AirMOSS P-Band Radar Backscatter Data for Duke Forest

Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) Level 1 polarimetric radar backscattering coefficient data collected over Duke Forest, North Carolina. The dataset contains polarimetrically calibrated, georeferenced P-band SAR measurements from NASA Gulfstream-III aircraft flights conducted at least twice per year between 2012 and 2015. These measurements are designed to retrieve root-zone soil moisture for studying its seasonal and inter-annual variability and relationship to carbon fluxes.

Use Cases

• Retrieving root-zone soil moisture (RZSM) using polarimetric radar backscatter coefficient (sigma-0) data.
• Analyzing seasonal and inter-annual variability in soil moisture across a forested site.
• Investigating relationships between subsurface soil moisture and ecosystem carbon fluxes.
• Calibrating and validating synthetic aperture radar (SAR) models for vegetation and soil interaction at P-band frequencies.
• Studying polarimetric scattering properties of a temperate forest canopy and subsurface.

Strengths

• Data is polarimetrically calibrated and georeferenced, providing ready-to-use scientific measurements.
• Covers a multi-year time series with at least biannual campaigns from 2012 to 2015, enabling temporal analysis.
• Collected using a specialized NASA P-band (420-440 MHz) radar instrument designed for subsurface sensing.
• Represents one of 10 continental-scale study sites, supporting broader ecological and hydrological investigations.

Limitations

• Conflicting last updated dates: Data.gov lists 2026-03 13 (likely a placeholder), while NASA Earthdata lists 2015-09-10.
• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not documented on any platform.
• Spatial coverage is limited to the Duke Forest site; data for other study sites may be in separate collections.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Airborne remote sensing via the AirMOSS P-band fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mounted on a Gulfstream-III aircraft.

Time Range

2012 to 2015

Freshness

2015-09-10 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Duke Forest site, North Carolina, USA