A Method of Calculating Surface Moisture from GMS and AHHRR

The change of soil surface temperature with time from GMS infrared channels is the most sensitive to soil moisture and has negative correlation with vegetation index from polar orbiting satellite, so that a Drought Condition Index (DCI) with six classifications to estimate surface moisture is put up. The correlation coefficients between DCI and the observed soil moisture or precipitation classification in Jiangsu and Jilin Provinces are more than 0.7.