SMAP Begins to ScienceNASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite has begun the scien

SMAP Begins to ScienceNASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite has begun the science phase of its mission. SMAP was launched on January 31 (check out this stunning short video of SMAP separating from the launch vehicle http://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js1cAXzAZ) on at least a 3-year mission to collect global soil moisture data and information on soil freeze/thaw cycles (see previous posts http://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js1bpLW8O and http://tmblr.co/Zyv2Js1cBRS-u). The purpose of this data is to help scientists better understand the water, carbon, and energy cycles; advance climate change models; and improve predictions on droughts, floods, and even on landslides caused by over-saturated soil. The data will also help with weather forecasts since soil moisture affects humidity.After a 3 month commissioning phase of getting acclimated to space and testing instruments, SMAP is ready to start producing high-resolution maps like this one. This map was created from data obtained between May 4 and 11 by the satellite’s radar and radiometer instruments. The map resolution is 9 kilometers (5.6 miles). It was produced near the end of the commissioning phase so the gaps in the data are from turning the instruments on and off during testing.The orange on the map clearly shows the effect ongoing droughts have had on soil moisture in places like Australia, California, and Texas. While it’s obvious that soils will be dry in a drought, keep in mind that this data was successfully acquired from orbit. Satellite data must be compared to ground measurements to cal/val (calibrate and validate) the data and make sure the instruments remain accurate throughout the mission. From May 2 to 22, a team of 40 scientists collected soil moisture data in Australia in order to cal/val SMAP measurements. In Texas, a network of sensors covering 1,300 square kilometers (500-square-miles) has been set up to monitor soil moisture and to cal/val. SMAP measurements will also be compared to data collected by other established sources such as other satellites and aircraft-mounted instruments. Cal/val may go on for as long as 15 months.Preliminary data will be released in August with additional data releases later in the year, and validated measurements for scientists will be released in 2016.- REPhoto Credit: NASA/JPLhttp://1.usa.gov/1SorcUn -- source link

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