The author has identified the following significant results. The soil moisture difference between the flight lines was partly due to water-holding capacity differences of the two soil types. Fields along the east flight line were in clay; while along the west flight line, the soil was sandy loam which holds less moisture. Due to differences in the amount of green material, the pastures were wetter than the wheat fields. Most of the pastures average from 40-80% green material, while wheat averages from 90-100% green material. A large amount of green material transpired more water and depleted the soil water content faster than dead vegetation. Visicorder data found temperature differences between the rangeland and winter wheat fields. Pasture had a larger percentage of dead material with different thermal properties than live vegetation, and surface temperature was primarily dependent on insolation. Dead material transpired less, but warms up faster than wheat fields

Blanchard, B. J.

Harlan, J. C.

Rosenthal, W. D.

English

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Produced by the NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI) 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19790007187 2020-03-22T01:36:55+00:00Z
Pro,ress Fleport h SC :171:1 3
7.9
-1Go• 7 (^LL5`
DRYLAND PASTURE AN: '30P DONDITiai
_
16
AS SEEN BY I-^ ^ I1r1;1/1
V-
4.
Progress Heport tur Period
July 1978 - October 1978
^.
t \e^
Prepared for
NASA - Goddard Spzce Flight Center
Grjenbelt, Maryland 20771
(E79-10079)	 DRYLAND PASTURE AND CROP	 N79--153`8
CONDITIONS AS SEEN RY t?Ct"M Progress Report,
Jul. - oct. 1978 (Texas ASM Ubiv.)	 20 P
HC A02/11,F A01	 CSCL 02C	 Unclas
G3/43 00079
Contract NASS-24383
TEXAS
 A&M UNI V E RS TY
REMOTE SENSING CEN r s'.j=^E
CCLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
REC- rj,v
S61' 902-6
it
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section	 Page
1.0 BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 1
1.1	 Background	 . .	 1
1.2	 Summary .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 2
2.0 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PROBLEMS	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 4
2.1	 Accomplishments. 	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 4
2.2	 Future	 Accomplishments	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 S
2.3	 Problems	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 6
3.r1 SIGNIFICANT RESULTS, PRESENTATIONS
AND	 PUBLICATIONS
	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 7
4.0 FUNDS
	
EXPENDED	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 .	 . .	 .	 10
5.0 AIRCRAFT-SATELLITE DATA USAGE.
	
