1. Activities of the International Soil Moisture Working Group Peter J. van Oevelen International GEWEX Project Office GEWEX@GEWEX.ORG 1

2. Framework International Soil Moisture Working Group International Soil Moisture Working Group GEWEX GEWEX – CEOP Hydrological Applications Project Hydrological Applications Project – GRP LandFlux LandFlux Space Agencies Space Agencies – ESA – NASA – JAXA 2

3. Rationale for in-situ network There is no current global network There is no current global network Soil Moisture is regarded as (emerging) key variable by GCOS and considered to be important in land surface feed backs Soil Moisture is regarded as (emerging) key variable by GCOS and considered to be important in land surface feed backs Temporal change is as or even more important than spatial representation Temporal change is as or even more important than spatial representation Modelling implementation and Data Assimilation Modelling implementation and Data Assimilation Earth Observation Validation/calibration Earth Observation Validation/calibration EO does not give profile information (exception multi-band SAR) EO does not give profile information (exception multi-band SAR) Increased Process Understanding Increased Process Understanding Needed for Hydrological Applications Needed for Hydrological Applications

4. International Soil Moisture Working Group 2005: Started under the IGOS-P IGWCO (Integrated Global Observing Strategy – Partnership /Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations theme) 2005: Started under the IGOS-P IGWCO (Integrated Global Observing Strategy – Partnership /Integrated Global Water Cycle Observations theme) March 2006: First Workshop/Meeting, The Netherlands March 2006: First Workshop/Meeting, The Netherlands November 2007: Second Workshop/Meeting, China November 2007: Second Workshop/Meeting, China 4

5. Original ISMWG Objectives To support international cooperation in research and applications in support of soil moisture satellite missions; To support international cooperation in research and applications in support of soil moisture satellite missions; To support the development of an in-situ global soil moisture network; To support the development of an in-situ global soil moisture network; To protect satellite missions dealing with soil moisture observations. To protect satellite missions dealing with soil moisture observations. 5

6. Participation and Needs Global participation: identify key people and organizations worldwide; Global participation: identify key people and organizations worldwide; Leadership from established programs (in-situ and satellite); Leadership from established programs (in-situ and satellite); Definition of achievable goals (in-situ networks, satellite products); Definition of achievable goals (in-situ networks, satellite products); Identify resources to enhance in-situ expansion and contributions to satellite/model validation. Identify resources to enhance in-situ expansion and contributions to satellite/model validation. 6

7. ISMWG Commitments Commits to a global network of in-situ soil moisture measurements Commits to a global network of in-situ soil moisture measurements – Lead international agency: GEWEX – Workshops (Bring together key people, establish goals, current activities, standards) Noordwijk, ESTEC March 2006: Done Noordwijk, ESTEC March 2006: Done Beijing, IAP, November 2007: Done Beijing, IAP, November 2007: Done – Resources for enhancing unrepresented regions: Key area unresolved Key area unresolved – Data archival and distribution: Current Lead: Portuguese Institute of Meteorology Current Lead: Portuguese Institute of Meteorology 7

8. ISMWG Commitments II Commits to developing a quasi-operational soil moisture data product Commits to developing a quasi-operational soil moisture data product – Quality and relevance of current products: tbd – International support for planned dedicated missions may require commitment by missions to provide a timely product: GEO 8

9. Second ISMWG Workshop Held on November 14 and 15, 2007 at LASG, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Held on November 14 and 15, 2007 at LASG, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 22 Registered Participants and 15 Students and Post-Docs 22 Registered Participants and 15 Students and Post-Docs ~20 Presentations ~20 Presentations 9

10. Why this workshop in 2007? Build upon First Workshop and increase coordination Build upon First Workshop and increase coordination Review individual activities Review individual activities Identify best practices Identify best practices Set goals for observing system integration Set goals for observing system integration Role of in-situ in satellite product validation-specific design standards Role of in-situ in satellite product validation-specific design standards How do we affect changes to existing protocols, expand (especially developing regions of the world), affiliate with a group with $$? How do we affect changes to existing protocols, expand (especially developing regions of the world), affiliate with a group with $$? Identify the next steps Identify the next steps Report….GEWEX News? Report….GEWEX News? Initiate Set-up of the Data Hosting Center Initiate Set-up of the Data Hosting Center 10

11. In-Situ Measurement Protocol Uniformity Uniformity Representative Representative Consistency Consistency (Cross-)Calibration/Validation (Cross-)Calibration/Validation – Site specific calibration: absolutely – Temperature: pref. At each depth and for each sensor – Soil Texture & Bulkdensity: needed Relationship with gravimetric soil moisture is standard Relationship with gravimetric soil moisture is standard Careful automation Careful automation Quality Assurance Quality Assurance Uniformity Uniformity Representative Representative Consistency Consistency (Cross-)Calibration/Validation (Cross-)Calibration/Validation – Site specific calibration: absolutely – Temperature: pref. At each depth and for each sensor – Soil Texture & Bulkdensity: needed Relationship with gravimetric soil moisture is standard Relationship with gravimetric soil moisture is standard Careful automation Careful automation Quality Assurance Quality Assurance 11

