This preview is part of the requirement for a comprehensive analysis of remotely sensed surface soil moisture and groundwater assessment and monitoring for global environmental and climate change presented by Christina Geller, candidate for the degree of MSc in Geographic Information Science for Development, and Environment and Jenkins Macedo, candidate for the MS in Environmental Science and Policy at the Department of International Development, Community, and Environmental at Clark University.

1. Surface and Ground Water
Resources Monitoring
Christina Geller
Jenkins Macedo
Remote Sensing for Global Environmental Change
October 28, 2013

2. WHY MONITOR SURFACE &
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
1. To assess above and below ground water resources pertinent to Earth’s
climate system.
1. Key to understanding the hydrological cycles.
1. To understand the implications of soil water storage on water and energy
fluxes at land surfaces and atmosphere.
1. For estimating surface and groundwater availability and retrievals.

3. Surface Soil Moisture
Approaches:
1. remote sensing observations
a. Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSRE) on the Aqua satellite
b. ERS Advanced Microwave Instrument scatterometer
c. European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite (SMOS)
2. land surface models
3. in situ field measurements
Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) models:
●
combine land surface and atmosphere processes modeling using both water and
energy balances
●
utilizes Common Land Model

4. Soil Water Storage Monitoring, Estimation,
and Retrievals
Approaches:
1. groundwater storage monitoring (Syed et al., 2008)
a. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)-Terrestrial Water Storage Changes
(TWSC)
b. Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS)
1. soil moisture estimation & groundwater variations (Swenson et al., 2008)
a. in situ soil moisture observations
b. DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (DOE ARM)
1. global soil moisture retrievals (Reichle et al., 2007)
a. NASA Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM)
b. Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) on the
Aqua satellite
c. Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR).

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtSxeHEl8CI

6. Selected Publications
Choi, M., Jacobs, J.M., and Bosch, D.D. (2008). Remote Sensing Observatory Validation of Surface Soil Moisture using
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer E, Common Land Model, and Ground-based Data: Case Study in SMEX03 Little
River Region, Georgia, U.S. Water Resources Research, Vol. 44, pg. 1-14.
de Jeu, A.M., Wagner, W., Holmes, T.R.H., Dolman, A.J., van de Giesen, N.C., and Friesen, J. (2008). Global Soil Moisture
Patterns Observed by Space Borne Microwaves Radiometers and Scatterometers. Survey Geophysics, Vol. 29, pg. 399-420.
Reichle, R.H., Koster, R.D., Lui, P., Mahanama, S.P.P., Njoku, E.G., and Owe, M., (2007). Comparison and Assimilation of
Global Soil Moisture Retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E)
and the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR). Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 112, pg. 1-14.
Swenson, S., Famiglietti, J., Basara, J., and Wahr, J. (2008). Estimating Profile Soil Moisture and Groundwater Variations
using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Oklahoma Mesonet Soil Moisture Data. Water Resource
Research, Vol. 44, pg. 1-12.
Syed, T.H., Famiglietti, J.S., Rodell, M., Chen, J., and Wilson, C.R. (2008). Analysis of Terrestrial Water Storage Changes
from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). Water
Resources Research, Vol. 44, pg. 1-15.