Caravan
Open Source
The open global large-sample hydrology dataset — thousands of catchments with forcing, attributes and streamflow.
Data, Monitoring & ForecastingActiveStreamflow DataRainfall Data
ASCAT Soil Moisture (H SAF)
ActiveNear-real-time scatterometer soil moisture from EUMETSAT — hours of latency, useful for operational monitoring.
by EUMETSAT (H SAF)
- Pricing
- Gov-Public
- License
- Free (EUMETSAT H SAF, registration required)
- Commercial use
- Permitted
- Ecosystem
- Python, BUFR/NetCDF tools
- Platform
- Windows, macOS, Linux
About ASCAT Soil Moisture (H SAF)
ASCAT, flown on the EUMETSAT Metop satellites, retrieves surface soil moisture from radar backscatter and is distributed through the H SAF programme at 12.5km and downscaled (1km) resolution, with near-real-time products available within hours — far faster than most other soil moisture archives. A root-zone product, generated by assimilating ASCAT retrievals into a soil water balance model at ECMWF, extends the signal below the radar's shallow sensing depth.
Its low latency makes it a genuine operational-monitoring product, distinct from the research/climate-archive orientation of ESA CCI SM — reach for it when a drought or flood-forecasting workflow needs today's soil moisture, not last month's.
Where it fits in the workflow
TerrainCatchmentRainfallRunoffRoutingHydraulicsMappingReporting
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