Hem Chandra Joshi, Aadarsh Joshi | International Journal of Water Resources Engineering | Vol 12, Issue 1 | ISSN: 2456-1606
Abstract
Abstract: Soil moisture is a critical Earth system variable linking atmospheric, hydrological, and ecological processes. However, observations are sparse and fragmented: in situ gauges provide point data, satellite missions (SMAP, SMOS, Sentinel-1) offer broad coverage at coarse resolutionQ, and land‐surface models (GLDAS, ERA5, etc.) yield estimates with their own biase. Here we propose a conceptual framework for integrated environmental data modelling, combining rainfall, temperature, and soil moisture information with machine learning (ML) to enhance predictive capability. The framework envisions fusing multi-source data (meteorological reanalysis, remote sensing products, ground networks, vegetation indices) into a unified feature set, then applying interpretable ML models to forecast soil moisture and related hydrological states. We review recent advances: ML‐based global soil moisture datasets (e.g., SoMo.ml), remote sensing retrievals and indices, and climate-driven modelling studies. We outline a data integration strategy with preprocessing steps and model training procedures. Preliminary insights suggest that ensemble ML models (Random Forest, XGBoost) effectively capture nonlinear climate–soil interactions, especially when multi-sensor inputs are used. The integrated approach can improve drought and water balance predictions by leveraging synergistic signals from rainfall, temperature, and vegetation. In sum, this conceptual study positions soil moisture prediction within a broader data-science environmental modelling paradigm, highlighting opportunities for data fusion and interdisciplinary analytics.
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How to cite this article
@article{JoshiHC2026,
author = {Hem Chandra Joshi and Aadarsh Joshi},
title = {Data Science for Environmental Modelling},
journal = {International Journal of Water Resources Engineering},
year = {2026},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
issn = {2456-1606},
url = {https://journalspub.com/publication/ijwre/article=24840}
}