SMEX02 Airborne Radar Backscatter Data For Soil Moisture

Radar backscatter measurements were collected over the Walnut Creek Watershed in Iowa during the Soil Moisture Experiments 2002 (SMEX02). The dataset contains airborne synthetic aperture radar (AIRSAR) data. It is provided by the NSIDC and was collected in 2002, with metadata last updated in 2006.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based soil moisture products using ground-truthed airborne radar backscatter.
• Analyzing the relationship between radar backscatter coefficients and in-situ soil moisture measurements.
• Developing models for soil moisture retrieval from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data in agricultural regions.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled, focused field experiment (SMEX02) designed for soil moisture validation.
• The dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating established provenance.

Limitations

• Specific data volume (row count, file size) and detailed column schema are unavailable from all sources.
• Sources conflict on the last update date, listing both 2002-07-09 and 2006-03-12.

Provenance

Source

NSIDC

Collection Method

Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) measurements collected during the SMEX02 field campaign.

Time Range

2002

Freshness

2006-03-12

Geography

Walnut Creek Watershed, Iowa, USA