Photo Credit: Amy McNally

Over the past three weeks, a team of scientists have been trekking across the country by air and by foot, assessing the soil moisture content in the top two inches of the soil. They are doing this to validate the algorithms used in the SMAPex campaigns in the region.

SMAP, Soil Moisture Active Passive, is an observatory orbiting 685 kilometres above earth. Its aim is to provide soil moisture measurements every two to three days. The maps will hopefully improve weather prediction, flood forecasting, and inform agricultural practises, including during droughts.

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Read the whole NASA article here: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/in-the-field-smap-gathers-soil-data-in-australia