EPSCoR Researchers Deploy High-tech COSMOS Rover to Study Soil Moisture

The COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System, better known as the COSMOS rover, is currently being calibrated on a 90-mile track of the Cimarron River basin of Oklahoma.  The rover, which assesses soil moisture by counting the number of fast-moving particles created by cosmic rays from space, is just one of the state-of-the-art tools currently being used by Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR researchers as part of the Adapting Socio-Ecological Systems to Increased Climate Variability research project. Once testing is complete, COSMOS will be deployed in other areas of the state. 

Data obtained from the rover will be used to map soil moisture across Oklahoma, providing important information to guide land-use.  Farmers, for instance, will be able to make informed decisions regarding irrigation timing and saturation levels for optimal crop success. 

For more information about the OK NSF EPSCoR research project visit www.okepscor.org.  

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Photo Credit:  Yohannes Tadesse Yimam