Continental to global estimation of soil moisture using SMOS, SMAP and GRACE satellite data assimilation

LIST WATER LECTURES Seminar Series

As part of the LIST WATER LECTURES Seminar Series organised  for the Winter/Spring Session 2017, the next event will take place on 13 July 2017 at LIST premises in Belvaux (LU) in room F0.11-B.

Prof. dr. ir. Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy from KU Leuven (Belgium) will be the invited speaker and will make an oral presentation entitled "Continental to global estimation of soil moisture using SMOS, SMAP and GRACE satellite data assimilation".

Soil moisture is an important variable in the land surface system. Satellite observations provide estimates of soil moisture, but with many limitations. Land surface models provide frequent estimates of soil moisture across the entire soil profile, but these model estimates are inherently prone to errors. This seminar will explain how data assimilation adds value to satellite-based observations from SMOS, SMAP and GRACE. For example, the assimilation of surface observations from SMOS or SMAP enables the estimation of root-zone soil moisture; the assimilation of coarse-scale integrated water storage from GRACE allows updates to the groundwater level. The presentation will pay attention to both experimental and operational assimilation systems.

The FNR-funded LIST Water Lectures series was launched in January and covers various aspects of water resources research towards a sustainable river basin management. More info online.