Estimation of soil water balance using satellite data from 2010-2021 in the Doñana National Park (Spain)

Abstract

The soil water balance is one of the most effective methodologies to know the availability of soil water resources. Although there are several methods for calculating soil water balance, nowadays, the emergence of Earth observation tools, such as remote sensing, allows the collection of soil water data in a very effective way, improving the accuracy of meteorological measurements. This study involves a comparison of two different methodologies for the calculation of soil water balance in the Doñana National Park (Huelva, Spain), for period between 2010 and 2021. The soil water balance obtained with meteorological data, after applying the Thornthwaite method, is compared with the CCI-SM (Climate Change Initiative - Soil Moisture) product of the ESA (European Space Agency) obtained with radar data from several satellites for the same period and the same study area. Preliminary results show a strong correlation between the maximum soil water storage capacity (Amax) data for meteorological and satellite data. Over the last 11 years, soil water balance in Doñana National Park has decreased, indicating more severe and prolonged periods of drought.