ESA Satellite Mission Provides New Understanding of Planet’s Water Cycle

The European Space Agency has published the first results from a satellite-based mission it says will help scientists better understand the Earth’s water cycle. Using so-called “brightness temperature” images collected from space — a measurement of the radiation emitted from Earth’s surface — researchers are able to calculate how much moisture is in the top layers of soil, and how much salt is present at the ocean’s surface. High brightness temperatures reflect dry soils and low brightness temperatures represent heavy moisture, which is why bodies of water show up as cold spots. In addition to providing valuable information on the relationship between the planet’s surface and the atmosphere, data from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity project will help scientists better model weather and climate changes, ESA officials predict. The information may also be applied to agriculture and water resource management. The satellites were launched in November.