Project Engineering

Geophysical Research Abstracts

Vol. **, EGU****-*5096, 2010

EGU General Assembly 2010

Author(s) 2010

Quanti cation of uncertainties in global coarse-resolution soil moisture

products using in-situ observations and ASAR

Z. Su (1), R. van der Velde (1), L. Dente (1), L. Wang (1), Z. Vekerdy (1), M. van Helvoirt (1), Y. Ma (2), J. Wen

(3), and P. van Oevelen (4)

(1) Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands,

email: ****@***.**, (2) of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP/CAS), P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, P.R. China, (3) Cold and

Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 260 Donggang West Road

Lanzhou 730000, Gansu P.R.China, (4) International GEWEX Project Of ce, Suite 1550, 8403 Colesville Road, Silver

Spring, MD 20910-6374, USA

We present some recent ndings in quanti cation of the uncertainties in global coarse-resolution soil moisture

products using in-situ observations and high resolution ASAR retrievals. Two permanent regional in-situ soil

moisture and soil temperature observation networks were setup for the purpose of validation and calibration of

satellite soil moisture observations on the Tibetan plateau in Naqu in 2006 and in Maqu in 2008. The in-situ

soil moisture measurements are used to validate soil moisture retrievals from a time series of 150 ASAR Wide

Swath (WS) mode observations. Based on the validated ASAR products from 2005-2008 a method is proposed

for quantifying uncertainties in soil moisture observed at a coarse-resolution and simulated using the MM5-Noah

regional climate model. The major issues to be presented are:

1. Global products are useful but uncertain use of them would be critically enhanced if uncertainties can

be quanti ed;

2. A methodology for upscaling of soil moisture is possible by using in-situ observations and high resolutions

ASAR products;

3. Process level understanding is critical for generation of global products to be useful for climate change studies;

4. Soil moisture can be used as important indicator quantifying the dynamics of water cycle in a changing climate.

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