Original ResearchEvaluating New SMAP Soil Moisture for Drought Monitoring in the Rangelands of the US High Plains

On the Ground
- Level 3 soil moisture datasets from the recently launched Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite are evaluated for drought monitoring in rangelands.
- Validation of SMAP soil moisture (SSM) with in situ and modeled estimates showed high level of agreement.
- SSM showed the highest correlation with surface soil moisture (0-5 cm) and a strong correlation to depths up to 20 cm.
- SSM showed a reliable and expected response of capturing seasonal dynamics in relation to precipitation, land surface temperature, and evapotranspiration.
- Further evaluation using multi-year SMAP datasets is necessary to quantify the full benefits and limitations for drought monitoring in rangelands.