Irrigation-equipped land fraction is mapped for South America at a 5-minute by 5-minute grid cell resolution, approximately 9.25 km square at the equator. The dataset combines statistical administrative data with geographical point, polygon, and raster information to estimate irrigation coverage. It was produced by CEOS_EXTRA and represents conditions around the year 1995.
Use Cases
- Model historical agricultural water demand by analyzing the irrigation fraction per grid cell.
- Assess land use change by comparing this 1995 irrigation map with more recent satellite-derived datasets.
- Calibrate regional hydrological models using the spatial distribution of irrigated areas as an input parameter.
- Study the correlation between irrigation infrastructure and administrative unit boundaries used in the data's derivation.
Strengths
- Spatial resolution of approximately 9.25 km at the equator provides regional-scale detail.
- Data synthesis from multiple sources (statistical records and geographical features) enhances reliability.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is limited to a single snapshot circa 1995, making it outdated for current analysis.
- The specific row count and total file size are unknown, limiting assessment of computational requirements.
- Accuracy may be constrained by the quality and resolution of the 1995-era source administrative and geographical data.
Provenance
- Source
- CEOS_EXTRA via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Derived by combining statistical data on irrigation area within administrative units with geographical information on irrigated areas in point, polygon, and raster formats.
- Time Range
- circa 1995
- Freshness
- 1995-12-31
- Geography
- South America