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Drought Indicators: Soil Moisture Product Dashboard
The following soil moisture maps are presented together to facilitate analysis. Please note areas of variation across products and interpret accordingly. For example, the units may be percentiles or anomalies, and products may have different depths, validation dates, data sources, and methodologies.
Soil moisture, the water in the pores of the soil, affects a range of soil and plant dynamics. Root zone soil moisture is water within the upper 200 cm of soil, the area where most roots are growing, and therefore the water that is available to plants. Tracking root zone soil moisture is helpful to understand when plant growth is limited by a lack of water, which is helpful to monitor drying in plant habitat and crops, indicators of ecological and agricultural drought.
Update frequency: Daily
NASA’s Short-term Prediction and Transition Center – Land Information System (SPoRT-LIS) provides high-resolution (about 3-km) gridded soil moisture products in real-time to support regional and local modeling and improve situational awareness. The 0–100 cm soil moisture percentile data has shown to be a utility for drought monitoring. The near-surface (0–10 cm) layer responds quickly to heavy precipitation and rapidly drying events. In deeper layers, soil moisture evolves more slowly and has demonstrated greater utility overall for drought monitoring purposes since drought evolves typically on timescales of weeks to years. Learn more.
Update frequency: Daily, with a 3-day delay
Crop-CASMA (Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics) is designed for users to utilize the remotely sensed geospatial soil moisture and vegetation index data derived from NASA SMAP and MODIS missions to assess conterminous U.S. crop vegetation conditions and soil moisture condition. The sub-9 km 1 meter soil moisture anomaly is a measure of deviation of the current soil moisture value from the "normal" soil moisture level, which is represented by a historical average soil moisture value (from 2015 to current).
Update frequency: Daily, with a 4-day delay
Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center generate soil moisture drought indicators each week. They are based on terrestrial water storage observations derived from GRACE satellite data and integrated with other observations, using a sophisticated numerical model of land surface water and energy processes. The GRACE root zone soil moisture drought indicators describes the current wet or dry conditions of the top 1 meter of soil, expressed as a percentile showing the probability of occurrence within the period of record from 1948 to the present. Learn more.
Update frequency: Daily, with a 5-day delay
This blended soil moisture product (NLDAS/RK 50 cm blend), developed by researchers at Ohio State University and the University of Illinois, is a high-resolution gridded soil moisture map derived from in situ and model-generated data. The 50 cm blend is computed using a simple average combining 50 cm interpolated in situ volumetric water content (VWC) percentiles and NLDAS Noah 40–100 cm layer VWC percentiles. To match the NLDAS output time step, the blend is generated daily with a 5-day delay.
This map may be affected by potentially incorrect NLDAS input data.
Update frequency: Daily, with a 5-day delay
This map shows U.S. soil moisture percentiles at a total column depth, according to real-time soil moisture output from the North American Land Data Assimilation System version 2 (NLDAS2) land surface model, which includes the Noah, VIC, SAC and Mosaic models. Soil moisture percentiles are based on the period from 1979 to the most recent soil moisture records with a 5-day centered moving window of soil moisture values.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn More0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
0–2nd Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth is in the bottom 2% (0–2nd percentile) of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
2nd–5th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 2nd to 5th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
5th–10th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 5th to 10th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
10th–20th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 10th to 20th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
20th–30th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 20th to 30th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
30th–70th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 30th to 70th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
70th–80th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 70th to 80th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
80th–90th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 80th to 90th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
90th–95th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 90th to 95th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
95th–98th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 95th to 98th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
98th–100th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth is in the top 2% (98th to 100th percentile) of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
Soil Moisture Anomaly
Root Zone Soil Moisture: Wetness Percentile
50 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
Calculated Soil Moisture Ranking Percentile
Soil moisture, the water in the pores of the soil, affects a range of soil and plant dynamics. Root zone soil moisture is water within the upper 200 cm of soil, the area where most roots are growing, and therefore the water that is available to plants. Tracking root zone soil moisture is helpful to understand when plant growth is limited by a lack of water, which is helpful to monitor drying in plant habitat and crops, indicators of ecological and agricultural drought.
Update frequency: Daily
NASA’s Short-term Prediction and Transition Center – Land Information System (SPoRT-LIS) provides high-resolution (about 3-km) gridded soil moisture products in real-time to support regional and local modeling and improve situational awareness. The 0–100 cm soil moisture percentile data has shown to be a utility for drought monitoring. The near-surface (0–10 cm) layer responds quickly to heavy precipitation and rapidly drying events. In deeper layers, soil moisture evolves more slowly and has demonstrated greater utility overall for drought monitoring purposes since drought evolves typically on timescales of weeks to years. Learn more.
Update frequency: Daily, with a 3-day delay
Crop-CASMA (Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics) is designed for users to utilize the remotely sensed geospatial soil moisture and vegetation index data derived from NASA SMAP and MODIS missions to assess conterminous U.S. crop vegetation conditions and soil moisture condition. The sub-9 km 1 meter soil moisture anomaly is a measure of deviation of the current soil moisture value from the "normal" soil moisture level, which is represented by a historical average soil moisture value (from 2015 to current).
