Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-19
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-19
22 Mar 2023
 | 22 Mar 2023
Status: a revised version of this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

Three years of soil moisture observations by a dense cosmic-ray neutron sensing cluster at an agricultural research site in north-east Germany

Maik Heistermann, Till Francke, Lena Scheiffele, Katya Dimitrova Petrova, Christian Budach, Martin Schrön, Benjamin Trost, Daniel Rasche, Andreas Güntner, Veronika Döpper, Michael Förster, Markus Köhli, Lisa Angermann, Nikolaos Antonoglou, Manuela Zude-Sasse, and Sascha Oswald

Abstract. Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) allows for the estimation of root-zone soil water content (SWC) at the scale of several hectares. In this paper, we present the data recorded by a dense CRNS network operated from 2019 to 2022 at an agricultural research site in Marquardt, Germany – the first multi-year CRNS cluster. Consisting, at its core, of eight permanently installed CRNS sensors, the cluster was supplemented by a wealth of complementary measurements: data from seven additional temporary CRNS sensors, partly collocated with the permanent ones, 27 SWC-profiles (mostly permanent), two groundwater observation wells, meteorological records, and global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R). Complementary to these continuous measurements, numerous campaign-based activities provided data by mobile CRNS-roving, hyperspectral imagery via unmanned aerial systems (UAS), intensive manual sampling of soil properties (SWC, bulk density, organic matter, texture, soil hydraulic properties), and observations of biomass and snow (cover, depth, and density). The unique temporal coverage of three years entails a broad spectrum of hydro-meteorological conditions, including exceptional drought periods, extreme rainfall, but also episodes of snow coverage, as well as a dedicated irrigation experiment. Apart from serving to advance CRNS-related retrieval methods, this data set is expected to be useful for various disciplines, e.g. soil and groundwater hydrology, agriculture, or remote sensing. Hence, we show exemplary features of the data set in order to highlight the potential for such subsequent studies. The data is available at https://doi.org/10.23728/b2share.edfdaa0d2a82477fa512bde3f53312f2 (Heistermann et al., 2022b).

Maik Heistermann et al.

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on essd-2023-19', Anonymous Referee #1, 30 Mar 2023
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Maik Heistermann, 14 Apr 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on essd-2023-19', Anonymous Referee #2, 05 Apr 2023
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Maik Heistermann, 14 Apr 2023

Maik Heistermann et al.

Data sets

Three years of soil moisture observations by a dense cosmic-ray neutron sensing cluster at an agricultural research site in north-east Germany Maik Heistermann, Till Francke, Lena Scheiffele, Katya Dimitrova Petrova, Christian Budach, Martin Schrön, Benjamin Trost, Daniel Rasche, Andreas Güntner, Veronika Döpper, Michael Förster, Markus Köhli, Nikolaos Antonoglou, Manuela Zude-Sasse, and Sascha Oswald https://doi.org/10.23728/b2share.edfdaa0d2a82477fa512bde3f53312f2

Maik Heistermann et al.

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Short summary
Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) allows for the non-invasive estimation of root-zone soil water content (SWC). The signal observed by a single CRNS sensor is influenced by the SWC in a radius of around 150 m (the footprint). Here, we have put together a cluster of eight CRNS sensors with overlapping footprints at an agricultural research site in north-east Germany. That way, we hope to represent spatial SWC heterogeneity instead of retrieving just one average SWC estimate from a single sensor.