Collaborative Research :  A joint collaborative soil moisture field experiment in Puerto Rico

Posted on June 22, 2016

Collaborative Research between CREST-UPRM

A joint collaborative soil moisture field experiment carried out during February 2016 at Western part of Puerto Rico in collaboration with CREST – UPRM - GRL/ERDC/USACE faculty/scientists and students as a part of JPSS funding received by CREST scientists.The participants were Dr. Tarendra Lakhankar (CREST), Prof. Jonathan Munoz and Rebecca Tirado-Corbalá (UPRM), and Clint Smith and AndMorgan Fisher (GRL/ERDC/USACE). During the field experiment microwave brightness temperature and soil moisture were observed for different irrigation pattern and vegetation conditions including: bare soil, short grass, tall grass, beans field, banana and avocado field.

Two students Jonathan Nuñez (Graduate) and Karla M. Negron (Under Graduate) are being trained on using radiometer and soil moisture measurements and data processing and modeling. In collaborative activity, parallel soil moisture observations are being conducted with GRL/ERDC/USACE using Cosmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS). It is planned to permanently establish a COSMOS unit by GRL/ERDC at the Isabela Agricultural Station of UPRM, Puerto Rico. The variation in scales between the observing systems (in-situ soil moisture, L-band Observations and COSMOS) represent a unique opportunity for the validation of satellite (G-COM) soil moisture. Currently, we are in the process to generate a high resolution soil moisture map of western Puerto Rico.