Temporal and spatial variations of soil moisture in Shanxi Province are analyzed by using Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method with ArcGIS software package

based on soil moisture and precipitation data from 64 monitoring stations during 2003-2012..The annual and seasonal variations in soil moisture are obtained

and influences of precipitation and temperature changes on soil moisture are investigated using correlation analysis technique. The results indicate that soil moisture is high in the southeast Shanxi

and low in the north and south parts of the Shanxi province. All soil moistures at 10

20 and 40 cm soil depth show similar variation feature to spatial patterns

but with a less variability in soil moisture at lower soil layer. Moreover

soil moisture tends to increase from the upper to the lower soil profile. There are no clear interdecadal change but obvious seasonal change in soil moisture

decreasing from March

becoming increase in June

and then decreasing again from October. Precipitation plays a key role in spatiotemporal variations of moisture and influences of temperature on soil moisture are moderate.