FIFE Soil Hydraulic Conductivity: In-Situ Measurements from 1989

Soil Hydraulic Conductivity Data from the 1989 FIFE soil properties investigation provides in-situ measurements of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity, matric flux potential, and soil depth. Measurements were taken at five sites, each representing a different soil series, using the constant well head permeameter method. Six measurements were made at each of two soil depths per site, supporting long-term water balance studies and soil moisture release curve analysis.

Use Cases

• Calibrating soil moisture release curves based on hydraulic conductivity measurements taken near sample locations.
• Modeling long-term water balance for a watershed using site-specific saturated hydraulic conductivity values.
• Comparing hydraulic properties across five different soil series represented by the measurement sites.
• Validating remote sensing or model estimates of soil water movement with in-situ field measurements.

Strengths

• Data collection method is explicitly described: the constant well head permeameter method for in-situ measurement.
• Structured sampling design: six measurements at each of two depths across five distinct soil series sites.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata indicates established provenance and importance.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are unknown, limiting immediate analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates: datagov lists 2026-04-09 (likely a placeholder), while nasa_earthdata lists 1989-10-31.
• Dataset size, row count, and specific file formats for the data are not provided.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

In-situ measurements using the constant well head permeameter method, with holes augered to desired depth.

Time Range

1989

Freshness

1989-10-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

FIFE (First ISLSCP Field Experiment) station sites, specific locations not detailed.