Development of Agricultural Drought Assessment Approach Using SMAP Soil Moisture Footprints

The Compact Polarimetry alternative for Soil Moisture Estimation using SMAP

In this paper, we investigate the potential of the compact polarimetry mode at longer wavelengths from space for soil moisture estimation using SMAP data. Compact polarimetry consists of transmitting a single polarization while receiving two polarizations. At longer wavelengths, one of the main challenges associated with compact polarimetry from space is Faraday rotation estimation and correcti...

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document SMAP L2 & L3 Radar Soil Moisture (Active) Data Products

Development of the Soil Moisture Index to Quantify Agricultural Drought and Its “User Friendliness” in Severity-Area-Duration Assessment

This paper examines the role of soil moisture in quantifying drought through the development of a drought index using observed and modeled soil moisture. In Nebraska, rainfall is received primarily during the crop-growing season and the supply of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico determines if the impending crop year is either normal or anomalous and any deficit of rain leads to a lack of soil m...

Smos Smap Synergisms for the Retrieval of Soil Moisture

It is clear there is a dire need of both soil moisture measurements and sea surface salinity retrievals as they are key parameters of the Earth system. To access them in a global and reliable fashion it seems that – even if complemented by other measurements, L-band radiometry is currently the best choice. The advantages are linked to an optimal trade off between high sensitivity to soil moistu...

The Soil Moisture Active Passive Experiments (SMAPEx): Towards Soil Moisture Retrieval from the SMAP Mission

21 NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission will carry the first combined spaceborne L-22 band radiometer and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system with the objective of mapping near-23 surface soil moisture and freeze/thaw state globally every 2-3 days. SMAP will provide three soil 24 moisture products; (i) high-resolution from radar (~3km), (ii) low-resolution from radiometer 25 (~3...