Connotea
CiteULike
del.ico.us
BibSonomyAbstract
Use of GPS receivers as a soil moisture network for water cycle studies
Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
National Geodetic Survey, NOAA, Boulder, Colorado, USA
COSMIC, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Measurements of soil moisture, both its global distribution and temporal variations, are required to study the water and carbon cycles. A global network of in situ soil moisture stations is needed to supplement datasets from satellite sensors. We demonstrate that signals routinely recorded by Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers for precise positioning applications can also be related to surface soil moisture variations. Over a three month interval, GPS-derived estimates from a 300 m2 area closely match soil moisture fluctuations in the top 5 cm of soil measured with conventional sensors, including the rate and amount of drying following six precipitation events. Thousands of GPS receivers that exist worldwide could be used to estimate soil moisture in near real-time, with L-band signals that complement future satellite missions.
Received 14 September 2008; accepted 20 November 2008; published 24 December 2008.
Citation: (2008), Use of GPS receivers as a soil moisture network for water cycle studies, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L24405, doi:10.1029/2008GL036013.
Cited By