Developing Soil Moisture Maps in Skeletal Soils Using a Cosmos Rover.

The presence of coarse fragments in the soil directly influences the volumetric water content. However, surface soil moisture sensors do not account for the presence of these coarse fragments, and little research has been done to calibrate these sensors to these conditions. The goal of this study is to estimate the impact of coarse fragments on surface soil moisture measurements on two different clay-skeletal soils. The study will be conducted summer 2016 at Marfa, Texas, and San Marcos, Texas. Several surveys using the cosmic-ray soil moisture observation system (COSMOS) rover will be conducted to estimate the volumetric water content of the soil. Coarse fragments will be estimated using proximal sensors such as the EM38. We expect to calibrate the COSMOS rover for coarse fragment content and investigate the soil moisture dynamics in these skeletal soils.