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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #315838
Title: SMAP Validation and Accuracy Assessment of Soil Moisture Products

Author
item Jackson, Thomas
item COLLIANDER, ANDREAS - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item BINDLISH, R. - Science Systems, Inc
item Cosh, Michael
item CHAN, S. - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item ENTEKHABI, DARA - Collaborator
item YUEH, S. - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item DAS, N. - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item KIM, S. - Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2015
Publication Date: 10/20/2015
Citation: Jackson, T.J., Colliander, A., Bindlish, R., Cosh, M.H., Chan, S., Entekhabi, D., Yueh, S., Das, N., Kim, S. 2015. SMAP Validation and Accuracy Assessment of Soil Moisture Products. Meeting Abstract. October 20-23, 2015 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Introduction: The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission was launched in January, 2015 and will begin its calibration and validation (Cal/Val) phase in May, 2015. This will begin with a focus on instrument measurements, brightness temperature and backscatter, and evolve to the geophysical products that include three different spatial resolutions of surface soil moisture (36, 9, and 3 km). The goal is to provide validated products by May, 2016. Methods: SMAP will utilize five methodologies in soil moisture Cal/Val; core validation sites, sparse networks of in situ sensors, inter-comparisons with products from other satellite programs, inter-comparison with model-based products, and field campaigns. Each methodology has a role; however, the core validation sites are of particular value. Core validation sites are designated as those that meet a set of standards that includes replication within the domain at a specific product scale. SMAP has collaborated with its Cal/Val Partners over the past five years to enhance existing efforts around the world that collect and provide in situ soil moisture measurements. Discussion: As noted above, the flow of soil moisture products from SMAP will begin shortly; therefore, it is not possible to demonstrate the approaches or review results just yet. By Fall of 2015 there will be five months of SMAP observations that will include the North America summer where a large number of core validation sites are located. In preparation for SMAP, we had conducted rehearsal campaigns using surrogates for the SMAP data steam with actual in situ data. These surrogates have included brightness temperatures from SMOS, processed to approximate SMAP radiometer observations, and simulated sensor data based on a forward model and global forcing data. This process has been valuable in refining validation tools as well as assessing the quality of the in situ data. It is expected that this effortwill facilitate the actual Cal/Val process. Conclusions: SMAP soil moisture products will become available in the near future. Validation of these products, as well as improving them, is a mission goal. The project has attempted to pull together a comprehensive validation program with a strong in situ core validation site Partner component. Validation will begin right after in-orbit checkout and work towards a set of validated products within the first year.