As part of the hydro-meteorological measurement campaign SwabianMOSES 2023 time-domain transmission (TDT) soil moisture sensors and temperature sensors with custom-made logger systems were used to measure time series of these soil state variables. In addition, a stationary cosmic-ray neutron sensor was deployed at the KITcube site near Villingen-Schwenningen to provide continuous soil moisture data for an area of between 10 and 20 hectares.
For mapping the spatial distribution of soil moisture, several mobile CRNS campaigns have been conducted with a car across the Lindach catchment and beyond before and after prospective rain events. During these mobile CRNS measurements, in-situ soil moisture measurements were conducted, using a handheld time-domain reflectometry soil moisture sensor.
The aim of these investigations was to provide data on physical soil properties used in a cross-disciplinary approach for a better understanding of hydro-meteorological extremes (such as high precipitation events and droughts).
Regarding the TDT-sensors, each measurement site consisted of sensors at three depths with two sensors each. Logger systems were installed at six different observation sites which were distributed across the whole campaign target area in the vicinity of the Swabian Jura in Germany. Decisions on the specific installation depths were made during the installation at the respective sites based on the constitution of the local soil profiles. Installation protocols with a brief soil profile description and photos are part of this dataset. The dataset contains the values of location and time (UTC), soil temperature (in °C), relative permittivity and soil moisture (in % vol) derived from permittivity. Determination of soil moisture was done using the formula of Topp et al. (1980). As sensors, the SMT100 soil moisture sensor with integrated temperature measurement were used. All sensors were installed within the upper 50cm below ground. The exact depths for each sensor are listed in the comments.
Cosmic ray neutron sensing (CRNS) sensor, is an innovative technique used to measure soil moisture and snow water equivalent over large areas (Zreda et al., 2012). The advantage of CRNS over traditional point-based sensors is its ability to cover a large footprint of typically 10–20 ha (Köhli et al., 2015), making it ideal for monitoring hydrological processes at the field to landscape scales.
In the present study, one CRNS Sensor, Model SP, made by StyX Neutronica GmbH was deployed in a stationary position to provide continuous, non-invasive measurements at the KITcube site near Villingen-Schwenningen.
Here we provide the dataset for COSMOS-Europe: A European network of Cosmic-Ray Neutron Soil Moisture Sensors.
The dataset contains soil moisture data from 65 cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNS) in Europe. The CRNS stations cover all major land use types and climate zones within Europe. Raw neutron count data from the CRNS stations were provided by 23 research institutions and processed using state-of-the-art methods.
The harmonized processing included correction of the raw neutron counts and a harmonized methodology for conversion to soil moisture based on available in situ information. In addition, information on data uncertainty was added to the dataset, which is particularly useful for remote sensing and modeling applications.
This harmonized European soil moisture dataset will help both the hydrological and climatic communities to study individual drought events, understand their causes, evaluate and improve their modeling, and estimate the extremity of current events.
Here we provide the dataset for COSMOS-Europe: A European network of Cosmic-Ray Neutron Soil Moisture Sensors.
The dataset contains soil moisture data from 65 cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNS) in Europe. The CRNS stations cover all major land use types and climate zones within Europe. Raw neutron count data from the CRNS stations were provided by 23 research institutions and processed using state-of-the-art methods.
The harmonized processing included correction of the raw neutron counts and a harmonized methodology for conversion to soil moisture based on available in situ information. In addition, information on data uncertainty was added to the dataset, which is particularly useful for remote sensing and modeling applications.
This harmonized European soil moisture dataset will help both the hydrological and climatic communities to study individual drought events, understand their causes, evaluate and improve their modeling, and estimate the extremity of current events.