FIFE Soil Bulk Density: 1987 Field Measurements

Soil bulk density measurements were collected at 31 locations within the FIFE study area during the 1987 growing season. The dataset contains values for two standard soil depths, 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, based on the dry weight of solids. Sampling was focused in the northwest quadrant but includes at least one site in each quadrant of the study area.

Use Cases

• Modeling soil water infiltration and storage based on bulk density values.
• Assessing soil compaction and structural condition across a study landscape.
• Calibrating remote sensing data with ground-truth soil physical properties.
• Studying spatial variability of soil characteristics within a research area.

Strengths

• Provides ground measurements from a well-known ecological field campaign (FIFE).
• Includes data from 31 distinct sampling locations, suggesting spatial coverage.
• Measurements are standardized for two common soil depth intervals.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the available metadata.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date (1989 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about provenance.
• The dataset's size and row count are unknown, limiting assessment of its scope.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field samples collected within the FIFE study area.

Time Range

1987 (growing season)

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:04:55.662488

Geography

FIFE study area, with samples from all quadrants (primarily northwest)