The Application of CYGNSS Data for Soil Moisture and Inundation Mapping in Australia

Cyclone global navigation satellite system (CYGNSS) has provided a valuable opportunity for high spatiotemporal monitoring of land surface reflectivity over the past few years. CYGNSS with a constellation of eight microsatellites is able to constantly observe the scattered global positioning system signals from the land. In this study, we validate the CYGNSS land reflectivity data in Australia for mapping the spatial extent of the inundated area and for determining temporal changes in surface soil moisture. CYGNSS level 1 data acquired for the period of 2017-2020 is assessed against various measurements, including satellite and ground-based measurements. Empirical mode decomposition is used to better analyze the CYGNSS time series and their relationship with the independent measurements. Furthermore, the mission's ability to capture surface reflectivity changes in response to extreme climatic events is analyzed. The results show that high spatial and temporal resolution CYGNSS data can largely represent the top layer (similar to 5 cm) soil moisture spatial and temporal variations close to soil moisture active passive. CYGNSS surface reflectivity results are also found to be sensitive to surface water changes and able to depict inundated land surface.

Automated summary

The study validates the reliability of CYGNSS in Australia for monitoring soil moisture changes and identifying inundated areas, using a constellation of microsatellites to observe global positioning system signals. By comparing with various measurements and applying decomposition methods, the study analyzes the relationship between CYGNSS and independent measurements, as well as its response to extreme climate events.