12. In-Situ Measurement Protocol (2) Density/depth/number of sensors Density/depth/number of sensors – 5, 20 and 50 cm below surface Units of representation Units of representation – Volumetric or fractional between 0 and 1 Soil Moisture Definition Soil Moisture Definition Soil texture description & soil hydraulic properties Soil texture description & soil hydraulic properties – Which metadata? 12

13. Network Design Density Density Continuity Continuity Data delivery/in-take, distribution & archiving (see next) Data delivery/in-take, distribution & archiving (see next) Metadata (see next) Metadata (see next) Capacity Building Capacity Building – Training – Involvement LDC's Linking Existing Networks (see next) Linking Existing Networks (see next) 13

14. Data Hosting Data delivery/in-take, distribution & archiving Data delivery/in-take, distribution & archiving Metadata Metadata Linking Existing Networks Linking Existing Networks ESA to support data hosting activity within framework of SMOS Cal/Val activities ESA to support data hosting activity within framework of SMOS Cal/Val activities 14

15. ISMWG Meeting 2007 As with the first meeting Spirit was very cooperative! As with the first meeting Spirit was very cooperative! Openness and willingness to different views and opinions Openness and willingness to different views and opinions Deemed very useful and worth keeping the momentum Deemed very useful and worth keeping the momentum 15

16. Topics for Consideration How to stimulate contribution of data to data hosting center? How to stimulate contribution of data to data hosting center? – Rationale, all the reasons there are to not sit on your data but share… How and who will get access to what? How and who will get access to what? A team is needed to start looking at instruments (intercomparison etc.) A team is needed to start looking at instruments (intercomparison etc.) Support for data hosting continuation (SMOS and beyond) Support for data hosting continuation (SMOS and beyond) What else do we NEED to do? What else do we NEED to do? 16

17. Past Critical Issues Data from outside of North-America and Europe Data from outside of North-America and Europe Loss of momentum with delay of SMOS launch Loss of momentum with delay of SMOS launch Separation of communities (both US vs Europe as well as agricultural vs hydrological) Separation of communities (both US vs Europe as well as agricultural vs hydrological) Links to GEO and GEOSS (currently one of the water subtasks) Links to GEO and GEOSS (currently one of the water subtasks) 17

18. ISMWG Future The Proposed New Structure and Embedding within GEWEX The Proposed New Structure and Embedding within GEWEX The embedding of the ISMWG in the GEWEX Radiation Panel (GRP) requires a few changes in the so far loose structure. Proposed is a three tier system which is guided by a board consisting of the (co-)chairs of each of the tiers plus ex-officio members. The embedding of the ISMWG in the GEWEX Radiation Panel (GRP) requires a few changes in the so far loose structure. Proposed is a three tier system which is guided by a board consisting of the (co-)chairs of each of the tiers plus ex-officio members. Consistent with other GRP activities Consistent with other GRP activities 18

19. Tier 1: Validation: Development of Global In-Situ Soil Moisture network and data sets to support validation of satellite soil moisture retrieval and assimilation Development of Global In-Situ Soil Moisture network and data sets to support validation of satellite soil moisture retrieval and assimilation – Data Hosting, Measurement Protocols Validation of Satellite Soil Moisture Products and Soil Moisture Intercomparison Projects Validation of Satellite Soil Moisture Products and Soil Moisture Intercomparison Projects – Links all three tiers 19

20. Tier 2: Assimilation The assimilation of soil moisture and satellite data (both active and passive ) into numerical weather prediction and hydrological modeling for both forecasting as well as process studies. The assimilation of soil moisture and satellite data (both active and passive ) into numerical weather prediction and hydrological modeling for both forecasting as well as process studies. – Important to show usefulness – Expand to yield forecasting 20

21. Tier 3: Product fusion and merging Development of long term consistent global soil moisture products (and their derivatives) Development of long term consistent global soil moisture products (and their derivatives) – Combining various sources of data (PM, AM, In- Situ) – Climate/Trend research robust 21

22. Key Activities 2009 ISMWG Custodian Soil Moisture Network in GTN-H ISMWG Custodian Soil Moisture Network in GTN-H Workshops: Next (3 rd )Workshop, Lisboa, Portugal (March 10, 11 2009) Workshops: Next (3 rd )Workshop, Lisboa, Portugal (March 10, 11 2009) Website: http://gewex.org/ismwg_3rdmeeting.html Website: http://gewex.org/ismwg_3rdmeeting.htmlhttp://gewex.org/ismwg_3rdmeeting.html Data Hosting Center kick-off Data Hosting Center kick-off Link/interact/alignment with other relevant activities such as by NOAA Link/interact/alignment with other relevant activities such as by NOAA 22

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