Assimilating ASCAT normalized backscatter and slope into the land surface model ISBA-A-gs using a Deep Neural Network as the observation operator: Case studies at ISMN stations in western Europe

ASCAT normalized backscatter (σ₄₀^o) and slope (σ^′) contain valuable information about soil moisture and vegetation. While σ₄₀^o has been assimilated to constrain soil moisture, sometimes together with Leaf Area Index (LAI), this study is the first to assimilate σ^′ directly to...