NASA SAFARI 2000 Project

Description

An inventory of NASA's airborne and field campaigns for Earth Science

Historic_S2K_Website_1765

This dataset contains an archived copy of the Safari 2000 Project website as of October 2008. This archived website is provided for informational purposes only. No updates to the website and associated content have been made since January of 2008. The database that once provided content for this website was transitioned to text and is included herein. SAFARI 2000 was an international regional science initiative developed for southern Africa to explore, study and address linkages between land-atmosphere processes and the relationship of biogenic, pyrogenic or anthropogenic emissions and the consequences of their deposition to the functioning of the biogeophysical and biogeochemical systems of southern Africa. This initiative was built around a number of on-going, already funded activities by NASA, the international community and African nations in the southern African region.

one_deg_biomass_754

A new method is used to generate spatial estimates of monthly averaged biomass burned area and spatial and temporal estimates of trace gas and aerosol emissions from open fires in southern Africa.Global burned area data for the year 2000 (GBA2000) supplemented with the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) fire count data are employed to quantify the area burned at 1-km resolution by using a fractional vegetation cover map derived from satellite observations. To account for the spatial heterogeneity in main types of vegetation within each 1-km grid cell, fuel load maps were developed from biomass density data sets for herbaceous and tree covered land together with fractional tree and vegetation cover maps. To represent the fire characteristics, land cover is classified into forests, woodlands, and grasslands, based on satellite-derived data sets for fractional tree cover. Combustion factors for each land cover type takes into account fuel composition, tree cover density, and the dryness of herbaceous vegetation. In addition, the emission factors (EF) are calculated; EF for grassland fires represent spatial and seasonal variations in fuel conditions using a modified combustion efficiency calculation. This data set contains spatial and temporal estimates of trace gas and aerosol emissions from open fires in southern Africa for the following variables:acetic acid (CH3COOH); methanol (CH3OH); methane (CH4); carbon dioxide (CO2); carbon monoxide (CO); formaldehyde (HCHO); non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC); and particulate matter less than 2.5 um in diameter (PM2.5). Annual amounts of total area burned and CO2 emissions for southern Africa are compared to those from other authors.

AERONET_aerosol_706

AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) is an optical ground-based aerosol monitoring network and data archive system. AERONET measurements of the column-integrated aerosol optical properties in the southern Africa region were made by sun-sky radiometers at several sites in August-September 2000 as a part of the SAFARI 2000 dry season aircraft campaign.AERONET is supported by NASA's Earth Observing System and expanded by federation with many non-NASA institutions. The network hardware consists of identical automatic sun-sky scanning spectral radiometers owned by national agencies and universities. Data from this collaboration provides globally-distributed near-real-time observations of aerosol spectral optical depths, aerosol size distributions, and precipitable water in diverse aerosol regimes.The AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) program is an inclusive federation of ground-based remote sensing aerosol networks established by AERONET and PHOTON and greatly expanded by AEROCAN (the Canadian sun-photometer network) and other agency, institute and university partners. The goal is to assess aerosol optical properties and validate satellite retrievals of aerosol optical properties. The network imposes standardization of instruments, calibration, and processing. Data from this collaboration provides globally distributed observations of spectral aerosol optical depths, inversion products, and precipitable water in geographically diverse aerosol regimes. Three levels of data are available from the AERONET website: Level 1.0 (unscreened), Level 1.5 (cloud-screened), and Level 2.0 (Cloud-screened and quality-assured). (CAUTION: Data presented in the real time data version is unscreened and may not have final calibration reprocessing.) For each site there is a Principal Investigator (PI), the person responsible for deployment, maintenance and data collection. The PI is entitled to be informed of any use of that site data.NOTICE TO NON-AERONET INVESTIGATORS: To maintain the integrity of the data base and fairness to the individuals who have contributed, use of these data for publication requires an offer of authorship to the AERONET PI(s).

