Positive, negative and neutral feedback loop mechanisms in kharif
The SMAP-SM and SMAP-RZSM (0.9397) show a strong positive correlation suggesting a reinforcing loop between surface and root zone soil moisture. SMAP-SM and ST 10 cm (0.8921) had higher soil moisture correlates with higher soil temperature at 10 cm, potentially due to water’s heat capacity. Short wavelengths (Sentinel 1A; C band) are applicable for SM retrieval for bare soils or sparse vegetation cover, longer wavelengths (SMAP; L band) are partially attenuated by vegetation canopies of groundnut and are amenable for near surface and RZSM determination, contribute to the measured microwave signals (
e.g., brightness temperature) increases with wavelength
(Sadeghi et al., 2019). The very strong positive correlation (0.9849) between root zone soil moisture and soil temperature at 10 cm. VWC (all depths) and SMAP-SM/SMAP-RZSM rely upon Strong positive correlations indicating a reinforcing relationship between soil moisture and volumetric water content. PET (Potential Evapotranspiration) shows strong positive correlations with SMAP-SM (0.9695) and SMAP-RZSM (0.8767), suggesting a complex relationship where higher soil moisture may lead to increased potential for evaporation. The contribution of soil moisture contents to soil temperature (r=0.690) and canopy temperature (r=0.545) is tightly coupled due to the pulse cropping pattern
(Ding et al., 2021; Guna et al., 2024). The correlation weightage and positive feedback network have been illustrated in Fig 2.
Fig 3 depicts the negative feedback mechanism of SMAP-SM and ST 45 cm (-0.9127) employed strong negative correlation suggests deeper soil temperatures decrease as surface soil moisture increases, possibly due to evaporative cooling. These relationships highlight the tight coupling between soil moisture and soil thermal properties, as well as the influence of atmospheric conditions. Soil temperatures at different depths displayed significant correlations in both seasons. The arid environment has a smaller fluctuation range of -1.03 to 0.71, indicating more stable soil moisture conditions. In contrast, the semi-arid environment exhibits a larger fluctuation range of -2.16 to 2.23, suggesting more variability in soil moisture levels. Geographic characteristics of the arid condition are in a more stable climatic region, while the semi-arid environment experiences more extreme weather patterns, contributing to its greater fluctuations in soil moisture. Semi-arid environment is less likely affected by drought events, leading to significant changes in the soil moisture compared to the arid, which experiences less severe drought conditions
(Guo et al., 2023). An increasing trend in VWC (Volumetric Water Content) can be noticed during the starting phase of the study period, during June-July and reaching its maximum value during August-September could be related to the sowing, growing and maturing phases of the Kharif crop and groundnut. A decreasing trend was observed during October-November may be due to the harvesting of the crops
(Suman et al., 2021). The negative-positive feedback transition thresholds in August are generally lower than in June and July
(Wei et al., 2024). SMAP-RZSM and WS (-0.9610) have a strong negative correlation between root zone soil moisture and wind speed, indicating the potential for increased evaporation with higher wind speeds. ST 10 cm and WS (-0.9766) rated a potentially very strong negative correlation between soil temperature at 10 cm and wind speed, suggesting the cooling effects of wind. Albedo shows moderate negative correlations with soil moisture variables, indicating potential feedback where higher soil moisture leads to lower albedo, which could affect surface energy balance. It was evident by the vegetative water content and greenness of groundnut
(Hasan et al., 2014; Zhu et al., 2024). Compared with the land-meteorological coupling strength (the correlation between precipitation and soil moisture) dominates the negative-positive feedback transition threshold. This study sheds new insights into drought feedback
(Wei et al., 2024).
S1A-VV and S1A-VH with most of the variables generally exhibit weak correlations, suggesting limited feedback relationships with other parameters. The probability of the occurrence of backscatter anomalies (P
ano) is a statistical method that looks for the” fingerprints” of subsurface scattering,
i.e., an anti-correlation between backscatter and soil moisture. Even with a higher risk that it overestimates the extent of subsurface scattering. Furthermore, it can be computed monthly, making it possible to use it for masking only measurements acquired during the dry season
(Wagner et al., 2024). Mostly weak correlations were obtained in NR with other variables, indicating limited direct feedback loops with other measured parameters also portrayed in the Network path analysis graph (Fig 4).
