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.
document
https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7w66n3r
eng
geoscientificInformation
Text
publication
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z
publication
2008-12-24T00:00:00Z
An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright 2008 American Geophysical Union.
None
OpenSky Support
UCAR/NCAR - Library
PO Box 3000
Boulder
80307-3000
name: homepage
pointOfContact
OpenSky Support
UCAR/NCAR - Library
PO Box 3000
Boulder
80307-3000
name: homepage
pointOfContact
2025-07-17T15:54:44.377048