Evaluating new SMAP soil moisture for drought monitoring in the rangelands of the US High Plains

Rangelands
By: , and 

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Abstract

  • Level 3 soil moisture datasets from the recently launched Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite are evaluated for drought monitoring in rangelands.
  • Validation of SMAP soil moisture (SSM) with in situ and modeled estimates showed high level of agreement.
  • SSM showed the highest correlation with surface soil moisture (0-5 cm) and a strong correlation to depths up to 20 cm.
  • SSM showed a reliable and expected response of capturing seasonal dynamics in relation to precipitation, land surface temperature, and evapotranspiration.
  • Further evaluation using multi-year SMAP datasets is necessary to quantify the full benefits and limitations for drought monitoring in rangelands.


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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Evaluating new SMAP soil moisture for drought monitoring in the rangelands of the US High Plains
Series title Rangelands
DOI 10.1016/j.rala.2016.06.002
Volume 38
Issue 4
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Description 8 p.
First page 183
Last page 190
Country United States
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