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- Title
An empirical vegetation correction for soil water content quantification using cosmic ray probes.
- Authors
Baatz, R.; Bogena, H. R.; Hendricks Franssen, H.-J.; Huisman, J. A.; Montzka, C.; Vereecken, H.
- Abstract
Cosmic ray probes are an emerging technology to continuously monitor soil water content at a scale significant to land surface processes. However, the application of this method is hampered by its susceptibility to the presence of aboveground biomass. Here we present a simple empirical framework to account for moderation of fast neutrons by aboveground biomass in the calibration. The method extends the N0-calibration function and was developed using an extensive data set from a network of 10 cosmic ray probes located in the Rur catchment, Germany. The results suggest a 0.9% reduction in fast neutron intensity per 1 kg of dry aboveground biomass per m2 or per 2 kg of biomass water equivalent per m2. We successfully tested the novel vegetation correction using temporary cosmic ray probe measurements along a strong gradient in biomass due to deforestation, and using the COSMIC, and the hmf method as independent soil water content retrieval algorithms. The extended N0-calibration function was able to explain 95% of the overall variability in fast neutron intensity.
- Subjects
SOIL moisture; PLANTS; WATER damage; WATER activity of food; COSMIC rays
- Publication
Water Resources Research, 2015, Vol 51, Issue 4, p2030
- ISSN
0043-1397
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/2014WR016443