SMEX05: Soil Moisture and Temperature Data from Iowa Watershed

SMEX05 Watershed Soil Moisture Data combines measurements for several parameters collected in the Walnut Creek watershed in Iowa, USA, during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2005. The dataset includes soil bulk density, soil moisture water content, soil temperature, and land surface temperature. It was created for the SMEX05 field experiment to support land surface and hydrology research.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based soil moisture estimates using in-situ field measurements.
• Analyzing the relationship between soil temperature and moisture content in an agricultural watershed.
• Modeling watershed hydrology based on measured soil bulk density and land surface properties.

Strengths

• Data originates from a structured, peer-reviewed NASA field experiment (SMEX05).
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata indicates recognized importance for the research community.

Limitations

• Documentation was provided solely by Principal Investigators and not reviewed/edited by NSIDC, which may limit support.
• Column names and row counts are unknown, hindering detailed assessment of data structure and completeness.
• Sources conflict on last updated date (2005-07-03 vs. 2026-04-09), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements collected during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2005 (SMEX05).

Time Range

2005

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:33:21.170430

Geography

Walnut Creek watershed, Iowa, USA