LBA-ECO ND-02: Soil Water Content from Amazon Rainfall Exclusion Experiment

From 1999 to 2001, this dataset contains monthly measured and daily simulated soil volumetric water content (VWC) from a controlled rainfall exclusion experiment in the Tapajos National Forest, Brazil. It was designed to observe the effects of severe water stress on a humid Amazonian forest. The data includes separate files for control and treatment plots, supporting the validation of a hydrological model that incorporates rainfall and plant water uptake.

Use Cases

• Validating hydrological models based on measured vs. simulated soil moisture data.
• Analyzing the impact of experimental drought on Amazonian forest soil water dynamics.
• Comparing monthly measured and daily simulated soil volumetric water content (VWC) time series.
• Studying plant water uptake patterns under controlled rainfall exclusion conditions.

Strengths

• Provides both empirical measurements and model simulations for direct comparison.
• Covers a multi-year experimental period (1999-2001) for observing temporal trends.
• Includes data from both a control plot and a treatment plot for experimental contrast.

Limitations

• Column names and exact row counts are not provided in the available metadata.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (2001 vs. 2026), casting doubt on data currency.
• The specific license is listed only as 'other-license-specified', requiring further investigation.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Data originates from a field-based rainfall exclusion experiment and subsequent STELLA model simulations.

Time Range

1999-2001

Freshness

2026-04-10 (from datagov, though this conflicts with a 2001 date from nasa_earthdata)

Geography

km 67 Seca Floresta site, Tapajos National Forest, Brazil