The goal of the study was to improve the accuracy of soil moisture predictions in land surface models by retrieving soil hydraulic parameters using near-surface soil moisture data. The researchers tested two models, CABLE and JULES, to see which one was better at this task. They found that certain soil parameters have a big impact on soil moisture predictions, and by adjusting these parameters, they were able to improve the models' accuracy in simulating real conditions. This research shows that by using near-surface soil moisture data, we can better understand and predict soil moisture dynamics, which is crucial for managing water and energy fluxes in the environment.