SMURF: Soil Moisture Upscaling beyond Vegetational Boundaries using Radiative transFer modelling Projekt-SMURF

The SMURF project aims to improve soil moisture monitoring, which is crucial for understanding climate and ecosystem dynamics in Swiss forests. It will fill gaps in existing climate grids by integrating in-situ observations, vegetation structure, and novel radiative transfer modeling. SMURF will focus on grassland-forest transitions and develop microclimatic soil moisture patterns. Two main work packages will guide the project: The In-situ WP will measure soil moisture across vegetation gradients, and the Upscale WP will predict soil moisture patterns using derived predictor variables. The project aims to provide comprehensive monthly soil moisture maps at a 5-meter resolution to improve drought monitoring and inform climate resilience strategies and as such contributes to Priority 3.1 of the GCOS-CH Strategy (2017-2026): “Ensure that requirements of the Swiss science community, policymakers, and the public are taken into account.”