SMEX04 Leaf Area Index In-Situ Measurements for Arizona

Southern Arizona, USA, is the geographic scope for this dataset of in situ Leaf Area Index (LAI) measurements. It was collected during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04) by Principal Investigators for NASA. The dataset contains ground-based vegetation data from the SMEX04 North American study area.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived Leaf Area Index (LAI) estimates using ground-based in situ measurements.
• Analyzing vegetation cover and plant characteristics in a semi-arid ecosystem.
• Supporting soil moisture and hydrology studies by providing correlated vegetation structure data.
• Modeling biosphere-atmosphere interactions for the southern Arizona region.

Strengths

• Data originates from a structured NASA field experiment (Soil Moisture Experiment 2004).
• Provides specific in situ measurements for the SMEX04 North American study area in Arizona.

Limitations

• Documentation was provided solely by Principal Investigators and not reviewed/edited by NSIDC, limiting support.
• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and exact file size are unavailable across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2004-08-25 vs. 2026-03 12).

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Principal Investigators for SMEX04.

Collection Method

In situ data collection as part of the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04) field campaign.

Time Range

2004

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:18:20.182119

Geography

SMEX04 North American study area, southern Arizona, USA.