FIFE 1989: Site-Averaged Land Surface Fluxes

FIFE experiment data from 1989 provides site-averaged measurements of land-atmosphere energy exchange in 30-minute intervals. The dataset likely contains variables related to atmospheric radiation and soil heat flux. It represents a key product from a multi-investigator field campaign focused on surface processes.

Use Cases

• Validating land surface model simulations against observed site-averaged fluxes.
• Analyzing diurnal cycles of energy partitioning based on 30-minute time intervals.
• Studying the relationship between atmospheric radiation and soil heat budget components.
• Providing boundary condition data for regional-scale atmospheric studies of the FIFE site.

Strengths

• Data is site-averaged, integrating measurements from multiple principal investigators for consistency.
• Temporal resolution is explicitly 30-minute intervals, suitable for diurnal cycle analysis.
• Dataset is hosted by NASA, indicating a level of institutional curation and authority.

Limitations

• Column names and exact variables are unknown, limiting precise usability assessment.
• Conflicting metadata: one source lists a last update date of 2026-04 09, while another lists 1989-08-16.
• Sparse descriptive metadata; file formats listed (e.g., PNG, ISO, BIN) suggest ancillary files may be included but are not described.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Site-averaged product data collected by many principal investigators during a field experiment.

Time Range

1989

Freshness

2026.04.09 (from datagov, conflicting with nasa_earthdata date of 1989.08.16)

Geography

FIFE experiment site (likely Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA)