SMEX04 Soil Moisture and Climate Network Data for Sonora

SMEX04 Soil Moisture Network Data: Sonora, Version 1 combines in situ measurements for several parameters from the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 in Sonora, Mexico. The dataset is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its principal investigators. Data collection concluded in August 2004, though metadata records show a later administrative update.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived soil moisture estimates using in-situ soil moisture water content measurements.
• Analyzing the relationship between precipitation amount/rate and near-surface soil temperature.
• Studying soil hydrology and land-atmosphere interactions in a semi-arid region during a focused field experiment.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled field experiment (Soil Moisture Experiment 2004) designed for scientific validation.
• Includes multiple interrelated parameters (soil moisture, soil temperature, precipitation) for cross-analysis.
• Dataset has a cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata, indicating recognized importance.

Limitations

• Documentation was provided solely by the Principal Investigators and was not reviewed or edited by NSIDC, leading to limited support.
• Key technical details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: NASA Earthdata shows 2004-08-31, while Data.gov records show 2026-03-12.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and principal investigators for the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04).

Collection Method

In situ measurements collected during a field experiment.

Time Range

2004

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:33:58.451887

Geography

Sonora, Mexico