The North American Soil Moisture Database

Soil moisture is an important variable in the climate system, yet in situ observations of soil moisture are not prevalent in most regions of the world. The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite recently launched by the European Space Agency and NASA's Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission underscore the need for better in situ soil moisture data for validation and accuracy assessment. The North American Soil Moisture Database is a harmonized and quality-controlled soil moisture dataset that is being developed to support investigations of land-atmosphere interactions, validating the accuracy of soil moisture simulations in global land surface models, and describing how soil moisture influences climate on seasonal to interannual timescales. Currently the database is comprised of well over 1,300 soil moisture observation stations from more than 20 networks in the United States. The data is subjected to rigorous quality control procedures. Upon completion, the database will consist of homogenized and standardized soil moisture data products that will be published on a dedicated website and made available to the scientific community to support research efforts such as EaSM, SMAP and SMOS.