Large-scale, real-time monitoring of Soil Moisture dynamics with Cosmic Rays

The availability of soil water resources is regulated by soil features such as texture, structure and soil organic content. It is challenging to establish the expected water reservoir dynamic boundaries, due to soil natural complexity which develops significant variability even within small areas. A solution to this issue is Cosmic-Rays Neutron Sensing (CRNS). It offers the capability to monitor the actual water content dynamics of an entire field yearround, using a single non-invasive sensor. Importantly, CRNS averages over soil variability, positioning itself at a spatial scale that bridges the gap between point measurements and satellite data1. Information obtained by CRNS can be integrated with other techniques such as point-scale measurements, sampling campaigns and satellites passes. When combined with pedological knowledge of the sites, this provides a more comprehensive and reliable picture of water content dynamics at different scales. This approach enhances our understanding of soil water resources and informs better management strategies.