NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Forest Ecosystem Dynamics program collected aerosol optical thickness data using a ground-based sunphotometer. Measurements were taken at the Northern Experimental Forest in Howland, Maine, to support calibration of remote sensing instruments. The dataset was last updated in September 1990.
Use Cases
- Calibrate remote sensing instrument readings using aerosol optical thickness values measured at seven specific wavelengths (440, 522, 613, 672, 781, 871, 1030 nm).
- Model atmospheric attenuation effects on vegetation change studies by analyzing time-series optical thickness data.
- Study aerosol interactions in boreal ecosystems by examining measurements from the Northern Experimental Forest site.
Strengths
- Data captured at seven distinct spectral channels with 10 nm full width at half maximum.
- Measurements made with a specialized, temperature-stabilized SXM-2 sunphotometer providing consistent readings.
Limitations
- Dataset is temporally stale, with the last update recorded in 1990.
- Geographic coverage is limited to a single forest site in Howland, Maine.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics (Biospheric Sciences Branch) and associated University investigators.
- Collection Method
- Ground-based measurements using an eight-channel SXM-2 sunphotometer that automatically tracks the sun.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- 1990-09-15
- Geography
- Northern Experimental Forest (NEF) in Howland, Maine, USA.