Soil Moisture Estimation Using Multitemporal Remote Sensing Data in Tabunio Watershed

Abstract

Soil moisture, vegetation cover, and land surface temperature influence water energy balance, eco-hydrological processes, and water resources management. This research focused on the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture, vegetation cover, land surface temperature, and Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) in Tabunio watershed. In this research, soil moisture and vegetation cover data were recorded and statistically evaluated from 2005 until 2020 using remote sensing data. Soil moisture, vegetation cover, and land surface temperature were significantly different over the research period. Increased vegetation cover had an inverse influence on land surface temperature and TVDI while directly affecting soil moisture. TVDI averages were 0 - 0.83. Decreased soil dryness in the period 2022 can increase water availability by controlling water resources. Proper watershed management can improve soil moisture and water availability. Vegetation cover protection and biological activities can be used to restore the watersheds. The approach combination of LST and NDVI to calculate TVDI is able to estimate the soil moisture as its estimation is extremely important for the evaluation of the overall ecological setting as well as the monitoring of the moisture content of wetland environments