Eddy Correlation Surface Flux: ANL FIFE Campaign Measurements

Two fixed sites and a portable system collected surface flux measurements within the FIFE study area on the Konza Prairie. Data collection occurred daily during five Intensive Field Campaigns in the 1987 growing season and the 1989 summer dry down, with additional portable measurements between June 1 and October 13, 1987. The dataset contains turbulence quantities, including covariances and standard deviations of winds, temperature, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone, to relate mass fluxes to surface biophysical conditions and remote sensing signals.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy budgets based on measured heat, water vapor, and momentum fluxes.
• Studying carbon and ozone exchange dynamics between prairie ecosystems and the atmosphere.
• Relating turbulent flux measurements to vegetative parameters and surface optical characteristics for remote sensing validation.
• Analyzing the impact of prescribed burning cycles on local micrometeorology and trace gas emissions.

Strengths

• Data originates from a well-documented, focused field campaign (FIFE) with a specific scientific purpose.
• Includes measurements of multiple key atmospheric variables (CO2, O3, H2O, winds, temperature) from coordinated intensive campaigns.
• Combines fixed-site time series with spatially distributed portable measurements, offering both temporal depth and spatial context.

Limitations

• Key metadata is sparse or conflicting: column names are unknown, and the last updated date conflicts between 1989 (nasa_earthdata) and 2026 (datagov).
• The dataset's temporal coverage is limited to specific campaigns in 1987 and 1989, not a continuous long-term record.
• Documentation gaps exist, as radiation measurements were explicitly not taken, limiting some energy balance calculations.

Provenance

Source

Argonne National Laboratory, collected for the FIFE (First ISLSCP Field Experiment) project.

Collection Method

Field measurements using eddy correlation systems at fixed and portable sites.

Time Range

1987-06-01 to 1989-08-13 (covering the 1987 campaigns and the 1989 summer dry down).

Freshness

2026-04-10 03:42:38.941288 (from datagov, but conflicts with 1989 date from nasa_earthdata)

Geography

Konza Prairie Natural Research Area, Kansas, USA, specifically within the FIFE study area's northwest quadrant.