Global data for soil type, texture, surface slope and other properties, at a 1 degree resolution. It is based on FAO soil maps from 1974 and the Matthews vegetation dataset. The dataset has more details about soil than the Wilson dataset, according to Staub and Rosenzweig's NASA Technical Memorandum.
Use Cases
- Model soil-water interactions based on soil texture and slope properties
- Assess agricultural suitability based on global soil type data
- Integrate into land surface models based on 1-degree resolution geospatial data
- Compare soil datasets based on the referenced Wilson dataset comparison
Strengths
- Global coverage at a 1-degree resolution
- Based on FAO soil maps and Matthews vegetation dataset
- Contains more soil details than the referenced Wilson dataset
Limitations
- Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Technical Memorandum 100685, Staub and Rosenzweig
- Collection Method
- Derived from FAO soil maps (1974) and Matthews vegetation dataset
- Geography
- Global