SMEX03 2D-STAR: Airborne L-band Brightness Temperatures

Dual-polarized L-band brightness temperatures were measured by the Two-Dimensional Synthetic Aperture Radiometer (2D-STAR) instrument flown over Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma USA during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 (SMEX03). This dataset provides high-resolution passive microwave observations for soil moisture retrieval. The data's documentation was provided solely by the Principal Investigator(s) and was not further developed or edited by NSIDC.

Use Cases

• Soil moisture retrieval based on L-band brightness temperature measurements.
• Calibrating and validating soil moisture models using airborne synthetic aperture radiometer data.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of land surface emissions across agricultural regions.
• Comparing passive microwave observations from different sensor technologies.

Strengths

• Provides specific dual-polarized L-band brightness temperature data, a key measurement for soil moisture studies.
• Collected as part of a coordinated field experiment (SMEX03) over three U.S. states, suggesting structured acquisition.
• Appears on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), indicating recognized scientific value.

Limitations

• Documentation support is explicitly limited, as it was not reviewed or edited by the hosting data center.
• Column names and specific data structure are unknown, hindering detailed analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2003 vs. 2026) across platforms create uncertainty about data currency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne remote sensing using the Two-Dimensional Synthetic Aperture Radiometer (2D-STAR) instrument.

Time Range

2003

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:58:23.732272

Geography

Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma, USA