Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites
In the framework of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, a global, almost daily, soil moisture (SM) product is being developed from passive and active satellite microwave sensors, at a coarse spatial resolution. This study contributes to its validation by using finer spatial resoluti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2014-08-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/9/8190 |
| _version_ | 1798024468676739072 |
|---|---|
| author | Chiara Pratola Brian Barrett Alexander Gruber Gerard Kiely Edward Dwyer |
| author_facet | Chiara Pratola Brian Barrett Alexander Gruber Gerard Kiely Edward Dwyer |
| author_sort | Chiara Pratola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the framework of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, a global, almost daily, soil moisture (SM) product is being developed from passive and active satellite microwave sensors, at a coarse spatial resolution. This study contributes to its validation by using finer spatial resolution ASAR Wide Swath and in situ soil moisture data taken over three sites in Ireland, from 2007 to 2009. This is the first time a comparison has been carried out between three sets of independent observations from different sensors at very different spatial resolutions for such a long time series. Furthermore, the SM spatial distribution has been investigated at the ASAR scale within each Essential Climate Variable (ECV) pixel, without adopting any particular model or using a densely distributed network of in situ stations. This approach facilitated an understanding of the extent to which geophysical factors, such as soil texture, terrain composition and altitude, affect the retrieved ECV SM product values in temperate grasslands. Temporal and spatial variability analysis provided high levels of correlation (p < 0.025) and low errors between the three datasets, leading to confidence in the new ECV SM global product, despite limitations in its ability to track the driest and wettest conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:02:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c79b83e09a44c0c896998b68939fa39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:02:57Z |
| publishDate | 2014-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c79b83e09a44c0c896998b68939fa392022-12-22T04:10:25ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922014-08-01698190821910.3390/rs6098190rs6098190Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish SitesChiara Pratola0Brian Barrett1Alexander Gruber2Gerard Kiely3Edward Dwyer4Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cobh, Co. Cork, IrelandSchool of Geography & Archaeology, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandDepartment of Geodesy and Geoinformation, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, AustriaEnvironmental Research Institute, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandCoastal and Marine Research Centre, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Naval Base, Haulbowline, Cobh, Co. Cork, IrelandIn the framework of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, a global, almost daily, soil moisture (SM) product is being developed from passive and active satellite microwave sensors, at a coarse spatial resolution. This study contributes to its validation by using finer spatial resolution ASAR Wide Swath and in situ soil moisture data taken over three sites in Ireland, from 2007 to 2009. This is the first time a comparison has been carried out between three sets of independent observations from different sensors at very different spatial resolutions for such a long time series. Furthermore, the SM spatial distribution has been investigated at the ASAR scale within each Essential Climate Variable (ECV) pixel, without adopting any particular model or using a densely distributed network of in situ stations. This approach facilitated an understanding of the extent to which geophysical factors, such as soil texture, terrain composition and altitude, affect the retrieved ECV SM product values in temperate grasslands. Temporal and spatial variability analysis provided high levels of correlation (p < 0.025) and low errors between the three datasets, leading to confidence in the new ECV SM global product, despite limitations in its ability to track the driest and wettest conditions.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/9/8190ESA Climate Change InitiativeEssential Climate Variablesoil moistureENVISAT ASAR WStemporal variabilityspatial variability |
| spellingShingle | Chiara Pratola Brian Barrett Alexander Gruber Gerard Kiely Edward Dwyer Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites Remote Sensing ESA Climate Change Initiative Essential Climate Variable soil moisture ENVISAT ASAR WS temporal variability spatial variability |
| title | Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites |
| title_full | Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites |
| title_short | Evaluation of a Global Soil Moisture Product from Finer Spatial Resolution SAR Data and Ground Measurements at Irish Sites |
| title_sort | evaluation of a global soil moisture product from finer spatial resolution sar data and ground measurements at irish sites |
| topic | ESA Climate Change Initiative Essential Climate Variable soil moisture ENVISAT ASAR WS temporal variability spatial variability |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/9/8190 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chiarapratola evaluationofaglobalsoilmoistureproductfromfinerspatialresolutionsardataandgroundmeasurementsatirishsites AT brianbarrett evaluationofaglobalsoilmoistureproductfromfinerspatialresolutionsardataandgroundmeasurementsatirishsites AT alexandergruber evaluationofaglobalsoilmoistureproductfromfinerspatialresolutionsardataandgroundmeasurementsatirishsites AT gerardkiely evaluationofaglobalsoilmoistureproductfromfinerspatialresolutionsardataandgroundmeasurementsatirishsites AT edwarddwyer evaluationofaglobalsoilmoistureproductfromfinerspatialresolutionsardataandgroundmeasurementsatirishsites |