Soil Parameters
Soil Moisture Index (SMI) | Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) | Soil Water Content | Interval Values of Soil Water Content | Soil Type | Soil Temperatures
Soil Moisture Index (SMI)
The soil moisture index indicates the wetness of the soil. This index is computed using the permanent wilting point and the field capacity, which both depend on the geographical location (soil type). The index is 0 if the permanent wilting point is reached and 1 at field capacity. Note that the index can exceed 1 after rainfall events. The soil moisture index is available for 4 depth levels.
soil_moisture_index_<depth>:idx
Available depths: -5cm, -15cm, -50cm, -150cm
Depth Identifier | Soil Layer |
-5cm | 0 - 7 cm |
-15cm | 7 - 28 cm |
-50cm | 28 - 100 cm |
-150cm | 100 - 289 cm |
Example:
- Course of the SMI during 2018 in St. Gallen:
Current situation:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-12-03T00:00:00ZP5D:PT1H/soil_moisture_index_-5cm:idx,soil_moisture_index_-15cm:idx,soil_moisture_index_-50cm:idx,soil_moisture_index_-150cm:idx/47.412164,9.340652/html?source=mix
Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD)
This parameter computes the difference between the actual water content of the soil and the possible water content that the soil can hold in mm. The amount of water that can be hold is called field capacity. The calculation of the SMD is mainly based on soil water information in several depths as well as other meteorological parameters. The SMD is a useful tool in order to assess prevailing soil conditions like droughts. The SMD also depends on the soil type.
soil_moisture_deficit:mm
Example:
- Course of the SMD during 2019 in the south-east in the UK:
Current situation:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-12-03T00:00:00ZP5D:PT1H/soil_moisture_deficit:mm/52.62811,-0.01968/html?source=mix
Soil Water Content
This parameter provides the volume of water for 4 soil layers. The soil water content depends on the soil type, soil depth and the groundwater level.
volumetric_soil_water_<depth>:m3m3
Available depths: -5cm, -15cm, -50cm, -150cm
Depth Identifier | Soil Layer |
-5cm | 0 - 7 cm |
-15cm | 7 - 28 cm |
-50cm | 28 - 100 cm |
-150cm | 100 - 289 cm |
Example:
- Course of the soil water content for different soil layers during 2018 in St. Gallen:
Current situation:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-12-03T00:00:00ZP5D:PT1H/volumetric_soil_water_-5cm:m3m3,volumetric_soil_water_-15cm:m3m3,volumetric_soil_water_-50cm:m3m3,volumetric_soil_water_-150cm:m3m3/47.412164,9.340652/html?source=mix
Interval Values of Soil Water Content
Gives the mean, maximum or minimum volumetric soil water content at the indicated level over the indicated duration.
volumetric_soil_water_<measure>_<level>_<interval>:m3m3
Available levels (see soil levels descriptions above): -5cm, -15cm, -50cm, -150cm
Available measures: mean, min, max
Available intervals: 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h
Example:
Soil Type
This parameter provides the soil type for any location on the globe. The index takes values from 0 to 7, where each number indicates an individual soil type.
soil_type:idx
Soil Type | Description |
0 | Ocean/Lake |
1 | Coarse |
2 | Medium |
3 | Medium Fine |
4 | Fine |
5 | Very Fine |
6 | Organic |
7 | Tropical Organic |
Example:
- Soil types around the globe:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-12-03T00:00:00Z/soil_type:idx/world:0.1,0.1/png
Soil Temperatures
Soil temperatures refer to temperatures in various soil depths. In general, soil temperatures depend on the soil type and represent the middle of each layer.
t_<depth>:<unit>
Available depths: -5cm, -15cm, -50cm, -150cm
Available units: C, K, F
Example:
-
Create a time series of soil temperatures in °C at different altitudes for Paris:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-12-03T00:00:00Z--2024-12-06T00:00:00Z:PT1H/t_-5cm:C,t_-15cm:C,t_-50cm:C,t_-150cm:C/48.8566,2.3522/html