Topsoil moisture patterns on arid hillsides - Micro-scale mapping by thermal infrared images

I. Katra, D. G. Blumberg, H. Lavee, P. Sarah

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

In arid hillsides the topsoil moisture is a key factor in understanding environmental processes such as overland flow generation and soil-plant interactions. The reported research focused on the effects of hillside aspect and micro-topography on the spatial distribution of topsoil moisture on the shrub microenvironment scale, and on the diminution pattern of the moisture content after rain events. Data were acquired by close-range thermal infrared (TIR) imaging and processed with a model in which spatially consecutive TIR data are converted into soil moisture values and high-resolution maps. The results indicate a dynamic pattern of topsoil moisture in shrub microenvironments on arid hillsides. The pattern consists of a moist patch that is spatially associated with the shrub canopy projection. The changes in the spatial characteristics over time depend upon the micro-topography and the hillside aspect, north (N) or south (S). The main differences are in the soil moisture content (N > S), its rates of change (S > N), the size of the moist patch relative to the shrub canopy projection (N > S), and in the displacement of the moist patch relative to the shrub canopy projection (downslope on N and upslope on S). The results may provide a better understanding of the time variation of surface water resources on the shrub scale, and also of surface water redistribution during rainfall.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)359-367
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Hydrology
Volume334
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 28 Feb 2007

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was part of the Ph.D. project of Itzhak Katra, Department of Geography and Environment, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. It was supported by a Grant (GLOWA – Jordan River) from the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology; and the German Bundesministerium Fuer Bildung und Forschung (BMBF). The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript.

Funding

This study was part of the Ph.D. project of Itzhak Katra, Department of Geography and Environment, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. It was supported by a Grant (GLOWA – Jordan River) from the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology; and the German Bundesministerium Fuer Bildung und Forschung (BMBF). The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript.

FundersFunder number
German Bundesministerium Fuer Bildung und Forschung
Israeli ministry of science and technology
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

    Keywords

    • Hillside aspect
    • Micro-topography
    • Shrub
    • Sink area
    • Source area

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