PRISM

Soil surface roughness affects the radiometric observations by effectively increasing the surface area of electromagnetic wave emission. Its effect on observations at P- and L-band frequencies is difficult to quantify, and is therefore a critical parameter to be spatially characterised across the different land cover types. During PRISM-21, surface roughness is characterized at three locations within each of the sampled paddocks, representing major land cover type and roughness conditions in the 3km x 3km focus areas. At each of the locations two 3m-long surface profiles will be recorded. In non-tilled areas, one oriented parallel to flight line (North-South) and one perpendicular (East-West). Over furrowed areas, sampling along and across the row direction will be undertaken.