Validation of the soil moisture measurement algorithm of AMSR-E

It is essential for AMSR-E soil moisture observation to precisely validate the measurement algorithm. We installed in situ water cycle stations with the TDR probes for monitoring soil moisture, and several sensors in the MAVEX (Mongol AMSR/AMSR-E/AMSR2 Validation Experiment) study area that is covered with pasture and shrubs, in the eastern part of the Mongolian Plateau for the validation. We attempted to validate the latest algorithm (Koike Ver. 5.34) of soil moisture measurement of AMSR-E using the in situ station monitoring data in the MAVEX study area from 2002 to 2009. Although the algorithm overestimated soil moisture slightly, a good correlation was found between the AMSR-E soil moisture estimation and the in situ soil moisture in the MAVEX study area. The AMSR-E soil moisture observation can be considered to be fundamentally effective and useful to estimate surface soil moisture over large areas of the bare and grass lands.