Satellite to Fine-tune Our Knowledge of Water Cycle

Sometimes when confronted with a large and complex challenge, it helps to take a step back and achieve a bit of critical distance to allow taking in a big-picture view of the matter.

The European Space Agency is doing just that with their Monday launch of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite that will sharpen our understanding of how water moves through the different but interrelated components of the hydrosphere.

Relying on a technology called interferometric radiometry, SMOS will gather data that characterizes global changes in soil moisture as well as in the salinity of seawater by analyzing subtle variations in the microwave signals reflected from the surface of Earth back to the satellite's data receivers.

The clearer picture of the water cycle and its constant flux across locations and across different phases of matter will lend to the construction of improved climate models and will aid the efforts of water managers focused on agricultural and drinking water purposes alike.

As explained by BBC, SMOS is the second offering of a trio of satellites with differing contributions to an improved understanding of planetary systems. The first, already in orbit, gathers and sends back data that maps fluctuations in gravity across the planet's surface. The third, slated for a February launch, will provide detailed assessment of ice cover.

Image courtesy of European Space Agency, via Wikimedia Commons