Global soil moisture. Satellite map showing the global variation in soil moisture, using a radiometer sensor to show the temperature brightness variation from cold (blue) to warmer (yellow) to warm (red). The data is from the NASA satellite, the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory. SMAP was launched on 31 January 2015, and these results from 31 March to 3 April 2015 were the first results from its observations. SMAP will combine two different sensor modes (radar and radiometer) to produce a combined soil moisture measurement. For the radar map, see C032/1707. For the combined data, see C032/1708.