Calibration of Land Surface Model Using Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture Predictions

Abstract

Calibration is the process of estimating the optimal parameters for a model to accurately reflect the real system, using historical records of system data. The model calibration, however, is frequently limited by availability, quality, quantity and the nature of the ground observations. Lack of streamflow observations in the vast majority of the world, for example, constrains the calibration of hydrologic and land surface models. In this study, an attempt is made to calibrate a land surface model by using satellite retrievals of soil moisture and evapotranspiration (ET), without relying on streamflow measurements. This paper examines the capability of using satellite measurements for the cal..