LBA-ECO TG-02: Biogenic VOC Concentrations from Amazon Forest and Pasture Sites

Approximately 24 to 40 soundings were made at each of five Brazilian Amazon sites between 1998 and 2000, collecting air samples via tethered balloon at various altitudes. The dataset reports concentrations of biogenic volatile organic compounds, including isoprene, alpha and beta pinene, camphene, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, and other monoterpenes. It provides a direct comparison of atmospheric chemistry between forest and pasture ecosystems in the Amazon basin.

Use Cases

• Modeling biogenic VOC emission fluxes from tropical forests based on altitude-specific concentration measurements.
• Comparing atmospheric chemistry profiles between intact forest, forest reserve, and pasture land-use types.
• Analyzing seasonal or interannual variability in isoprene and monoterpene concentrations across three sampling campaigns.
• Validating satellite-derived atmospheric composition data with in-situ, vertically-resolved measurements.
• Studying the vertical distribution of reactive organic compounds within and above the Amazon forest canopy.

Strengths

• Provides direct, in-situ measurements from five distinct geographic sites within the Brazilian Amazon.
• Captures vertical profile data with up to four simultaneous VOC samples at different altitudes per sounding.
• Covers a multi-year time range with campaigns in March 1998, February 1999, and February 2000.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and file size are unknown across all platforms.
• There is a significant conflict in dataset freshness: one source lists a last update in 2026, while another indicates the data collection ended in 2000.
• The license is ambiguously specified as 'other-license-specified' without clear terms for reuse.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Collection Method

Air samples collected from tethered balloon-sampling platforms.

Time Range

March 1998 to February 2000.

Freshness

Last updated date conflicts: 2026-04-10 (datagov) vs 2000-02-16 (nasa_earthdata).

Geography

Brazilian Amazon: Tapajos forest (Para), Balbina (Amazonas), Jaru, Rebio Jaru reserve, and Fazenda Nossa Senhora Aparecida pasture (Rondonia).