A comprehensive evaluation of soil moisture and soil temperature from third‐generation atmospheric and land reanalysis data sets. (23rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Mingxing; Wu, Peili; Ma, Zhuguo
• Is Part Of: International journal of climatology. Volume 40:Number 13(2020)
• Page Start: 5744
• Page End: 5766
• Publication Date: 2020-03-23
• Subjects: atmospheric and land reanalysis -- climate change -- soil moisture -- soil temperature -- water–heat covariation; Climatology -- Periodicals; Climat -- Périodiques; Climatologie -- Périodiques; 551.605
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.6549
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0899-8418

Abstract

Abstract: Soil moisture and soil temperature, reflecting a synthetic climate regime, are vitally important for climate change assessments and adaption. As historical in situ measurements of soil states are extremely scarce and spatially uneven, reanalysis products play an increasingly important role in filling these gaps. The focus of this paper is on water–heat covariations in reanalysis products and a joint evaluation of soil moisture and soil temperature in five widely used atmospheric and land reanalyses is presented using in situ observations from 25 networks during various periods from 1979 to 2017. At the network scale, the five reanalyses show statistically significant correlations with observations, and the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts ERA5 shows higher skills than the other four products and a significant improvement over its predecessor. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis performs better in terms of long‐term trends. The most skilful signals in the five reanalyses are the seasonal cycles, with correlation coefficients of over 0.9. However, long‐term trends are substantially weaker than the observed trends and still tend to perform poorly over the high latitudes during cold seasons. Soil temperature reanalyses show even better skills, with mean correlation coefficients over 0.9 between anomalies; ERA5 shows enhanced annual ranges toward the high latitudes and altitudes. A joint evaluation of soil temperature and soil moisture showed physically consistent water–heat covariations in the soil in conjunction with atmospheric fluxes during the growing season over the Northern Hemisphere. This report suggests a good future for reanalysis products and their potential role in land surface climate change assessments. Abstract : Water–heat covariations and joint evaluations of soil moisture and soil temperature in five atmospheric and land reanalyses are presented using in situ observations from 25 networks during various periods from 1979 to 2017. ERA5 shows higher skills than the other four products and a significant improvement over its predecessor. Soil water–heat covariations in the reanalyses are physically consistent in conjunction with atmospheric fluxes during the growing season over the Northern Hemisphere.