diffuse_irradiance_791

This data set contains monthly mean values of diffuse irradiance fraction [f(Ediff), or ratio of diffuse-to-total irradiance] at ground level for a 30-degree solar zenith angle and in seven spectral bands (MODIS bands 1-7) as well broadband visible (400-700 nm), near-infrared (700-3000 nm) and shortwave (400-3000 nm). Values are provided for eight SAFARI 2000 core sites, including Ghanzi/Okwa River Crossing, Maun (Main and Floodplain Towers), Pandamatenga, and Tshane, Botswana; Skukuza, South Africa; Etosha National Park, Namibia; and Mongu, Zambia. The fractions were estimated with the 6S radiative transfer model, given the mean aerosol optical depth (AOT) values from AERONET sunphotometer measurements. Where sunphotometers were not deployed at a SAFARI 2000 core site, the nearest neighbor sunphotometer data were used. A rough estimate of the likely spatial extrapolation error is provided. These data can be used to estimate typical surface albedo (blue sky conditions) from the theoretical black-sky and white-sky albedo values provided in the MODIS albedo product (MOD43), as well as in other applications.Data for all eight sites are contained in one ASCII file, in csv format. The data file provides the ratio of diffuse (atmospherically-scattered) irradiance to total irradiance, both at ground level, for the eight sites in southern Africa. Mean values are provided for each of 12 months in 10 spectral bands between 0.4 and 4.0 microns, computed for a 30-degree solar zenith angle. The native resolution of the AERONET sunphotometer data varies, but is typically less than 1 hour. Information about the site location, IGBP classification, and nearest AERONET sunphotometer site is also provided.

billmark_828

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) was conducted in part to investigate the impacts of the large-scale transport and deposition of increasingly anthropogenic emissions on southern African biogeochemical cycling. Aerosol samples from the Mongu site in eastern Zambia were collected and analyzed to identify chemical biomarkers during the SAFARI 2000 dry season field campaign. Total suspended particulate aerosol samples were collected diurnally for a period of two weeks during August and September of 2000.These data include bulk organic carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopic measurements of total suspended particulate aerosols and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of fatty acids extracted from collected aerosols. These data were used to chemically describe temporal variability in aerosol compositions.

ames_sunphotometer_643

The NASA Ames Airborne Tracking 14-channel Sunphotometer (AATS-14) was operated successfully aboard the University of Washington CV-580 for 24 data flights during the dry-season airborne campaign from August 13 to September 25, 2000. Flights originated from Pietersburg, South Africa; Kasane, Botswana; and Walvis Bay, Namibia. The AATS-14 instrument measures the transmission of the direct solar beam at 14 discrete wavelengths (350-1558 nm) from which we derived spectral aerosol optical depths (AOD) and columnar water vapor (CWV). Flying at different altitudes over a fixed location allows derivation of layer AOD and CWV. Data taken during vertical profiles allows derivation of aerosol extinction and water vapor density.

ali_etm_tandem_821

A tandem pair of Advanced Land Imager (ALI) and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) scenes covering the same part of Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa (including the Skukuza tower site and rest camp), were acquired about a minute apart on May 30, 2001. The ALI is one of three instruments aboard NASA's first New Millennium Program Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) satellite. ALI is a technology validation testbed that employs novel wide-angle optics and a highly integrated multispectral and panchromatic spectroradiometer.The tandem pair was produced to evaluate the differences between ALI and ETM+ and determine if technology similar to that of the ALI is suitable for future land imaging that will continue the observations begun by the Landsat satellites in 1972.The ALI and ETM+ images are false color composites combining shortwave infrared, near infrared, and visible wavelengths, displayed as red, green, and blue, respectively. Dense vegetation appears green. The similarity of the images demonstrates the ability of the ALI to produce data comparable to ETM+. Several SAFARI 2000 field campaigns conducted in KNP provided ground-based data needed to evaluate measurements from the satellite sensors.Each band is stored as an individual binary file. A metadata file accompanies each set of ALI and ETM+ band files to document the path and row number, sample and line counts, band file names, and sun azimuth and elevation angles. There is also a calibration parameter file that was used for 1R processing.

soil_respiration_point_645

The data set consists of a southern African subset of the "Global Annual Soil Respiration Data (Raich and Schlesinger 1992)" data set. The data file is in ASCII text format and contains four observations. This data set is a compilation of soil respiration rates (g C m -2 yr -1) from terrestrial and wetland ecosystems reported in the literature prior to 1992. These rates were measured in a variety of ecosystems to examine rates of microbial activity, nutrient turnover, carbon cycling, root dynamics, and a variety of other soil processes. In this summary, only those data based on most or all of one full year of measurements were used so that annual rates of soil respiration could be estimated. Data from soil cores were excluded because the sample coring modifies root respiration. Also included in the data set are biome type, vegetation type, locality, and geographic coordinates, based on information from the original paper. Mean annual temperature and precipitation were based on the original paper; where those data were not included, they were estimated from a gridded global climate database (0.5-degree resolution; Legates, D. R., and C. J. Willmott. 1988. Global Air Temperature and Precipitation Data Archive. Department of Geography, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, U.S.A.).

