The Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) Mission
Abstract
The Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission will provide global estimates of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state. These measurements are important for terrestrial water and carbon cycle applications. The SMAP observatory includes an L-band radar and an L- band radiometer, sharing a rotating 6-meter antenna. SMAP measurements will yield global estimates of soil moisture in the top 5-cm layer, with a revisit of less than three days, at hydrometeorological (10 km) and hydroclimatological (40 km) spatial scales. Maps of freeze/thaw state in boreal latitudes will be provided at 3 km resolution with a revisit of less than two days. This paper provides an overview of the SMAP mission, science applications, and data products. Mission details and activities can be found at http://smap.jpl.nasa.gov.
- Publication:
-
Earth Observation and Water Cycle Science
- Pub Date:
- November 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009ESASP.674E...2N