.	 .	 . .	 .	 11
i
.dpl
a
i
1 . U	 MCKGRUUND AND SUMMARY
1.1	 Background
This 16-month project is an extension of several
other projects which involve estimates of wheat yield
(Harlan et al., 1978), green biomass (Deering et al.,
1977), and watershed runoff coefficient (Blanchard, 1978)
usirng visible, near infrared and passive microwave data.	 1
In each estimate, soil moisture content is a major
determining factor. The hypothesis of this study is that	
1
high resolution thermal infrared data, such as those
received from HCMM, will enhance estimates of soil moisture	
i
content. Therefore, the three objectives of this project,
as given in the statement of contract NAS 5-24383, are
1) to assess the capability for determining
J
winter wheat and pasture canopy temperatures in a dryland
farming region from HCMM data.
2) to assess the capability for determining soil
moisture in dryland crops (winter wheat) from iiuhrl data of
dryland crops and adjacent range lands.
3) to determine the relationship of HCNN1-derived
soil moisture and canopy temperature values with the
condition of winter wheat and dryland farming areas during
the principal growth stages.
To accomplish these objectives, measurements will
be obtained at three levels: ground truth, aircraft, z:nd
satellite. The sites selected for these measurements are
^.-	 «^.^rfnp.^.^-.•ras •.
	 ^• : - rs^: ^+zK. ^•-^ •,Mara :+sT ..^..,^,......,.. • ^ ^rwrr^c ^•
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-2-
on the Washita River watershed, near Chickasha, Oklahoma.
The area has a dense USDA/SEA-AR network of rain gauges,
and rangeland and dryland winter wheat are often adjacent
to each other. Ground truth data include canopy and lake
surface temperatures, neutron probe and gravimetric soil
moisture samples, ;:nd daily precipitation data. The
aircraft will collect day/Might thermal scanner data and
aerial photos of commercial whet and pasture fields; HCMM
	 a
will collect day/night surface temperatures over the same
sites. Data collected from each level will be correlated
in three ways:
1) thermal (HCMM and aircraft) parameters of
soil moisture and crop canopy temperatures will be derived,
2) a technique will he developed to calculate
the antecedent precipitation indices from the thermal
parameters of soil moisture and canopy temperatures, and
3) an input parameter for yield Prediction
models will be developed.
1.2	 Summary
Accomplishments during the third period of the
contract (July-October, 1978) included:
(1 j receiving the aircraft M'S and soil .. )isture
data
i
(2) relating surface temperatures, as measured
by the PRT-5 on board the aircraft, to surface temperatures
at the measurement sites,
..•viii'	 .ir.1w.^:.'L'w'
-3-
(3) planning for ground measurements at Chickasha
during late October or November in conjunction with HCNAI
and Landsat-2 overpasses, and
(4) publishing a technical memorandum describing;
the technique used in determing surface emissivity.
The h1 2 S CC'1''s were received from NASA/JSC on
October 2. Data analysis is just beginning, so no results
have been de t.frmined from the digital data.
Visicorder data (a reduced grey map image of
the thermal N1 2 S data), however, was used to relate surface
temperatures, as measured by the Barnes PRT-S on board the
C-130, to temperatures and soil moisture content at the
measurement sites. The surface temperatures were correlated
using a densitometer.
The ground sampling mission scheduled for August
19 was rained out. Consequently, we plan to collect
extensive data on October 22 (or November 7) from one
large rangeland area and one large wheat field. These
dates were selected on the basis of HDIM and Landsat-2
pass dates over Chickasha.
Also, technical memo kSC-153, "Determination of
Surface Thermal Emissivity," was published. Copies were
sent to GSFC and other HCMM investigators.
_4-
	
2. 0
	
ACCOMPLI SHh1ENTS AND PROBLEMS
	
2.1	 Accomplishments
Luring the third period, data received included:
(1) the afternoon and pre-dawn '; 2 S dil;it.al data,
(2) the soil moisture data, and
(3) 70mr visioorder film of the greymap of
the M`S thermal d4ta obtained over Chickasha on May 3 and 9.
.i'1
The NI'S digital data are now being processed. No
siginificant conclusions can be made yet.
Soil moisture content at each site was calculated
and the results are discussed in the Significant Results
section. We are still awaiting information on the soil
bulk density at the measurement sites, to calculate the
volumetric moisture content.
To relate temperatures as measured by the Barnes
PRT-5 to surface temperatures at the measurement sites, the
NI'S visi.corder film was analyzed using a Macbeth transmission
densi.tometer (TD-504). This temperature comparison is
based on several assumptions:
(1.) differences in the tone on the film corresponds
to a given temperature difference,
(2) the PRT-5 was oriented nadirWard, and
(3) the measurement sites ai:d areas Navin; the
same density also have similar emissivity.
--- -	 -	
--	 --	
i , , J.
-S-
In reality, surface emissivity differences may cause
temperature differences of as much as 2°C. In spite
of this difference, we are , . ill able to bet a 7*ough
;dea as to the relative surface temperature differences,
assuming a constant emissivity difference between pasture
and wheat. The procedure used to determine site surface
temperatures was:
(1) determine the density of the measurement
site using the all-color filter and Imm aperture of the
densitometer;
(2) locate on area having the same density in
the FOV path of the PRT-5 (160 f't. wide in the center of
the visicorder film); and
(3) determine the surface temperature of both
areas, using the time marks on the visicc-dev film and
the PRT-S line printout. The results are given iii the
Significant Results section.
2.2
	 Future Accomplishments
The next ground measurement mission to correlate
HCMNI data with ground data will be on October 22 or
November 7--dates which Landsat-2 and HCMM pass over
Chickasha. Samples will be collected from 0110 (or two)
large dryland winter wheat fields and one large rangeland
area (both over 300 acres). Wheat at this time is just
emerging, but due to a lac:< of rain, is suffering from
W-
I
moisture stress. Any water stress at this growth stage
will have a direct effect on grov.th and final yield. The
sampling technique and grit! will be the same as described
in the previous progress report.
Also, during the next period, ground and aircraft
data will be processed at the Remote Sensing Data Analysis
Facility (RSDAY). The results comparing thermal conditions
in pasture and wheat to corresponding water stress conditions
will be presented at the annual ASA (American Society of
Agronomy) meetings in Deceriber. We also hope to receive
and begin processing; the first KNIN CCT of the Chickasha
area. Given this data, we should be able to answer the
questions:
s..
(i) Can surface temperatures be detected and
compared at different levels, and
(2) Are crop (wheat) growing conditions indicated
by thermal differences between pasture and wheat?
2.3	 Pr oblem s
,^	 The only major anticipated problem is the potential
• R
lack of- allotted travel fund. to sample in Chickasha. If
; a	 the mission in October farts clouded over, an alternative
,f
may need to be evaluated to meet the specified objectives.
This may entail SEA-AR personnel collecting additional data
during future HCMM overpasses to correlate HCMM data with
ground truth.
-7-
3.0
	
