A method for automatically monitoring soil surface roughness as a ground-engaging operation is being performed within a field using a work vehicle towing an implement, the method comprising receiving, with one or more computing devices, pre-operation surface roughness data associated with a given portion of the field, the pre-operation surface roughness data corresponding to surface roughness data for the given portion of the field captured prior to the ground-engaging operation being performed thereon, receiving, with the one or more computing devices, post-operation surface roughness data associated with the given portion of the field, the post-operation surface roughness data corresponding to surface roughness data for the given portion of the field captured after the ground-engaging operation has been performed thereon, analyzing, with the one or more computing devices, the pre-operation and post-operation surface roughness data to determine a surface roughness differential associated with the performance of the ground-engaging operation; and actively adjusting, with the one or more computing devices, the operation of at least one of the work vehicle or the implement when the surface roughness differential differs from a target set for the surface roughness differential, wherein analyzing the pre-operation and post-operation surface roughness data is characterized by: analyzing the pre-operation surface roughness data to determine a pre-operation surface roughness value for the given portion of the field; and analyzing the post-operation surface roughness data to determine a post-operation surface roughness value for the given portion of the field; wherein the surface roughness differential is calculated based on the pre-operation and the post-operation surface roughness values, the method further comprising: estimating a baseline ground surface as a function of at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness data or the post-operation surface roughness data; and determining at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness value or the post-operation surface roughness value as a function of the baseline ground surface. receiving, with one or more computing devices, pre-operation surface roughness data associated with a given portion of the field, the pre-operation surface roughness data corresponding to surface roughness data for the given portion of the field captured prior to the ground-engaging operation being performed thereon, receiving, with the one or more computing devices, post-operation surface roughness data associated with the given portion of the field, the post-operation surface roughness data corresponding to surface roughness data for the given portion of the field captured after the ground-engaging operation has been performed thereon, analyzing, with the one or more computing devices, the pre-operation and post-operation surface roughness data to determine a surface roughness differential associated with the performance of the ground-engaging operation; and actively adjusting, with the one or more computing devices, the operation of at least one of the work vehicle or the implement when the surface roughness differential differs from a target set for the surface roughness differential, wherein analyzing the pre-operation and post-operation surface roughness data is characterized by: analyzing the pre-operation surface roughness data to determine a pre-operation surface roughness value for the given portion of the field; and analyzing the post-operation surface roughness data to determine a post-operation surface roughness value for the given portion of the field; wherein the surface roughness differential is calculated based on the pre-operation and the post-operation surface roughness values, the method further comprising: estimating a baseline ground surface as a function of at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness data or the post-operation surface roughness data; and determining at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness value or the post-operation surface roughness value as a function of the baseline ground surface. analyzing the pre-operation surface roughness data to determine a pre-operation surface roughness value for the given portion of the field; and analyzing the post-operation surface roughness data to determine a post-operation surface roughness value for the given portion of the field; wherein the surface roughness differential is calculated based on the pre-operation and the post-operation surface roughness values, the method further comprising: estimating a baseline ground surface as a function of at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness data or the post-operation surface roughness data; and determining at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness value or the post-operation surface roughness value as a function of the baseline ground surface. estimating a baseline ground surface as a function of at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness data or the post-operation surface roughness data; and determining at least one of the pre-operation surface roughness value or the post-operation surface roughness value as a function of the baseline ground surface.