Parameterization of the surface energy balance by multisource remote sensing inputs derived from optical-microwave synergy

Within the framework of the European Field Experiment in a Desertification-threatened Area (EFEDA) theoretical studies and intensive field campaigns have been carried out in order to model and measure the surface energy balance (SEE) and water transfer processes between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere in semiarid areas, where water availability is a limiting condition. The possibility of using remote sensing techniques, both optical and microwave data, to provide spatially distributed inputs and proper spatial modeling is realistically investigated. Three are mainly the aspects considered in this work: adequate reparameterization of SEE models to be driven by remote sensing inputs, determination of optimum ways to derive, from remote sensing data, those parameters which are required as inputs by such SEE models, and derivation of processing techniques to make possible the use of 'spatial' inputs derived from remote sensing data, together with atmospheric inputs from meteorological networks, into 4D modeling approaches based on data integration techniques.<>