August 1, 2008

A New Soil Moisture Observing Network has been deployed in Arizona and is Now Operational

The NOAA West Team and the NOAA Integrated Water Resource Services Priority Area Task Team (IWRS PATT) are conducting a demonstration of integrated water resource services and information for Arizona. With a dry climate, increasing population and the importance of water, the state of Arizona is particularly at risk for drought and its impact. Activities include the introduction of an enhanced observational network over sample watersheds to measure streamflow, snow pack, precipitation, and soil moisture. The NOAA-Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) has deployed five soil moisture stations in the San Pedro river basin in south-central Arizona. The overarching strategy is to simultaneously provide a broad cross section through the basin as well as information on sub-grid variability within a single (~ 4 km x ~ 4 km) Hydrologic Rainfall Analysis Project (HRAP) cell. The network was brought on line in time for the start of the 2008 North American Monsoon Season.

Each station in the Arizona network measures air temperature and relative humidity at 2.0 m elevation, precipitation, and soil temperature and soil moisture at 5, 10, 15, 20, 50, and 100 cm below the surface. The data are currently being used by hydrologists at the National Weather Service Colorado River Basin Forecast Center in their evaluation of the NWS SAC-HT river forecast model.

We are currently analyzing a series of rainfall events that occurred in the Babocamri tributary of the San Pedro River between July 19 and July 24, 2008. An example of the data gathered the Black Oak Cemetery observing platform is shown in the attached figure.

Image: Map showing Arizona Soil Moisture Network (click image for higher resolution).


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