Improved Hydrological Simulation Using SMAP Data: Relative Impacts of Model Calibration and Data Assimilation

• DOI: 10.1175/jhm-d-17-0228.1
• Publication Date: 2018-03-21T20:18:01Z
• Authors: Randal D. Koster; Qing Liu; Sarith P. P. Maha...; Rolf H. Reichle
• Keywords: Hydrological modelling

The assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture information into a land surface model has been shown in past studies to contribute accuracy the simulated hydrological variables. Remotely data, however, can also be used improve itself through calibration model's parameters, and this increase products. Here, data provided by Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) satellite mission are applied component NASA GEOS Earth system using both order quantify relative degrees which each strategy improves estimation near-surface streamflow. two approaches show significant complementarity their ability extract useful from SMAP record. Data reduces ubRMSE (the RMSE after removing long-term bias) estimates timing streamflow variations, whereas biases While lead an improved moisture, these contributions largely independent; joint use provides highest simulation accuracy.