Search results for "soil"
showing 10 items of 3493 documents
Integrating Domain Knowledge in Data-Driven Earth Observation With Process Convolutions
2022
The modelling of Earth observation data is a challenging problem, typically approached by either purely mechanistic or purely data-driven methods. Mechanistic models encode the domain knowledge and physical rules governing the system. Such models, however, need the correct specification of all interactions between variables in the problem and the appropriate parameterization is a challenge in itself. On the other hand, machine learning approaches are flexible data-driven tools, able to approximate arbitrarily complex functions, but lack interpretability and struggle when data is scarce or in extrapolation regimes. In this paper, we argue that hybrid learning schemes that combine both approa…
Randomized kernels for large scale Earth observation applications
2020
Abstract Current remote sensing applications of bio-geophysical parameter estimation and image classification have to deal with an unprecedented big amount of heterogeneous and complex data sources. New satellite sensors involving a high number of improved time, space and wavelength resolutions give rise to challenging computational problems. Standard physical inversion techniques cannot cope efficiently with this new scenario. Dealing with land cover classification of the new image sources has also turned to be a complex problem requiring large amount of memory and processing time. In order to cope with these problems, statistical learning has greatly helped in the last years to develop st…
Estimating crop primary productivity with Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 using machine learning methods trained with radiative transfer simulations
2019
Abstract Satellite remote sensing has been widely used in the last decades for agricultural applications, both for assessing vegetation condition and for subsequent yield prediction. Existing remote sensing-based methods to estimate gross primary productivity (GPP), which is an important variable to indicate crop photosynthetic function and stress, typically rely on empirical or semi-empirical approaches, which tend to over-simplify photosynthetic mechanisms. In this work, we take advantage of all parallel developments in mechanistic photosynthesis modeling and satellite data availability for an advanced monitoring of crop productivity. In particular, we combine process-based modeling with …
Use of functional genes to quantify denitrifiers in the environment.
2006
During the last decade, application of molecular methods using cultivation-independent approaches has provided new insights into the composition and structure of denitrifying communities in various environments. However, little is known about their abundance, and quantification is still performed using cultivation-based approaches, which are not only biased by the inability to cultivate of many micro-organisms but also fastidious and time-consuming. Two types of cultivation-independent approaches have recently been developed to quantify denitrifiers. The first type, which is based on the hybridization technique, comprises the use of Southern hybridization and DNA arrays. The second type, ba…
Assisted phytostabilization of soil from a former military area with mineral amendments.
2019
Abstract Due to the presence of toxic pollutants, soils in former military areas need remedial actions with environmentally friendly methods. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the aided phytostabilization of multi-heavy metals (HMs), i.e. Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, in post-military soil by Festuca rubra and three mineral amendments (diatomite, dolomite and halloysite). The amendments were applied at 0 and 3.0% to each pot filled with 5 kg of polluted soil. After seven weeks of the phytostabilization, selected soil properties, biomass yield of F. rubra and immobilization of HMs by their accumulation in plant and redistribution among individual fractions in soil were determine…
Soil Moisture Effect on Thermal Infrared (8–13-μm) Emissivity
2010
Thermal infrared (TIR) emissivities of soils with different textures were measured for several soil moisture (SM) contents under controlled conditions using the Box method and a high-precision multichannel TIR radiometer. The results showed a common increase of emissivity with SM at water contents lower than the field capacity. However, this dependence is negligible for higher water contents. The highest emissivity variations were observed in sandy soils, particularly in the 8-9-μm range due to water adhering to soil grains and decreasing the reflectance in the 8-9-μm quartz doublet region. Thus, in order to model the emissivity dependence on soil water content, different approaches were st…
Analitical deriving of the field capacity through soil bundle model
2015
The concept of field capacity as soil hydraulic parameter is widely used in many hydrological applications. Althought its recurring usage, its definition is not univocal. Traditionally, field capacity has been related to the amount of water that remains in the soil after the excess water has drained away and the water downward movement experiences a significant decresase. Quantifying the drainage of excess of water may be vague and several definitions, often subjective, have been proposed. These definitions are based on fixed thresholds either of time, pressure, or flux to which the field capacity condition is associated. The fluxbased definition identifies the field capacity as the soil m…
Using microtomography, image analysis and flow simulations to characterize soil surface seals
2012
Raindrops that impact on soil surface affect the pore structure and form compact soil surface seals. Damaged pore structure reduces water infiltration which can lead to increased soil erosion. We introduce here methods to characterize the properties of surface seals in a detailed manner. These methods include rainfall simulations, x-ray microtomography, image analysis and pore-scale flow simulations. Methods were tested using clay soil samples, and the results indicate that the sealing process changes several properties of the pore structure.
A spectrophotometric flow procedure for the determination of cationic surfactants in natural waters using a solenoid micro-pump for fluid propulsion
2006
An automatic flow-analysis procedure for spectrophotometric determination of cationic surfactants in surface water using a solenoid micro-pump for propelling solutions of reagents and sample is des...
Flow Resistance in Step-Pool Rills
2017
Rills evolve morphologically, and the adjustment of rill channel geometry to flow affects the relationships among velocity, discharge, and slope. The resistance to flow in step-pool rills is mainly due to form-induced mechanisms and, in comparison, grain resistance is of minor significance. Previous studies on rill flow resistance have been performed exclusively for grainresistance conditions and use a stream flow equation. In this study, a new flow resistance equation, deduced by applying dimensional analysis and self-similarity theory, was applied to rill flow in step-pool channels. First, the incomplete self-similarity hypothesis was used for establishing a power flow velocity profile wh…