Design and Validation of GNSS-R Soil Moisture Detection System

Soil moisture detection is essential for efficient water resource utilization, disaster prevention and control, and sustainable ecological development. The soil moisture detection system based on navigation satellite signals utilizes GNSS-R (Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry) remote sensing technology, enabling non-contact soil moisture retrieval with all time, all weather, and all terrain data acquisition capabilities. This paper elaborates on the design and implementation of the GNSS-R soil moisture detection system, and verified system functionality through field experiment. The results demonstrate that the system achieves flexible and mobile coverage over large areas, with the soil moisture detection accuracy better than 0.04 cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup>/cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> and the resolution of 0.1%, while supporting visualized monitoring. By integrating with platforms such as satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the system can provide nationwide coverage with high spatial and temporal resolution for surface soil moisture detection.