@article{fdi:010053771,
  title = {{A} first assessment of the {SMOS} data in southwestern {F}rance using in situ and airborne soil moisture estimates : the {CAROLS} airborne campaign},
  author = {{A}lbergel, {C}. and {Z}akharova, {E}. and {C}alvet, {J}.{C}. and {Z}ribi, {M}ehrez and {P}arde, {M}. and {W}igneron, {J}.{P}. and {N}ovello, {N}. and {K}err, {Y}ann and {M}ialon, {A}. and {F}ritz, {N}.{E}.{D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {S}oil {M}oisture and {O}cean {S}alinity ({SMOS}) satellite mission, based on an aperture synthesis {L}-band radiometer was successfully launched in {N}ovember 2009. {I}n the context of a validation campaign for the {SMOS} mission, intensive airborne and in situ observations were performed in southwestern {F}rance for the {SMOS} {CAL}/{VAL}, from {A}pril to {M}ay 2009 and from {A}pril to {J}uly 2010. {T}he {CAROLS} ({C}ooperative {A}irborne {R}adiometer for {O}cean and {L}and {S}tudies) bi-angular (34 degrees-0 degrees) and dual-polarized ({V} and {H}) {L}-band radiometer was designed, built and installed on board the {F}rench {ATR}-42 research aircraft. {D}uring springs of 2009 and 2010, soil moisture observations from the {SMOSMANIA} ({S}oil {M}oisture {O}bserving {S}ystem-{M}eteorological {A}utomatic {N}etwork {I}ntegrated {A}pplication) network of {M}eteo-{F}rance were complemented by airborne observations of the {CAROLS} {L}-band radiometer, following an {A}tlantic-{M}editerranean transect in southwestern {F}rance. {A}dditionally to the 12 stations of the {SMOSMANIA} soil moisture network, in situ measurements were collected in three specific sites within an area representative of a {SMOS} pixel. {M}icrowave radiometer observations, acquired over southwestern {F}rance by the {CAROLS} instrument were analyzed in order to assess their sensitivity to surface soil moisture (w(g)). {A} combination of microwave brightness temperature ({T}-b) at either two polarizations or two contrasting incidence angles was used to retrieve w(g) through regressed empirical logarithmic equations with good results, depending on the chosen configuration. {T}he regressions derived from the {CAROLS} measurements were applied to the {SMOS} {T}-b and their retrieval performance was evaluated. {T}he retrievals of w(g) showed significant correlation (p-value < 0.05) with surface measurements for most of the {SMOSMANIA} stations (8 of 12 stations) and with additional field measurements at two specific sites, also. {R}oot mean square errors varied from 0.03 to 0.09m(3) {M}-3 (0.06 m(3) {M}-3 on average).},
  keywords = {{M}icrowave radiometry ; {SMOS} ; {S}oil moisture ; {A}irborne campaign ; {I}n situ observations},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{R}emote {S}ensing of {E}nvironment},
  volume = {115},
  numero = {10},
  pages = {2718--2728},
  ISSN = {0034-4257},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.rse.2011.06.012},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053771},
}