SIGNIFICANT RESULTS, PRESENTATIONS  AND PUBLICATIONS
During the third periud, soil moisture and
aircraft (visicorder and CCT) data collected on 5/9/78 at
Chickasha were received. Results of the soil moisture
data are given in Table 1. A better comparison of
moisture content between Sites would be to use soil
moisture percentage by volume rattier than percentage by
weight. This requires knowledge of the soil bulk density,
which is presently being measured at each site. One
notices that:
(1) fields tend to be drier along the west
than east flight line, and
(2) several pasture fields are wetter than
dryland winter wheat fields.
'I'lle soil moisture difference between the flight
lines is partly due to water-holding capacity differences
of the two soil types along each flight line. Fields along
the east flight line are in clay; along the west flight
line, in a sandy loar ► , which holds less moisture.
Due to differences in the amount of green
material, the pastures are wetter than the wheat fields.
Host of the pastures average from 40-80% green material,
while wheat averages from 00-100% green material. A
large amount. of green material transpires more water and
would deplete the soil water content faster than dead
vegetation.
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	 'J,:^rI71, a ^iiifii^J^.19.mk^.. , ^.w^..liwwuHMMAII ► - .r.t.r..,r,^w►w.d•Y^F►K^w^a^^-
ViSicorder data kas analyzed using a transmission
densitometer. The density readings and rcrresponding
temperatures, as measure.i by a Barnes PRT-S, are given
in fable 2. The results reasonably describe temperature
differences between the ran g eland and winter wheat fields.
Such differences are higher for fields on the west flight
line than the east flight line. This difference may be
due to the soil moisture differences discussed earlier,
but the actual N1 2  
 
