Estimation of surface sediment moisture content in muddy tidal flats using analytical radiative transfer model

•A modified multilayer radiative transfer model is built for retrieving sediment moisture content of tidal flats.•The model depicts a wet soil as a dry soil covered with a thin film of water.•The model describes soil reflectance properties with four parameters related to characteristics of sediment and water.•The estimated sediment moisture contents coincide with the measured values.•The model provides a new perspective for remote-sensing monitoring of sediment moisture of tidal flats.