<p>I am using ERA5 soil moisture for drought analysis. I do not understand what negative values for soil moisture means, could someone please offer an explanation?  </p>

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2019-11-27T17:02:34.160Z
I have voted to reopen this question. This question asks what do negative numbers for soil moisture mean. The other, supposedly duplicate question is asking what to do with negative values for soil moisture.
Fred
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2019-11-28T14:24:10.930Z
I voted reopen too
marsisalie
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2019-12-02T18:02:46.350Z
I agree that this question is a duplicate, but it is a duplicate of this one: https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/17839/era5-mean-evaporation-rates-data-why-is-that-negative
Nemesi
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2019-12-04T08:58:18.747Z
@Nemesi I disagree - both dupe questions are about the sign convention of fluxes, which physically can be positive or negative. This question is about negative values for a mass, which doesn't make sense physically.
Deditos
<climate>
What the negative values in ERA5 soil moisture represent?
Mekonnen Adnew degefu
# What the negative values in ERA5 soil moisture represent?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-27)

I am using ERA5 soil moisture for drought analysis. I do not understand what negative values for soil moisture means, could someone please offer an explanation?

**Tags:** climate

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I have voted to reopen this question. This question asks what do negative numbers for soil moisture mean. The other, supposedly duplicate question is asking what to do with negative values for soil moisture.  
> **username_2**: I voted reopen too  
> **username_3**: I agree that this question is a duplicate, but it is a duplicate of this one: https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/17839/era5-mean-evaporation-rates-data-why-is-that-negative  
> **username_4**: @username_3 I disagree - both dupe questions are about the sign convention of fluxes, which physically can be positive or negative. This question is about negative values for a mass, which doesn't make sense physically.  

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