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AIRMOSS radar image
AIRMOSS flight deployment image
AIRMOSS data over Oregon

AirMOSS

Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface

The Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) investigation provided high-resolution observations of root-zone soil moisture over nine major North American biomes. The campaign goals were to quantify the impact of variations in soil moisture on the estimation of regional carbon fluxes and to extrapolate the reduced-uncertainty estimates of regional carbon fluxes to the continental scale of North America. 

The AirMOSS campaign used an airborne ultra-high frequency synthetic aperture radar flown on a Gulfstream-III aircraft to derive estimates of soil moisture down to approximately 1.2 meters. Extensive ground, tower, and aircraft in-situ measurements were collected to validate root-zone soil measurements and carbon flux model estimates.

Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface Graphic Identifier
Study DatesSeptember 18, 2012 - September 29, 2015
Season of StudyYear round
RegionNorth America
Spatial Bounds

N: 54.5°N

S: 9°N

W: 123.5°W

E: 68°W

Focus Areas

Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems

Earth Surface and Interior

Geophysical Concepts

Biodiversity

Ecosystems/Biogeochemical Interactions

Carbon Storage and Processes

Land Characteristics

Soil Properties

Terrestrial Hydrology

Scientific Topics

Ecosystems 

Carbon Cycle 

Carbon

Carbon Dioxide 

Soil Moisture

Root Zone Soil Moisture

Soil Chemistry

Land Surface

PlatformInstrument(s)
Gulfstream IIIAirMOSS P-band Radar
Permanent Land Site

Rain Gauge

FLUXNET

Soil Moisture Probe

Infrared Thermometer (IRT)

Beechcraft Model 76 Duchess

Best Air Turbulence Probe (BAT Probe)

Picarro Gas Analyzer

The following resources provide additional information about the AirMOSS campaign.