Soil Moisture in the Climate System

Abstract:

Soil moisture is an intrinsic part of the climate system. While an increase in soil moisture in response to a precipitation event is intuitive, perhaps not so intuitive is the idea that meteorological quantities (e.g., precipitation, air temperature) can in turn respond to variations in soil moisture. Through this feedback, soil moisture indeed helps define climate variability. It provides the potential for added skill in monthly to seasonal weather forecasts and may even have an impact on manifestations of climatic change. In this talk, I will provide an overview of what we know about soil moisture’s role in the climate system. I will also briefly highlight, with examples, the potential for new understanding of the soil moisture-climate connection through the study of extensive soil moisture datasets produced with recent L-band satellite sensors (SMAP, SMOS).