data needs to be analyzed to confirm
this.
Comparing results from the two tables, one can
see that several pasture sites have high moisture contents,
but warmer surface temperatures than winter wheat. fields.
The physical explanation for this difference is the differing
amounts of green material between pasture and wheat fields.
Fasture, as previously mentioned, has a larger percentage
of dead material v.-;4 .h different thermal properties than live
i^
i	 vegetatic.;, and surface temperature is primarily dependent
I
on insolation. Dead vegetation heats more quickly than
live. The dead ,a^Aerial is transpiring less, but is warming
up faster than wheat fields, resulting in higher daytime
K 4
surface temperatures and moisture contents as well. Conse-
quently, the timing of the green-up period for pasture is
related to growing conditions of wheat. Theoretically, a
wet, warm spring would hasten green-up and decreasc the
i
thermal and soil moisture difference between pasture and
M
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i.n:r►.+:{ .«.3► . _vY:..1^:w ',M,^^^,► i+^.^.:r+'i7► ,ti,^:^w+^4 ...fight.r..^..-.....'t+^►ia.rw.n.:+c i^«M74^.+r
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wheat. The opposite would be true for a dry, cold sprint;.
Further analysis will be delayed until the aircraft N1 2 S data
has been fully processed.
In addition to receiving the data, technical memo
RSC-153, "Determination of Surface Thermal Emissivity"
was published. Copies were sent to GSFC and other HCMN1
investigators.
r
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-10-
4.0	 FUNDS EXPENDED
During the third period, $17,562 was spent
primarily on salaries and wages, other direct costs, and
travel. Table 3 uutlines the total expenditures for tae
first three quarters (through October 31). Approximately
64% of the money allotted to the Remote Sensing Center
($33,444) has been spent. A large percentage was allotted
to salaries and wages ($3,538), other direct budgeted
costs ($7,178)t,4,000 for assistance from SEA-AR], and
travel to Chickasha ($1,99U). During; the next quarter,
most of the funds will be allotted to data analysis and
salaries and wages.
l	 .:
1 "T
-11-
S.0
	
AIRCRAFT-SA1'L'LLITU.' DATA USAGE
No satellite data OCT has been received yet
for the Chickasha area. Therefore, no qualitative
judgments can he made on this data set. However, the
transparencies indicate excellent quality.
The aircraft data, were received during the first
week of October. Data processing; and analysis is just
beginning, so the quality and uYefulness of the tapes
cannot be judged yet. The timA iness of the tapes was
X'
adequate. Receiving the tapes in October Should allo4
adequate time to process and analyze the data before the
presentation in December.
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Table 2(a): Transmission Density of Visicorder
Data and Corresponding Measurement Site
Surface "Temperature
(East Flight Line)
Line	 site Density Temperature	 (°c,
1	 E -1 .86 23.3
E-2 1.08 26.0
E-3 1.09 29.2
E-4 .90 22.S
E-5 .91 23.2
E -
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	 cloudy .81 21.8
E-7 .7E 21.25
E-8 1.12 30.75
;.	 E-9 .90 26.5
:a•
E-10 1.12 28.5
1:-11 .94 27.S
2	 E-1 .80 24.0 
E-2 1.13 28.5 
-K
E-3 1.12 29.S
E-4 .83 24.2
E-5 .78 24.2
E-6 1.17 29.0
E-7 .78 26.S
E-8 .86 23.9
E-9 1.30 31.0
E-10 1.24 30.0
E-11 .97 24.S
Lake Burtchie	 .48	 18.S
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Table 2(b): Transmission Density of" Visicorder
Data and Corresponding Measurement
Site Surface Temperatures
(Nest Flight Line)
Line
	 Site	 Density	 Temperature (°C)
3	 h' -1
	
1. 1 5	 31 . S
IV-2 1.18 31.6
h-3 .69 21.5
W-4 1.22 32.0
W-5 .72 23.0
4	 W-1 1.21 34.0
W-2 1.16 29.5
W-3 .85 27.0
Pd-4 1 .22 32.1
W-5 .87 26.3
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The REMOTE SENSING CENTER was a>tablisned by authority of the Board of Directors of
r+W TCxcs A&-At University System on Febn+cry 17, 1968. The CENTF_R is a consortiwen of four
colleges of the University; Agriculbue, Engineering, Geosciences, and Science This unique
organization Concentrates on the dellclopment and utilization of remote sensing techniques and
technology for a broad range of applications to t/u, betterment of manAind
u1t!GIAI. PAVE IS
(^ p0{1I^ (A.L XLI TY
I


Dryland pasture and crop conditions as seen by HCMM

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