SMEX03 Microwave Brightness Temperature Data for Soil Moisture

Oklahoma, Alabama/Georgia, and Brazil study areas contain brightness temperature data from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) collected during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 (SMEX03). The dataset is provided by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and was last updated in March 2026. It supports research into soil moisture retrieval using passive microwave remote sensing.

Use Cases

• Calibrating and validating soil moisture retrieval algorithms using microwave brightness temperature.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of land surface emissions for hydrological studies.
• Comparing passive microwave observations with in-situ soil moisture measurements from field campaigns.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled field experiment (SMEX03) designed for soil moisture validation.
• Covers three distinct geographic regions (Oklahoma, Alabama/Georgia, Brazil), enabling comparative analysis.
• Hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov), indicating established use.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last update dates exist: one source lists 2003-09-29, while others list 2026-03 12.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' or 'None', requiring user verification.

Provenance

Source

National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)

Collection Method

Acquired by the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) satellite sensor during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 (SMEX03) field campaign.

Time Range

2003

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:36:31.398312

Geography

SMEX03 study areas in Oklahoma, Alabama/Georgia, and Brazil.