Stable Isotope CO2 Data from Five AmeriFlux Sites

Measurements of stable isotope ratios (13C/12C and 18O/16O) in CO2 associated with photosynthetic and respiratory exchanges across the biosphere-atmosphere boundary. Data were collected periodically from 2001 through 2004 at five AmeriFlux sites representing dominant U.S. ecosystem types. This dataset was produced by NASA's Terrestrial Carbon Processes project to monitor isotopic effects at diurnal to interannual scales.

Use Cases

• Analyzing diurnal and seasonal patterns in atmospheric CO2 concentration and isotope ratios.
• Comparing isotopic signatures of ecosystem-atmosphere exchange across different forest and prairie sites.
• Calibrating or validating models of terrestrial carbon processes using long-term, site-specific isotopic data.
• Investigating the functional differences between ecosystems through their isotopic variation.

Strengths

• Data spans five distinct AmeriFlux sites (Harvard Forest, Howland Forest, Rannells Flint Hills Prairie, Niwot Ridge Forest, Wind River Canopy Crane Site), covering major U.S. ecosystem types.
• Measurements capture isotopic effects at multiple temporal scales: diurnal, seasonal, and interannual, based on weekly monitoring intervals.
• Data collection occurred over a multi-year period from 2001 to 2004, providing a temporal baseline.

Limitations

• Key structural details like column names, row count, and file size are not provided by any source.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: Data.gov lists 2026-03 13, while NASA Earthdata lists 2005-01-02, suggesting potential administrative versus data collection date discrepancies.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Terrestrial Carbon Processes (TCP) project.

Collection Method

Long term monitoring of stable isotope ratios of CO2 at selected AmeriFlux sites, collected periodically at weekly intervals.

Time Range

2001 through 2004

Freshness

2026 03 13 06:57:07.536958

Geography

Selected AmeriFlux sites in the United States: Harvard Forest, Howland Forest, Rannells Flint Hills Prairie, Niwot Ridge Forest, and the Wind River Canopy Crane Site.