Positive, negative and neutral feedback loop mechanisms in rabi
A strong positive correlation was found between SMAP-SM and ERA5-SM (0.8575) and between surface and also root zone soil moisture of SMAP (0.7610). Soil moisture from ERA5 and VWC 30 cm of soil moisture tower, has a very strong positive correlation (0.9564). This positive correlation (0.7194) suggests that as root zone soil moisture increases, the volumetric water content at 30 cm also increases
(Manohara et al., 2020). A strong positive correlation (0.9317) indicates that volumetric water content at different depths such as VWC 30 and 45 cm found closely related in the sensor installed in the Groundnut field. The soil moisture tower measures (~3 cm) with the principle of dielectric constant (dielectric permittivity) and more accurately (± 3%;
Colliander et al., 2017; Montzka et al., 2021) over the frequency of 1-18 GHz
(Suman et al., 2021). PET and ERA5-SM (0.9571) suggest that higher soil moisture measured by ERA5 corresponds with higher Potential Evapotranspiration.
Kumar et al., 2024 corroborated that the soil moisture content at every 0.1 m depth (up to 1.6 m) in the crop root zone was recorded daily using the soil moisture probe throughout the crop period. The variation in the field soil moisture was observed during each repetition. The variation of soil moisture at 0.10 m (0.20 cm
3 cm
-3) and 0.40 m (0.16 cm
3 cm
-3) depth was found. The rise in moisture indicates wetting events (rainfall/irrigation). The irrigation was provided as soon as the moisture in the crop root zone depleted to 30%. The path network analysis is illustrated in Fig 5.
A moderate negative correlation (-0.4480) suggests that as soil moisture (SMAP-SM) increases, relative humidity (RH) decreases. A strong negative correlation (-0.6406) indicates that higher soil moisture from ERA5 measurements correlates with lower relative humidity. The backscatter S1A-VV and RH (-0.7525) show a strong negative correlation, indicating that higher SAR backscatter values correspond to lower relative humidity. The red-colored orthogonal tree network depicts that well in Fig 6. Strong negative (-0.7472) feedback was obtained between SMAP-RZSM and RH showing that higher root zone soil moisture is associated with lower relative humidity. RH and VWC 10 cm have achieved a moderate negative correlation (-0.4234). A strong negative correlation (-0.7261), shows that as volumetric water content at 30cm increases, relative humidity decreases. A very strong negative correlation (-0.8662), indicates that higher relative humidity corresponds with lower wind speed. A weak negative correlation (-0.1999) suggests limited feedback between relative humidity and surface net solar radiation. The feedback process between meteorological and agricultural droughts in land-atmosphere-coupled systems is very complex. Several studies have shown that a certain degree of meteorological drought can be transmitted to agricultural drought due to a lack of atmospheric water vapor.
(Zhang et al., 2021; Du et al., 2021).
A very weak correlation (-0.0200), indicates limited feedback between SAR backscatter values of VV and volumetric water content at 10 cm. A moderate positive correlation (0.4323), suggests a linear relationship between SAR backscatter VH values and Forecast albedo. NR and SMAP-SM (0.5579) with moderate positive correlation. A weak negative correlation between WDV and SMAP-SM (-0.3052) indicates limited feedback between water deficit value and surface soil moisture. A very weak positive correlation (0.0441), suggests limited reinforcing feedback between rainfall and surface soil moisture. A moderate negative correlation (-0.4858), was found between surface net solar radiation (SNSR) and surface soil moisture of SMAP. A strong positive correlation (0.7824), suggests that higher soil moisture corresponds with higher Potential Evapotranspiration. Regarding the dynamic evolution of drought characteristics, the percentages of raster points for drought duration and severity with evaporation as the dominant factor are 30.7% and 32.7% and the percentages with precipitation are 35.3% and 35.0%, respectively
(Machikowa et al., 2020). Precipitation in semi-arid regions has a positive effect on decreasing drought characteristics, while in arid regions, evaporation dominates the dynamics in drought characteristics due to increasing vegetation transpiration
(Guo et al., 2023). The optimum yellow labeled network shows the neutrality within variables in Fig 7. The analysis reveals strong correlations between SMAP-SM, ERA5-SM and various parameters, highlighting soil moisture’s critical role in subsurface water dynamics and its complex feedback loops with atmospheric conditions.