QuikSCAT Radar Backscatter Data for Soil Moisture Experiment 2005

Radar backscatter data was collected by the SeaWinds scatterometer on NASA's QuikSCAT satellite over the Soil Moisture Experiment 2005 (SMEX05) area in Iowa, USA. This dataset is associated with a specific field campaign focused on soil moisture research. Documentation was provided by the Principal Investigator(s) and has not been formally reviewed or edited by NSIDC.

Use Cases

• Validating soil moisture retrieval models using satellite radar backscatter measurements.
• Analyzing temporal changes in land surface backscatter during the SMEX05 field campaign.
• Studying the relationship between radar backscatter coefficients and ground conditions like soil moisture.
• Supporting calibration and algorithm development for scatterometer data processing.

Strengths

• Data originates from a NASA satellite mission (QuikSCAT) and a defined field experiment (SMEX05).
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov indicates recognized importance for the research community.

Limitations

• Documentation is noted as limited and not formally reviewed by the data center (NSIDC).
• Key technical details like row count, column names, and exact data size are unavailable from all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: one source states 2005-07-31, while others state 2026-03 12.

Provenance

Source

NASA Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) satellite, SeaWinds scatterometer.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data collection during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2005 (SMEX05).

Time Range

2005 (associated with the SMEX05 campaign).

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:33:16.092029

Geography

SMEX05 area, Iowa, USA.