KENASTON, Sask. – Central Saskatchewan farmers might have noticed aircraft buzzing the skies and white weather balloons floating overhead during the first two weeks of June.Environment Canada hosted researchers from across Canada and the United States to study a small area near Kenaston. The Canadian Experiment Soil Moisture 2010 measured how water moves through the environment.Numerous measurements were taken from a National Research Council twin otter, a NASA Gulfstream 3 and various satellite systems.The goal is to improve the understanding of how water moves along the ground, through the soil and into the atmosphere through evaporation and plants. It will help weather forecasters better predict precipitation, including severe weather events, which are strongly influenced by the evaporation of water through plants.The region was chosen because the National Hydrology Research Centre had done work there and had already installed soil moisture sensors.The experiment will confirm moisture information coming from a new satellite launched last November by the European Space Agency.“We want to make sure the numbers coming from the satellite in terms of soil moisture values are valid for Canada so that people can use the data reliably,” said Anne Walker of Environment Canada.NASA is involved because it is launching a Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite in 2014.
Read Also
Increasing farmland prices blamed on investors
a major tax and financial services firm says investors are driving up the value of farmland, preventing young farmers from entering the business. Robert Andjelic said that is bullshit.
