Simsphere: A Downloadable Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere–Transfer (SVAT) Model for Teaching and Research

Abstract

Abstract Simsphere, a soil–vegetation–atmosphere–transfer (SVAT) model developed at The Pennsylvania State University, can be downloaded from the web for use by students and researchers. In existence for several decades, Simsphere has figured in both the classroom and in research at several universities. As such, Simsphere has been supported by a knowledgeable group of academic users and has been applied in a variety of applications, such as in remote sensing of surface soil water content and in the assessment of water and ozone stresses on plants. This paper describes the model and how it can be downloaded and run.