مسبار نترونات الأشعة الكونية : تقنية جديدة لرصد رطوبة التربة على نطاق واسع

الملخص EN

Soil moisture is an essential parameter for water management.

Currently, three methods for soil moisture estimating are used: in-situ point measurements, remote sensing-based methods, and land surface models.

Recently, as a passive nuclear technology, the cosmic-ray neutron probe (CRNP), an innovative in-situ instrument, has been developed.

The probe provides area-averaged and spatial estimates of soil moisture at area-wide scale of about 20 hectares at a measurement depth up to 72 cm.

This instrument bridges the gap between in-situ point measurements and global satellite-based soil moisture estimates.

A single CRNP can replace a network of conventional in-situ instruments to provide reliable soil moisture estimates.

Three types of CRNP devices exist: stationary, mobile “backpack” and vehicle mounted roving.

The reliable, accurate and continuous soil moisture estimates provided by the CRNP over large scale makes it very attractive for researchers and engineers in diverse fields.