Amazon Rainforest Tower Temperature and CO2 Flux Profiles

Hourly temperature profiles from eight heights on a tower in the Tapajos National Forest, Brazil, spanning January 2002 to January 2006. Co-located measurements include CO2 and H2O concentration profiles, canopy storage, and eddy flux data from two levels, alongside other meteorological parameters. The dataset is associated with a Ph.D. thesis from Harvard University and is hosted by multiple platforms including NASA EarthData.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature gradients within and above the Amazon rainforest canopy using measurements from 0.6m to 61.9m.
• Studying diurnal and seasonal cycles of CO2 and H2O concentration profiles measured at eight levels.
• Calculating eddy covariance fluxes of CO2 and H2O using data from sonic anemometers and gas analyzers at 58m and 47m.
• Investigating relationships between temperature, radiation (PAR, net radiation), precipitation, and gas exchange dynamics.
• Validating or parameterizing land surface models for tropical primary forest sites.

Strengths

• Provides co-located, multi-level measurements for temperature, CO2, and H2O from a single tower, enabling integrated analysis.
• Covers a multi-year period (approximately 4 years) from 2002 to 2006, capturing seasonal variability.
• Includes detailed methodological descriptions of instruments (aspirated thermistors, Licor gas analyzers, CSAT3 sonic anemometers).
• Dataset is referenced in and includes a companion Ph.D. thesis, providing academic context.

Limitations

• Key structural metadata (exact column names, row count, file size) is unavailable from the provided sources.
• Conflicting last update dates exist between platforms (2006-01-18 and 2026-03 13), suggesting potential metadata inconsistencies.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD; Measurements associated with research by Hutyra, L.R., Harvard University.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from a tower using aspirated thermistors, Licor gas analyzers, and sonic anemometers, averaged over hourly intervals.

Time Range

January 2002 through January 2006

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:16:18.593426

Geography

Para Western (Santarem) - km 67, Primary Forest Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest, north central Brazil.