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Science Objectives Chart
| Science Objectives | Scientific Measurement Requirements | Instrument Functional Requirements | Mission Functional Requirements |
| Enhance understanding
of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles
through monitoring the land hydrosphere state. Extend the capability of climate prediction models by providing land surface boundary data products with required resolution, global coverage, and revisit times. |
Soil Moisture: ~ ±4% volumetric accuracy in top 2-5 cm for vegetation water content < 5 kg m-2 Hydrometeorology at ~10km Hydroclimatology at ~40km |
L-Band
Radiometer: Polarization:V, H, U Resolution: 40 km Relative accuracy: 1 K L-Band Radar: Polarization: VV, HH, HV Resolution: 10 km Relative accuracy: 0.5 dB for VV and HH Constant Incidence angle between 35°-50°. |
DAAC data
archiving and distribution. Field validation program. Integration of data products into multisource land data assimilation. |
| Freeze/Thaw
State: Capture freeze/thaw state transitions in integrated vegetation-soil continuum with two-day precision, at the spatial scale of landscape variability (~3 km). |
L-Band Radar Polarization: HH Relative accuracy: 0.7 dB (1 dB per channel if 2 channels are used.) Resolution: 3 km Constant incidence angle between 35°-50°. |
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| Sample diurnal cycle
at consistent time of day (6am / 6pm) Global, ~3 day revisit Boreal, ~2 day revisit |
Swath Width: ~1000 km | Orbit: 670 km, circular, polar, sun-synchronous, ~6 am/pm equator crossing |
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| Observation over aminimum of two annual cycles. | Minimum two-year mission life. | Two year baseline mission |
