Estimation of hydrological parameters from microwave remote sensing data/Estimation des paramètres hydrologiques à partir de la télédétection micro-onde

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Remote sensing of soil moisture and snow is a key component of several national and international projects related to water cycle. The general objective of the proposed research program is to gain better understanding of the water cycle by achieving the following specific objectives: a) Evaluation of soil (moisture and roughness) and vegetation physical characteristics; b) Development of soil moisture disaggregation method, and c) Characterisation of frozen agricultural soils over snow-covered areas. Emphasis is on the development of new methodologies that combine passive and active microwave satellite data, field campaign measurements, microwave radiative transfer models, the Snow-Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer model and, data assimilation to extract and analyse water resources (soil moisture, snow) and to characterise frozen agricultural soils beneath a snowpack. Intensive campaigns of surface parameter measurements, will be conducted simultaneously with satellite overpasses (Radarsat-2, SMOS, TerraSAR-X, AMSR-E), over agricultural areas during the summer of 2011 for the soil moisture estimation and during the periods November 2010-March 2011 and November 2011-March 2012 for the characterisation of snow cover and frozen soils. The developed methods and the expected results will certainly prepare to the use of future satellite data (Soil Moisture Active and Passive, COld REgions Hydrology High-resolution Observatory, Sentinel-1, etc.). In addition to contributing to scientific progress in the field of microwave remote sensing of water resources, the results will have measurable socio-economic impacts by providing the means for optimizing water resource management programs and predicting damages due to drought, faulty drainage, plant asphyxia, and other agronomic challenges.