SAFARI 2000: Meteorological and Carbon Flux Measurements from Maun, Botswana

SAFARI 2000 project data from NASA provides 30-minute averaged measurements of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy fluxes from a meteorological tower in a semi-arid savanna near Maun, Botswana, during 2000. The dataset captures seasonal variation across wet and dry periods and includes parameters like air temperature, radiation, soil moisture, and precipitation. Companion files offer long-term climatic data for the Maun area.

Use Cases

• Modeling savanna carbon and water exchange based on eddy covariance flux measurements.
• Analyzing seasonal energy partitioning using latent and sensible heat flux data.
• Studying soil-vegetation-atmosphere interactions using concurrent soil moisture, temperature, and meteorological data.
• Validating remote sensing products for semi-arid woodlands using albedo and radiation measurements.

Strengths

• Data covers distinct wet and dry seasons in 2000, providing seasonal contrast.
• Includes a wide range of co-located parameters (18+ listed) for integrated analysis.
• Measurements are 30-minute averages, offering high temporal resolution for flux studies.

Limitations

• Conflicting last-updated dates (2000 vs. 2026) suggest metadata inconsistency.
• Dataset size, row count, and specific column names are not provided.
• Temporal coverage is limited to two periods within a single year (2000).

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measurements from an eddy covariance system mounted on a meteorological tower.

Time Range

February-April and August-September, 2000

Freshness

Last updated date conflicts: one source lists 2000 -09-30, another lists 2026-04-09.

Geography

Broadleaf semi-arid savanna approximately 20 km east of Maun, Botswana, Southern Africa.