ABSTRACT
Land surface temperature (LST) maps derived from thermal infrared (TIR) satellite data convey valuable information for detecting moisture stress conditions and for constraining diagnostic surface flux estimates based on remote sensing. Soil surface and vegetation canopy temperatures rise as available water in the surface layer and root zone is depleted, with thermal stress signals typically preceding significant change in vegetation structure or reduction in biomass (Moran 2003). Among surface moisture monitoring methods, thermal remote sensing is unique in its range of achievable spatial resolution-providing information at scales from individual farm fields to continental and global coverage. The spatial detail provided by TIR imaging provides a useful complement to coarser scale surface moisture information developed from passive microwave remote sensing.
