Precision Soil Moisture Mapping Based on Fusion of SAR with Unconventional Data Sources

OmniEarth, an emerging Earth observation and analytics company, proposes the creation of a precision (1-m spatial resolution, 6-cm depth) soil moisture mapping model based on the fusion of information from a number of sources, notably synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multispectral imagery, to greatly enhance the militarys ability to assess, manage and predict soil conditions for tactical decision making. OmniEarth has applied similar techniques in its commercial products, fusing information from multiple satellite and aerial sources with GIS, parcel data, and customer-specific information to create ideal water budgets to the parcel level with 95-99% accuracy. Current state-of-the-art for remote sensing of soil moisture is on a scale of tens to hundreds of meters. NASAs Soil Moisture Mapping Satellite, arguably the newest and most advanced of the remote soil moisture sensors, was only planned to deliver a resolution of 10-km too coarse for most military needs. OmniEarths approach represents a quantum leap in resolution and requires no new hardware. Phase I activities would focus on a proof-of-concept area coincident with current customers, allowing the Government to leverage data sources, like satellite and aerial imagery, that have already been paid for and gives OmniEarth a well-known dataset with substantial ground truthing.