GCOS 2nd Climate

Observation Conference

19.10.2022
Darmstadt

Ensure ISMN's permanent service for deli-

vering long-term, in-situ soil moisture data
Matthias Zink, Stephan Dietrich, Fay Boehmer, Tunde Olarinoye, Wolfgang Korres, Kasjen Kramer, Wouter
Dorigo, Irene Himmelbauer, Daniel Aberer, Ivana Petrakovic, Lukas Schremmer
contact: ismn@bafg.de
 ISMN data availability

In situ data + metadata

Surface Soil
(x) Soil moisture + 7 additional variables temperature temperature
integrated in the DB

Air
73 networks participate Snow depth temperature
(June 2022) Soil
moisture
>2900 stations with several depths
integrated (June 2022)
Snow water Precipitation
equivalent
Time series available from 1952 up
to near real time (see graph) Soil suction

Daily update of 6 NRT networks 

~1000 stations (June 2022)
 ISMN data availability

In situ data + metadata

(x) Soil moisture + 7 additional variables

integrated in the DB

73 networks participate
(June 2022)

>2900 stations with several depths

integrated (June 2022)

Time series available from 1952 up

to near real time (see graph)
Distribution of the soil moisture stations

Daily update of 5 NRT networks 

~1000 stations (June 2022)
 ISMN data availability

In situ data + metadata

(x) Soil moisture + 7 additional variables

integrated in the DB

73 networks participate
(June 2022)

>2900 stations with several depths

integrated (June 2022)

Time series available from 1952 up

to near real time (see graph)

Daily update of 5 NRT networks 

~1000 stations (June 2022)
 Data harmonisation

every network provider has its own system

PROVIDER • data access (http, ftp, E-Mail)
format • data format
• etc.

Hourly
data
Missing
values
UTC
shift
Unit
conver
sion

ISMN
standard
unified data format
 Data quality flagging
1) Geophysical Dynamic Range 2) Geophysical Consistency 3) Spectrum– Based Approach
thresholds for all variables check plausibility with other variables, i.e, detection of spikes and plateaus
soil temperature and precipitation

Keeping flags from provider (rarely provided)

quality flag added to each data point

Source: Dorigo et al, 2013: Global Automated Quality Control of In Situ Soil Moisture Data from
the International Soil Moisture Network, Vadose Zone Journal
 ISMN data usage

ISMN data usage by sector Number of ISMN users

ISMN data usage by organisation type

 ISMN data usage

ISMN data usage by sector Number of ISMN users

ISMN data usage by organisation type

Migration of the ISMN to a new host
 Status of the Migration

Data contributions are very

welcome. Please get in 2023 ISMN in
touch with us: production at
ismn@bafg.de 2021/2022 ICWRGC
ISMN Migration • Auspieces intended
2021/01 • Nov 2021 - May 2022: as WMO und FAO
Clearance of Recruitment of staff data centre
finances from • Dec 2021 - Feb 2022: • Set up of a
German Ministry scientific board
2018 • Cooperation agreement
Start of for Digital and signed
negotations Transport • Transfer agreement
with the under way
German • Feb 2021 - June 2022
2017 technical transfer from
GTN-H Government software stack and data
Panel to new host
Meeting • Jul – Dec 2022: Parallel
operations
Bottleneck: long-term funding for in-situ networks as well as data services

By 2050, I imagine GCOS to have substantially contributed to increase long-term

operation of in-situ observations of ECVs worldwide.

https://ismn.earth
ismn@bafg.de