Use of GPS receivers as a soil moisture network for water cycle studies

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.

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An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright 2008 American Geophysical Union.
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Author Larson, K.
Small, E.
Gutmann, E.
Bilich, A.
Braun, John J.
Zavorotny, V.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2008-12-24T00:00:00
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Topic Category geoscientificInformation
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Metadata Date 2025-07-17T15:54:44.377048
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:17312
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Larson, K., Small, E., Gutmann, E., Bilich, A., Braun, John J., Zavorotny, V.. (2008). Use of GPS receivers as a soil moisture network for water cycle studies. UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7w66n3r. Accessed 31 July 2025.

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