Unified North American Soil Map for Carbon Program Modeling

Soil maps provide key physical and chemical attributes for North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and part of Guatemala. The dataset integrates information from authoritative national soil databases and specialized carbon inventories to support terrestrial biosphere modeling. It was compiled by the NACP Modeling and Synthesis Thematic Data Center (MAST-DC) and used as input for 22 models in the Multi-Scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project.

Use Cases

• Calibrating terrestrial biosphere models using soil attributes like sand, silt, clay, and organic carbon content.
• Assessing soil carbon storage potential, particularly in high-latitude permafrost regions, using the integrated NCSCD data.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of soil properties such as pH, cation exchange capacity, and bulk density for agricultural or environmental studies.
• Providing baseline soil depth and texture data for hydrological or land surface models across North America.

Strengths

• Integrates three authoritative sources: US STATSGO2, Canadian SLCs, and the global HWSD1.21, with specialized carbon data from NCSCD for permafrost regions.
• Provides eight key soil attributes for two depth layers (0-30 cm and 30-100 cm), enabling layered analysis.
• Has been validated through use as driver data for 22 terrestrial biosphere models in a major model intercomparison project (MsTMIP).
• Offers continent-wide coverage at a consistent 0.25-degree spatial resolution.

Limitations

• Conflicting last updated dates exist between sources (2010-12-30 and 2026-03-12), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source, limiting precise technical assessment.
• The 'other-license-specified' license requires users to investigate the exact terms of use.

Provenance

Source

Compiled by the NACP Modeling and Synthesis Thematic Data Center (MAST-DC) from STATSGO2, SLCs, HWSD1.21, and NCSCD databases.

Collection Method

Spatial integration and harmonization of existing soil map databases to create a unified grid.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03 12 23:33:24.141545

Geography

United States (including Alaska), Canada, Mexico, and part of Guatemala.