The Canadian Experiment (CanEx) will be conducted to support development and validation of soil moisture algorithms and products from two new satellite platforms; the ESA Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP missions. Each mission utilizes a different technology, which are described in a following section. In addition, each mission is at a different point in its implementation. SMOS, which was launched in late 2009, is in its post-launch calibration/validation (cal/val) phase. CanEx will provide aircraft and ground-based validation of the brightness temperature and soil moisture products. SMAP is due for launch in 2014. CanEx will contribute to SMAP’s pre-launch cal/val activities that include algorithm development and validation and establishing post-launch validation infrastructure.

The key resources for CanEx are the existing in situ soil moisture networks, the Canadian aircraft-based L-band radiometer, and the NASA aircraft-based L-Band radar (UAVSAR). These are described in following sections. Complementing the in situ resources will be intensive sampling of a large number of fields concurrent with aircraft and satellite data acquisition.

CanEx evolved from a radiometer only SMOS validation campaign that was planned by several Canadian groups. This was to provide mapping of L-band brightness temperature over large domains (several SMOS pixels) supported by ground-based observations. CSA and NASA agreed to collaborate and modify the campaign to support SMAP needs. This resulted in the UAVSAR being added and the ground sampling and radiometer flights being expanded.

Draft Experiment Plan (April 1, 2010)