A high resolution, distributed soil-vegetation-atmospheric transfer (SVAT) model was used to simulate the terrestrial water and energy balance during the SGP'97 experimental period. The model is described in Lidard-Peters et al. (1997). For the SGP'97 experiment, the model was run hourly at a 0.8 km. resolution. The inputs include GOES-derived incoming solar radiation, estimated downwelling longwave radiation, precipitation based on WSR-88D rain radar, and station-based surface meteorology. Land surface characteristics include AVHRR-based vegetation parameters, STATSGO-derived soil hydraulic and thermal data, and 1 km. topographic information. The remotely sensed input data are compared to available station data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, Oklahoma Micronet, and DoE's CART/ARM stations. Model-estimated soil moisture is compared to soil moisture fields estimated from NASA's airborne ESTAR L-band radiometer, and to field-averaged ground measurements. Model-estimated energy fluxes are compared to field tower measurements and to airborne estimates.
Peters-Lidard, C., M. Zion and E. F. Wood, "A soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer scheme for modeling spatially variable water and energy balance processes", J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 102(D2), 4303-4324, 1997.