Evaluation of the Penetration Depth of L- and S-Band (NISAR mission) Microwave SAR Signals into Ground

Microwave remote sensing has emerged as an efficient tool for the estimation of soil moisture due to its higher sensitivity to the dielectric properties of soil. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors have been used to estimate soil moisture at large scale. The penetration depth of microwave signals into the ground soil vary significantly with the available moisture content. It has been found that the longer wavelengths have a higher capability to penetrate soil, however, their penetration capability decreases with increasing dielectric behaviour of the soil. Moisture content in the soil increases the dielectric behaviour of soil.