The Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) Hydrology Experiment originated from an interdisciplinary investigation, "Soil Moisture Mapping at Satellite Temporal and Spatial Scales" (PI Thomas J. Jackson, USDA ARS). The core of this field experiment involves the deployment of the L-band Electronically Scanned Thinned Array Radiometer (ESTAR) for daily mapping of soil moisture over an area > 10000 km2 and a period on the order of a month. The region selected for investigation is the best instrumented site for surface soil moisture, hydrology and meteorology in the world. This includes the USDA/ARS Little Washita Watershed, the USDA/ARS facility at El Reno, Oklahoma, the ARM/CART central facility, as well as the Oklahoma Mesonet. The region covered by the experiment is 34.5 to 37 North latitude and 97 to 99 West longitude. The aircraft mapping took place over the period 18 June to 18 July 1997.
Objectives: