SMAP CPEX: Soil Moisture and Convective Storm Data

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite data was collected from May 24, 2017, through July 16, 2017, during the Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX) field campaign. The dataset combines active radar and passive radiometer measurements to provide global land surface soil moisture and freeze/thaw state information. CPEX focused on convective storm processes in the North Atlantic, Gulf of America, and Caribbean Oceanic region.

Use Cases

• Analyzing convective storm initiation and dissipation based on soil moisture measurements.
• Studying land-atmosphere interactions in the North Atlantic-Caribbean region using combined radar and radiometer data.
• Modeling freeze/thaw state dynamics from global satellite observations.
• Investigating the organization and growth of convective systems in early summer 2017.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NASA satellite mission (SMAP) with both active and passive instruments.
• Covers a specific, focused field campaign (CPEX) from May 24 to July 16, 2017.
• Available on multiple platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating curation and importance.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (row count, file size) are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of structure and scale.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist (2026-04-09 and 2017-07-16), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Data format is specified as netCDF-3, but no documentation or variable descriptions are provided.

Provenance

Source

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite, processed by GHRC_DAAC.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data gathered during the Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX) field campaign.

Time Range

May 24, 2017 to July 16, 2017

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:04:25.360304

Geography

Global land surface, with campaign focus on the North Atlantic-Gulf of America-Caribbean Oceanic region.