SOIL MOISTURE EXPERIMENT 2003 (SMEX03)
The Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 (SMEX03) was conducted primarily
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to validate the NASA Aqua and
Japanese ADEOS-II Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) satellite
products. Daily values of soil moisture are able to be obtained from
the AMSR
products, thus an in-depth validation of the sensors was needed before its
launch into space aboard a satellite.
The SMEX03 was conducted in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia and Brazil
due to the various vegetation types in these locations. More detailed
information regarding the SMEX03, including AMSR images, photos, and
experiment plans, can be found at:
http://hydrolab.arsusda.gov/smex03/
The Oklahoma Mesonet provided verification data to the experiment
from their meteorological and soil moisture sensors in the field. Additionally,
the Oklahoma Climatological Survey sent students into the field before
and during the experiment to gather supplemental soil cores and IRT
measurements, take site photographs, and clean the meteorological instruments
at the Mesonet stations.
The Oklahoma Climatological Survey has been a part of SMEX and related
field experiments in the past and continues aid the research community
with its data and expertise. For more information on the Oklahoma Climatological
Survey's part in the SMEX03, please contact Brad
Illston. |
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Threat
Reduction Agency (DTRA) sponsored a month-long atmospheric dispersion
study in Oklahoma City during July 2003. The study was designed to
track the air movement of safe, non-toxic tracer gases in and around
city buildings. Throughout the month of July, an immense number of
observations were gathered and stored for future research. Resulting
data will be used to enhance and develop urban specific computer models
that will allow emergency management, law enforcement, and other personnel
to train for and respond to potential terrorist attack and accidental
chemical spills. The sponsors and participating scientists would like
to thank the City of Oklahoma City and the citizens who work or live
in the downtown area for their considerable cooperation and support.