%0 Journal Article
%A Baatz, R.
%A Bogena, Heye
%A Hendricks-Franssen, Harrie-Jan
%A Huisman, J. A.
%A Montzka, C.
%A Vereecken, H.
%T An empirical vegetation correction for soil water content quantification using cosmic ray probes
%J Water resources research
%V 51
%N 4
%@ 0043-1397
%C Washington, DC
%I AGU
%M FZJ-2015-05168
%P 2030 - 2046
%D 2015
%X Cosmic ray probes are an emerging technology to continuously monitor soil water content at a scale significant to land surface processes. However, the application of this method is hampered by its susceptibility to the presence of aboveground biomass. Here we present a simple empirical framework to account for moderation of fast neutrons by aboveground biomass in the calibration. The method extends the N0-calibration function and was developed using an extensive data set from a network of 10 cosmic ray probes located in the Rur catchment, Germany. The results suggest a 0.9% reduction in fast neutron intensity per 1 kg of dry aboveground biomass per m2 or per 2 kg of biomass water equivalent per m2. We successfully tested the novel vegetation correction using temporary cosmic ray probe measurements along a strong gradient in biomass due to deforestation, and using the COSMIC, and the hmf method as independent soil water content retrieval algorithms. The extended N0-calibration function was able to explain 95% of the overall variability in fast neutron intensity.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000354733500010
%R 10.1002/2014WR016443
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/203163