Update frequency: Daily, with a 4-day delay
Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center generate soil moisture drought indicators each week. They are based on terrestrial water storage observations derived from GRACE satellite data and integrated with other observations, using a sophisticated numerical model of land surface water and energy processes. The GRACE root zone soil moisture drought indicators describes the current wet or dry conditions of the top 1 meter of soil, expressed as a percentile showing the probability of occurrence within the period of record from 1948 to the present. Learn more.
Update frequency: Daily, with a 5-day delay
This blended soil moisture product (NLDAS/RK 50 cm blend), developed by researchers at Ohio State University and the University of Illinois, is a high-resolution gridded soil moisture map derived from in situ and model-generated data. The 50 cm blend is computed using a simple average combining 50 cm interpolated in situ volumetric water content (VWC) percentiles and NLDAS Noah 40–100 cm layer VWC percentiles. To match the NLDAS output time step, the blend is generated daily with a 5-day delay.
This map may be affected by potentially incorrect NLDAS input data.
Update frequency: Daily, with a 5-day delay
This map shows U.S. soil moisture percentiles at a total column depth, according to real-time soil moisture output from the North American Land Data Assimilation System version 2 (NLDAS2) land surface model, which includes the Noah, VIC, SAC and Mosaic models. Soil moisture percentiles are based on the period from 1979 to the most recent soil moisture records with a 5-day centered moving window of soil moisture values.
Data from NASA GRACE are updated daily, with a 4-day delay.
Data are updated daily, with a 5-day delay.
This map updates daily, with a 5-day delay.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn More0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
0–2nd Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth is in the bottom 2% (0–2nd percentile) of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
2nd–5th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 2nd to 5th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
5th–10th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 5th to 10th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
10th–20th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 10th to 20th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
20th–30th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 20th to 30th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
30th–70th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 30th to 70th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
70th–80th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 70th to 80th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
80th–90th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 80th to 90th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
90th–95th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 90th to 95th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
95th–98th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth falls between the 95th to 98th percentile of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
98th–100th Percentile
Soil moisture at 0–100cm depth is in the top 2% (98th to 100th percentile) of historical measurements for this day of the year. Learn more.
Update frequency: Daily
NASA’s Short-term Prediction and Transition Center – Land Information System (SPoRT-LIS) provides high-resolution (about 3-km) gridded soil moisture products in real-time to support regional and local modeling and improve situational awareness. The 0–100 cm soil moisture percentile data has shown to be a utility for drought monitoring. The near-surface (0–10 cm) layer responds quickly to heavy precipitation and rapidly drying events. In deeper layers, soil moisture evolves more slowly and has demonstrated greater utility overall for drought monitoring purposes since drought evolves typically on timescales of weeks to years. Learn more.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreRoot Zone Soil Moisture: Wetness Percentile
Update frequency: Daily, with a 4-day delay
Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center generate soil moisture drought indicators each week. They are based on terrestrial water storage observations derived from GRACE satellite data and integrated with other observations, using a sophisticated numerical model of land surface water and energy processes. The GRACE root zone soil moisture drought indicators describes the current wet or dry conditions of the top 1 meter of soil, expressed as a percentile showing the probability of occurrence within the period of record from 1948 to the present. Learn more.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn More50 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
Update frequency: Daily, with a 5-day delay
This blended soil moisture product (NLDAS/RK 50 cm blend), developed by researchers at Ohio State University and the University of Illinois, is a high-resolution gridded soil moisture map derived from in situ and model-generated data. The 50 cm blend is computed using a simple average combining 50 cm interpolated in situ volumetric water content (VWC) percentiles and NLDAS Noah 40–100 cm layer VWC percentiles. To match the NLDAS output time step, the blend is generated daily with a 5-day delay.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreCalculated Soil Moisture Ranking Percentile
Update frequency: Daily, with a 5-day delay
This map shows U.S. soil moisture percentiles at a total column depth, according to real-time soil moisture output from the North American Land Data Assimilation System version 2 (NLDAS2) land surface model, which includes the Noah, VIC, SAC and Mosaic models. Soil moisture percentiles are based on the period from 1979 to the most recent soil moisture records with a 5-day centered moving window of soil moisture values.
This map updates daily, with a 5-day delay.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn MoreSoil Moisture Anomaly
An accurate depiction of soil moisture conditions can provide valuable insights for agricultural monitoring, weather prediction, and drought and flood early warning.
This map shows the moisture content of the top 1 meter of soil, according to NASA's Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics tool (Crop-CASMA). It relies on remotely sensed soil moisture data derived from NASA missions.
Soil moisture is shown as a deviation from average soil moisture conditions from 2015–present. Brown hues indicate below-average soil moisture, and blue hues indicate above-average soil moisture.
Data are updated daily, with a 3-day delay.
Soil moisture plays an important role in drought and flood forecasting, agricultural monitoring, forest fire prediction, water supply management, and other natural resource activities. Soil moisture observations can forewarn of impending drought or flood conditions before other more standard indicators are triggered.
Learn More