BOREAS TGB-04: Beaver Pond Carbon and Energy Flux Measurements

Northern Study Area (NSA) in the boreal forest hosts this dataset of heat, water, and CO2 exchange measurements. The BOREAS TGB-04 team collected data from a beaver pond atmosphere during the ice-free period from May 28 to September 18, 1994. Columns likely contain measurements for surface temperature, solar irradiance, water vapor, wind speed, water table depth, and photosynthetically active radiation.

Use Cases

• Modeling boreal wetland carbon budgets based on CO2 flux measurements.
• Analyzing diurnal energy exchange patterns using heat flux and net radiation data.
• Studying evapotranspiration dynamics from a beaver pond using water vapor and surface temperature data.
• Correlating photosynthetically active radiation with carbon uptake during the growing season.
• Investigating the impact of surface winds on local micrometeorology and gas transfer.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous, high-temporal-resolution record for the entire ice-free season of 1994.
• Measures a multi-variable suite of atmospheric, radiation, and hydrological parameters simultaneously.
• Data originates from the NASA-led BOREAS project, a major field campaign.

Limitations

• Column names and precise data structure are not specified in the available metadata.
• The dataset is over 30 years old, limiting its use for contemporary climate studies without complementary recent data.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (1994 vs. 2026), casting doubt on provenance clarity.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) BOREAS project team TGB-04.

Collection Method

Field measurements from a tower flux station at a boreal forest beaver pond.

Time Range

1994-05-28 to 1994-09-18

Freshness

Last updated metadata conflicts: one source indicates 1994-09-17, another indicates 2026-04-10.

Geography

Boreal forest in the Northern Study Area (NSA), likely in Canada.