm

Measurement method: manual profilemeter (3 m length), gravimetric and TDR

Radar measurements: Ground-base scatterometer. incidence angles 23° and 40°. C-band

The field has been irrigated before measurements.

External calibration: corner reflector

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