Water residing on plants alters the L-band brightness of senescing corn

We analyzed the horizontally– and vertically–polarized L– band brightness of fields of senescing corn (maize) collected by the Passive and Active L–band System (PALS) over the Iowa Validation Site in September, 2008. A model for senescent corn more closely matched observations than a model for growing corn. When water residing on the vegetation in the form of intercepted precipitation was present the h–pol and v– pol brightness temperature increased. When dew was present the h–pol and v–pol brightness temperature decreased. These observations are consistent with a previously presented conceptual model despite the fact that this model was constructed from observations of growing corn.