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Title: SMAP Algorithms & Cal/Val Workshop

Author
item MOGHADDAM, MAHTA - University Of Michigan
item Jackson, Thomas
item O'NEILL, PEGGY - National Aeronautics And Space Administration (NASA)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/8/2009
Publication Date: 10/1/2009
Citation: Moghaddam, M., Jackson, T.J., O'Neill, P. 2009. SMAP Algorithms & Cal/Val Workshop. The Earth Observer. 21(5):40-43.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission is one of four Decadal Survey missions recommended by the U.S. National Research Council for launch in the early part of the next decade ("Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond," NRC, Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space, National Academies Press, 2007). The SMAP launch is currently targeted for March, 2014. The SMAP mission design consists of an L-band radar at 1.26 GHz and an L-band radiometer at 1.41 GHz sharing a single rotating 6-meter mesh reflector antenna. Once on orbit, these instruments will provide high-resolution and high-accuracy global maps of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state every two to three days. The soil moisture and freeze/thaw information provided by SMAP at high resolution will enable improvements to a wide variety of applications, including weather and climate forecasts, flood prediction and drought monitoring, and estimation of net CO2 uptake in forested regions. The SMAP mission is currently in formulation, and SMAP project science activities are focusing on the refinement of sensor and geophysical product algorithms and creation of a calibration/validation (Cal/Val) plan. These activities, including the selection of baseline algorithms and the development of ground-based infrastructure for core validation sites, are greatly strengthened by the involvement and review of the broader science community. In order to engage the science community on issues relevant to SMAP science activities, the first SMAP Algorithms & Cal/Val Workshop took place on June 9-11, 2009, in Oxnard, California. The workshop was open to the science community and attracted approximately 80 attendees, including international participants from Europe, Asia, and Australia. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions during the workshop that include guidance on the next steps in these elements of the SMAP mission.