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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.

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Featured Mini Lessons

Hurricane Harvey's Effect on Soil Moisture

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

In this mini-lesson, students analyze soil moisture quantities associated with Hurricane Harvey around Houston, Texas on August 25, 2017.

The amount of water contained in the top few centimeters of soil is small on a global scale, but it is critical for agriculture analysts trying to monitor crop productions and other human health influencers.

Soil Moisture Analysis

Grade Level: 3-5

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.

North pole data visualization shows seasonal freeze and thaw data of soils.

Exploring Cryosphere Seasonal Thaw and Energy Budget

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Students analyze two North Pole orthographic data visualizations produced from soil moisture data.

My NASA Data

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