Assimilation of remote sensing data in a hydrologic model to improve estimates of spatially distributed soil moisture

A data assimilation scheme has been applied using field data to determine the effects of the temporal frequency at which remote observations are assimilated to adjust model soil moisture profiles. It was found that, in terms of near-surface soil moisture, there is generally a gradual decrease in performance as the update frequency decreases. Performance for update periods longer than 8 days is nearly identical to that of a simulation performed without assimilation.