Zambian Forest Irradiance Measurements from SAFARI 2000 Tower

Zambia's Kataba Local Forest is the location for this dataset of top-of-canopy solar irradiance. It contains hourly mean and maximum values for shortwave (0.3-2.8 micron) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 0.4-0.7 micron) wavebands, recorded from September 2000 to December 2002. The data were collected by ORNL_CLOUD for Earth Observing System validation and energy budget modeling.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived surface radiation estimates using ground-truth shortwave and PAR measurements.
• Modeling forest canopy energy budgets with hourly mean and maximum irradiance values.
• Studying diurnal and seasonal patterns of photosynthetically active radiation in a Miombo woodland ecosystem.
• Calibrating pyranometer sensor data from Eppley PSP and Skye SKE510 instruments deployed on a fixed tower.

Strengths

• Data collection used World Meteorological Organization First Class Radiometers (Eppley PSP) and a sensor with even spectral response from 400-700 nm (Skye SKE510).
• High temporal resolution is provided with sensors sampled at 60-second intervals and aggregated to hourly records.
• Covers a multi-year time series from September 4, 2000, to December 31, 2002, capturing seasonal cycles.

Limitations

• Exact row count and file size are not specified across any platform, hindering assessment of data volume.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist: one source lists 2002-12-31, while others list 2026-03-12, creating uncertainty about provenance timeliness.
• Data is limited to daylight hours (0500-1600 GMT) and a single geographic site, reducing utility for full diurnal or regional analysis.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Instruments deployed on a 30-m tower; a data logger sampled sensors at 60-second intervals, recording hourly max and mean values.

Time Range

2000-09-04 to 2002-12-31

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:46:29.075560

Geography

Kataba Local Forest, approximately 20 km south of Mongu, Western Province, Zambia.