Comparative Analysis of NDVI and Microwave-Derived Soil Moisture for Determining Surface Water in the Cooper Creek Catchment

Abstract

Arid floodplain ecosystems such as Cooper Creek in Australia are of great national and ecological importance; supporting rural communities as well as significant agriculture, tourism and mining industries. Arid floodplains also contain some of the last remaining untouched wilderness areas. Highly irregular flow regimes create an abundance of naturally varying habitats and environmental conditions, of which contribute to a vast diversity of flora and fauna, resilient and adapted to the harsh conditions yet also extremely vulnerable to diversions from the natural rhythm. The remoteness, scale and variability of these systems make it difficult to conduct routine monitoring and data acquisition...