Did you know the amount of water retained in soil accounts for about 0.05 percent of the Earth’s freshwater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey?
In the summer 2015 issue of txH2O, the article Satellites, sensors and soil explains how NASA, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University use different monitoring strategies, including satellites and in-ground sensors, to research soil moisture.
To get a better glimpse of soil moisture, NASA launched the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite in January 2015. The SMAP can help enhance weather predictions; improve flood, drought and wildfire forecasting; and enhance crop prediction models, among other things.
To learn more about the data solving soil moisture mysteries, read the full article.