Ag Canada teams up with NASA

Monday, April 6, 2015

In collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and several Canadian universities, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a satellite capable of measuring soil moisture worldwide, the Globe and Mail reports.

Last January, a NASA-led three-year mission began with the launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. According to the AAFC, the satellite will measure soil moisture, temperature and freeze-thaw cycles around the globe. Scientists hope to use this data to improve flood forecasts and update the models used to predict crop yields, and improve weather prediction. Atmospheric scientist Stéphane Bélair told the Globe and Mail, "There's a very close interaction between soil and the atmosphere . . . That has a big driving effect on weather."

According to the Globe and Mail, the satellite works the microwave part of the spectrum that water molecules easily absorb. By measuring microwave emissions, SMAP will be able to provide accurate, high-resolution data for scientists.  According to Real Agriculture, the satellite will orbit the planet every 98.5 minutes and can measure to a depth of five centimetres.

Canadian scientists have been helping to prepare for SMAP's launch since 2012, when an AAFC team helped assess, calibrate and validate the data from the SMAP prototype, the AAFC reports. They will continue to assist for the mission's duration. An AAFC article quotes Dr. Heather NcNairn of the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre as saying: "The SMAP satellite will become an important source of soil moisture data for Canada, and SMAP data will support agriculture across the country." BF