Soil Moisture Dynamics & Trend*

Analyzes long-term changes in soil moisture, revealing critical trends for climate change adaptation and water management.

availability

On Demand

Now

indicator tier

Diamond

unit

m³/m³ / year

spatial resolution

100m

measurement frequency

Every 5 days Annual

measurement level

Plot

historic data availability

2018 - 2025

Forescast data availability

N/A

applicable crop types

All

applicable land type

Grassland

Conservation

Cropland

Forestry

compliance frameworks

CSRD (ESRS E4), Nature Positive Initiative (NPI), SBTN, TNFD

description

Analyzes the daily dynamics and historic change in soil moisture levels to reveal whether a soil is experiencing a trend towards wetter or drier conditions. This is a critical indicator for assessing the local impacts of climate change on water resources and agricultural productivity. Understanding soil moisture trends is essential for long-term strategic planning, from guiding investments in water infrastructure to adapting agricultural systems to be more resilient to future droughts.

methodology

Soil moisture satellite data is contributed by our partner Lobelia. It consists of a statistical downscaling of passive microwave satellite data (SMAP) using high resolution thermal and optical data (Landsat). Possible historical trends over the past 5 years are estimated from the satellite derived soil moisture time-series using time-series statistics (seasonal decomposition and trend estimation).

validation

The soil moisture data processor has been extensively validated against ground measurements and the results are published in scientific, peer-reviewed literature (Escorihuela et al., 2018, 2021, 2022). The satellite data underlying our monitoring undergo intensive quality control through the satellite data processing agencies (NASA, ESA). The calculation of short-term historic trend estimation is quality controlled for fit and plausibility.