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Soil Moisture End User Listening Session

Jul 22
July 22, 2021
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location
Virtual
Small plant growing from the soil in the rain

Do you use (or *wish* you could use) soil moisture data or maps to support your decision making, advising, or other work activities?

Do you want to share your opinions on which soil moisture datasets, maps, and tools are needed to better inform drought, flood, or other natural resource issues?

In July, the National Coordinated Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (NCSMMN) is hosting two listening sessions for soil moisture end users to share their thoughts, wish lists, and out-of-the-box ideas about what types of soil moisture products would best serve them. 

Target participants include federal, regional, and state program staff; state climatologists; water resource managers; extension agents; and any others who are interested in products derived from soil moisture data, whether it be from in situ mesonets, modeling outputs, and/or satellite retrievals.  

Participants can choose either this session (July 22) or an identical session on July 13, both at 1 - 3 p.m. ET. 

Session Objectives

  • Provide a brief introduction to the main types of soil moisture products
  • Probe users’ priorities and needs for soil moisture products
  • Seek input on NCSMMN priorities for product development/improvement

Soil Moisture End User Listening Session Agenda

Time (ET) Topics and Activities Presenter/Moderator
12:50 p.m. Session Opens Marina Skumanich & Mike Cosh, Moderators
1:00 p.m. Introduction: Who We Are and Why We Are Here Marina Skumanich, NIDIS
1:05 p.m. Polling  
1:10 p.m. In Situ (Ground-Based) Soil Moisture Data & Products Chris Fiebrich, Oklahoma Mesonet
1:20 p.m. Polling  
1:25 p.m. Remote Sensing Soil Moisture Data & Products John Bolten, NASA
1:35 p.m. Polling  
1:40 p.m. Model-Output Soil Moisture Data & Products Marina Skumanich, NIDIS
1:50 p.m. Polling  
1:55 p.m. 5-Minute Break  
2:00 p.m. Intro to Breakouts Mike Cosh, USDA Agricultural Research Service
2:05 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Small group opportunity to share your thoughts:

  1. What would be your “perfect” soil moisture product?
  2. What is the one near-term product improvement that would help you the most?
 
2:35 p.m. Plenary Report Out & Discussion Facilitators
2:50 p.m. Polling  
2:55 p.m. Wrap Up and Next Steps Marina Skumanich & Mike Cosh
3:00 p.m. Adjourn  

Organizing Committee:

  • John Bolten, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Stephanie Connolly, U.S Forest Service, Office of Sustainability and Climate
  • Mike Cosh, USDA Agricultural Research Service
  • Chris Fiebrich, Oklahoma Mesonet
  • Peter Goble, Colorado Climate Center
  • Marina Skumanich, NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System
  • Molly Woloszyn, NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System

For more information, or to be put on a mailing list for future listening sessions, please contact Marina Skumanich (marina.skumanich@noaa.gov).