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Title: SMOS Soil Moisture Validation with U.S. Networks

Author
item Jackson, Thomas
item Cosh, Michael
item BINDLISH, R - Science Systems, Inc

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2010
Publication Date: 11/29/2010
Citation: Jackson, T.J., Cosh, M.H., Bindlish, R. 2010. SMOS soil moisture validation with U.S. networks [abstract]. SMOS Validation and Retrieval Team Workshop. 2010 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: For microwave remote sensing from space we must consider the one to forty km scale, which presents challenges. Soil moisture product validation for SMOS, as well as similar passive microwave satellite instruments, is a challenging. The disparity in spatial scale between conventional measurements of soil moisture, made at a point, and those provided by satellite sensors, an integrated area/volume value, is difficult to resolve. We are examining a range of in situ resources that should provide a contribution to global validation of SMOS soil moisture products. In this stage of our studies we are focusing on the use of a set of dense in situ soil moisture observing networks distributed across the US as the primary resource to validate SMOS soil moisture, each of which approximate the size of a SMOS footprint. These sites have been calibrated and verified through field campaigns and applied to validating other satellite products. Although these dense sites provide diverse conditions, we are also enhancing our analysis by using data from a sparse Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) distributed throughout the US. In this study, data from almost one-year of SMOS observations are compared to the in situ resources.