Genetic algorithms for the identification of soil water content profiles from time-domain reflectometry traces

We developed a unidimensional microwave propagation model in a stratified m edium. It calculates, from a given soil water content profile, the reflecte d signal trace one would measure by timedomain reflectometry along a transm ission line inserted in the soil. We identify the soil water content profil e corresponding to a measured reflected signal trace using an identificatio n technique based on optimisation of the model parameters by a genetic algo rithm. ((C) Academie des sciences/Elsevier, Paris.).