Iowa State University agronomist Brian Hornbuckle will help keep a satellite honest, beginning this summer.

That’s when NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite will begin tracking worldwide soil moisture from 426 miles above the planet’s surface.

The satellite will measure moisture by checking microwave radiation emitted by the soil. Wet soil emits less radiation than drier areas.

Part of Hornbuckle’s job will be to validate the data collected. The new satellite is programmed to make assumptions about cover vegetation during Iowa’s growing season that may introduce errors into the data. Hornbuckle and his team will compare the satellite’s findings to actual soil moisture at an experiment site near Eldora.  

The satellite has the “active” label because it can emit its own radiation, bouncing it off the surface.

“The benefits could be great for Iowans,” Hornbuckle said. “When this kind of technology advances beyond the experimental stage into the operational stage, we’ll see better predictions for weather and our understanding of climate. We’ll have a better understanding of seasonal rainfall and flood prediction as well.”

The satellite will gather measurements down to the township level, a much more detailed look than in the past. Read more