Multiresolution soil moisture products based on a spatially adaptive estimation model and CYGNSS data

Abstract

ABSTRACT The estimation of soil moisture (SM) utilizing the data from the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) has attracted significant interest in recent times. However, CYGNSS’ inherent capability of variable resolution has not been fully exploited, often resulting in a loss of detailed spatial information in the raw data. In this paper, a novel downscaling scheme tailored for CYGNSS data is introduced to yield a “self-adjusting adaptive resolution” SM product, which dynamically varies the resolution of SM estimates based on the available CYGNSS data resolution at different geographic locations. Initially, a direct quantitative relationship is established between the key CYGNSS parameters reflecting SM variations and the reference SM from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission with a coarse resolution of 36 km. This model is then applied to CYGNSS observations with resolutions down to 3 km to generate high-resolution, self-adjusting SM estimates that better conserve the fine-scale information linked to the original CYGNSS data. Extensive experimental results with error ratio diagrams show that the advanced geographically weighted regression (GWR)-based SM estimation method outperforms other competing estimation models and better retains localized spatial relationships and patterns. This study underscores the potential of CYGNSS as a novel and robust independent data source capable of delivering fine-resolution SM estimations by harnessing its unique multiresolution observational capability.