A TIME-SERIES ACTIVE LAYER THICKNESS RETRIEVAL ALGORITHM USING P- AND L-BAND SAR OBSERVATIONS

In this paper, an active layer thickness (ALT) retrieval algorithm is presented wherein time-series of P- and L-band radar observations are used simultaneously to retrieve the depth from ground surface to permafrost table. Several model assumptions for two active layer soil conditions (maximum thaw and partially frozen) are made based on observations of in situ soil temperature and soil moisture data. It is expected that P- and L-band radar measurements can provide different aspects of active layer soil structure for retrieving accurate ALT. Monte Carlo numerical simulations are performed to show the potentials of the proposed inversion scheme and its capability of resolving subsurface features in a layered soil structure.