Soil moisture is the water that is held in the spaces between soil particles, generally in the upper 10 cm of soil. Although soil moisture is just a fraction of the total water mass in the water cycle, this small amount of water plays a critical role in evaporation and plant transpiration processes in the Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Geosphere. It is a key variable in controlling the transfer of water and heat energy between these systems.
The radar measurements made by NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory are sensitive to whether land surfaces are frozen or thawed. Students analyze two maps of SMAP data to make inferences about changes to the Arctic's Geosphere showing spring thaw.
Visualize NASA's daily and monthly soil moisture data on a custom map or graph using our Earth System Data Explorer. Generate your own maps and graphs using a range of datasets supporting this phenomenon.
In this mini-lesson, students analyze soil moisture quantities associated with Hurricane Harvey around Houston, Texas on August 25, 2017.
This mini-lesson guides students' observations of soil moisture anomalies (how much the moisture content was above or below the norm) for the continental US in May 2018.
Scientific data are often represented by assigning ranges of numbers to specific colors. The colors are then used to make false color images which allow us to see patterns more easily.
Information from satellites if often used to display information about objects. This information can include how things appear, as well as their contents. Explore how pixel data sequences can be used to create an image and interpret it.
The radar measurements made by NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory are sensitive to whether land surfaces are frozen or thawed. Students analyze two maps of SMAP data to make inferences about changes to the Arctic's Geosphere showing spring thaw.
Visualize NASA's daily and monthly soil moisture data on a custom map or graph using our Earth System Data Explorer. Generate your own maps and graphs using a range of datasets supporting this phenomenon.
In this mini-lesson, students analyze soil moisture quantities associated with Hurricane Harvey around Houston, Texas on August 25, 2017.
This mini-lesson guides students' observations of soil moisture anomalies (how much the moisture content was above or below the norm) for the continental US in May 2018.
Scientific data are often represented by assigning ranges of numbers to specific colors. The colors are then used to make false color images which allow us to see patterns more easily.
Information from satellites if often used to display information about objects. This information can include how things appear, as well as their contents. Explore how pixel data sequences can be used to create an image and interpret it.
