Soil water content and evaporation determined by thermal parameters obtained from ground-based and remote measurements

Soil water contents from both smooth and rough bare soil were estimated from remotely sensed surface soil and air temperatures. We found an inverse relationship between two thermal parameters and gravimetric soil water content for Avondale loam when its water content was between air-dry and field capacity. These parameters, daily maximum minus minimum surface soil temperature and daily maximum soil minus air temperature, appear to describe the relationship reasonably well. These two parameters also describe relative soil water evaporation (actual/potential). Surface soil temperatures showed good agreement between three measurement techniques: in situ thermocouples, ground-based infrared radiation thermometer, and the thermal infrared band of an airborne mutispectral scanner.