SMEX02 Soils Database for Ten Iowa Counties

SMEX02 Land Surface Information: Soils Database, Version 1 provides soil moisture and classification data for ten Iowa counties: Boone, Dallas, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Wright. NASA compiled this dataset by appending and clipping existing county-level digital soils data from the Iowa Cooperative Soil Survey. The dataset's creation is associated with the SMEX02 project, which concluded in 2002.

Use Cases

• Analyzing soil classification patterns across county boundaries in central Iowa.
• Providing ground reference data for calibrating remote sensing soil moisture estimates from the SMEX02 project area.
• Studying the relationship between soil types and land use classifications within the specified region.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of soil characteristics for agricultural or environmental planning in the ten counties.

Strengths

• Dataset covers a defined project area across ten specific Iowa counties, providing regional focus.
• Data originates from the authoritative Iowa Cooperative Soil Survey (ICSS).
• Dataset is listed on multiple platforms (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata), indicating recognized utility.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: Data.gov lists a last updated date of 2026-03 12 (future date), while NASA Earthdata lists 2002-07-12, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• No column names, row counts, or file sizes are provided on any platform, limiting technical assessment.
• License is listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is 'None' on NASA Earthdata, creating ambiguity.

Provenance

Source

Iowa Cooperative Soil Survey (ICSS), processed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Collection Method

Created by appending existing county digital soils data and clipping them by the SMEX02 project area boundary.

Time Range

Data creation associated with the SMEX02 project in 2002.

Freshness

2002-07-12 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Ten counties in Iowa, USA: Boone, Dallas, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Wright.