Soil Moisture Parameterization and Its Influences in Weather and Climate Simulation: A Review

The soil hydrological process in land surface models and its influences on weather and climate simulation have got much attention by scholars both at home and abroad. First, this paper traced the definition and determination of soil moisture, and then reviewed its parameterization in different models, including soil-water characteristic curves for different soil types and numerical methods for solving soil moisture equations. Moreover, methods of soil hydrological parameter determination and uncertainties within land surface models were specified. Also, the importance of methods in parameter sensitivity analysis and optimization was emphasized, and the new datasets of soil hydraulic parameters would play a very important role in the improvement of the land surface model and soil moisture simulation. Finally, the research progress of feedback mechanism between soil moisture and precipitation was summarized. Spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture and its abnormal would cause a positive feedback, and on the contrary, the meso-scale characteristics of soil moisture distribution had a negative feedback. By summarizing the progresses of the uncertainties and problems in soil moisture simulation, the influences of soil moisture on simulating weather and climate were pointed out.