FIFE Automated Meteorological Station Data with Radiation Measurements

1987-1989 data from the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) includes 5-minute and 30-minute averaged near-surface meteorological and radiometric measurements. The dataset was processed and archived by the FIFE Information System (FIS) under NASA. Automated stations measured core variables like air temperature and wind, while two super-stations provided detailed radiation components.

Use Cases

• Validating land surface models using concurrent measurements of net radiation, soil temperature, and surface temperature.
• Analyzing diurnal cycles of surface energy balance with 5-minute data for air temperature, humidity, and wind speed.
• Studying photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) dynamics in relation to other shortwave radiation components (direct, diffuse, reflected).
• Investigating precipitation events and their impact on near-surface humidity and soil temperature.
• Correlating downward longwave radiation with other meteorological variables to understand atmospheric emissivity.

Strengths

• Provides high-temporal-resolution data with both raw 5-minute and averaged 30-minute products.
• Includes detailed radiation measurements from two super-stations (SAMS) for total, direct, diffuse, PAR, and downward longwave radiation.
• Covers a multi-year field campaign (FIFE) from 1987 to 1989, offering seasonal variability.

Limitations

• Exact row counts and dataset size are not specified on any platform.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: NASA Earthdata lists 1989, while Data.gov lists 2026, indicating potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), FIFE Information System (FIS).

Collection Method

Measurements collected by Automated Meteorological Stations (AMS) distributed over the FIFE study area.

Time Range

1987-1989 (implied by the FIFE campaign period).

Freshness

2026-03-13 (from Data.gov, though this likely reflects a metadata refresh, not data collection).

Geography

FIFE study area (Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA).