On the synergy of SMOS and Terra/Aqua MODIS: High resolution soil moisture maps in near real-time

Abstract

An innovative downscaling approach to obtain fine-scale soil moisture estimates from 40 km SMOS observations has been developed. It optimally blends SMOS multi-angular and full-polarimetric information with MODIS visible/data into high resolution soil moisture maps. The core of the algorithm is a model that linksmicrowave/optical sensitivity to soilmoisture and linearly relates the two instruments across spatial scales. This algorithm has been implemented at SMOS-BEC facilities and near real-time maps of disaggregated soil moisture over the Iberian Peninsula are being distributed. In this work, the temporal and spatial variability of these maps is evaluated through comparison with ground-basedmesurements acquired at the REMEDHUS soil moisture network, in the central part of the Duero basin, Spain. Results from a two-year time-series comparison show that downscaled soil moisture maps compare well with in situ data and nicely reproduce soil moisture dynamics at a 1 km spatial scale