kalahari_aot_h2o_vapor_719

The data presented here include the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and column water vapor measurements taken at sites along the Kalahari Transect using a Microtops sunphotometer. Data were collected every 30 minutes at 4 sites that were visited during the SAFARI 2000 Kalahari Wet Season Campaign between March 3, 2000 and March 18, 2000. AOT values are provided at 340, 440, 675, 870, and 936 nm wavelengths. An estimate of the Angstrom Coefficient is also provided to allow the estimation of AOT at other wavelengths.The purpose of this data collection was primarily for documentation of the conditions at each site and to aid in the correction of remote sensing data, for validation of Earth Observation System (EOS) products such as MODIS and MISR aerosol products, and for modeling of canopy productivity.

modis_aster_fire_707

These data relate to a paper (Morisette et al., 2005) that describes the use of high spatial resolution ASTER data to determine the accuracy of the moderate resolution MODIS active fire product. Our main objective was to develop a methodology to use ASTER data for quantitative evaluation of the MODIS active fire product and to apply it to fires in Southern Africa during the 2001 burning season. We utilize 18 ASTER scenes distributed throughout Southern Africa covering the time period 5 August 2001 to 6 October 2001. The MODIS fire product is characterized through the use of logistic regression models to establish a relationship between the binary MODIS fire/no fire product and summary statistics derived from ASTER data over the coincident MODIS pixel. Probabilities of detection are determined as a function of the total number of ASTER fires and Moran's I, a measure of the spatial heterogeneity of fires within the MODIS pixel. The statistical analysis is done for versions 3 and 4 of the MODIS fire detection algorithm. It is shown that the algorithm changes have a positive effect on the fire product accuracy. References:Morisette, J. T., L. Giglio, I. Csiszar, C. O. Justice. 2005. Validation of the MODIS active fire product over Southern Africa with ASTER data. International Journal of Remote Sensing 26: 4239-4264.

handheld_haze_708

Data presented in this database are the result of Hand Held 4-band Hazemeters and do not always satisfy to the high standards of quality associated with Automatic Sunphotometers.SAFARI 2000 data are available for the following local measurement sites: Alene_High_School; Chililabombwe; Forestry_Kaoma; Itezhi_Tezhi_Basic; Kafue_Hydrologic; Kalongola; Kananja_Chilanda; Kangaya_Basic; Kapiri_Basic; Kasalu_Basic_School; Kasapa_Basic_School; Kashinakaji_School;Kisasa_Basic; Kitima_Basic_School; Litoya; Livingstone_Met_Dpt; Lubu_Basic_Middle; Lukulu_basic; Lusaka_Met_HQ; Makotolo_School; Met_Kaoma; Miombe; Misamfu_Research; Mongu; Mwayasunka; Mwinilunga; Nalusanga_School; Ndola_Meteorology; Saluzhinka_Basic; Senanga; Shamputa_School; Shikoswe_Basic; Sichili_Primary; Sikufele_School; Sioma_Basic_School; Sitaka; St_Marys; St_Patrics; and Zambezi_Met_Office.Example of data file format:Site: Alene High School, Lat=-11.173000, Long=24.190000PI: Brent HolbenE-mail: brent@aeronet.gsfc.nasa.govt0: 09:08:2000, 00:00:00 Date, Time, Time_offset (days), AOT_1020, AOT_880, AOT_765, AOT_680, AOT_530, AOT_440, AOT_380, Water(cm), Air_Mass09:08:2000, 15:15:12, 0.635556, -100.000000, 1.621565, -100.000000, 1.606205, 1.528689, -100.000000, 0.234460, 0.000000, 3.99342109:08:2000, 15:17:04, 0.636863, -100.000000, 1.589651, -100.000000, 1.565860, 1.501361, -100.000000, 0.369358, 0.000000, 4.110902

avhrr_822

The Global Inventory Mapping and Modeling (GIMMS) group at NASA/GSFC provided SAFARI 2000 with remotely sensed satellite data products at the site and regional level. These AVHRR data contain two main sets of data: site extracts of SAFARI core sites (Mongu, Etosha, Kasungu, Maun, Skukuza, and Tshane), and regional 15-day composites from sets of single-day images. These AVHRR data contain four main sets of data:1.5 km daily site extracts of SAFARI core sites (2000)1.5 km 15-day composites of SAFARI core sites (1998-2000)1.5 km 15-day composites of the southern African region (Mar, Sept 2000)6 km 15-day composites of the southern African region (1998-2000)The primary data layers for site extracts and regional composites are fire pixel counts and maximum NDVI. The fire product is different for the daily and for the composited products (see readme file) and a fire product is not included in the 1.5 km regional data set. NDVI composite-associated data layers for the regional data sets include land surface temperature, reflectance, solar zenith angle, view zenith angle, and relative azimuth angle. NDVI composite-associated data layers for the site extracts include these same variables as well as brightness temperature, fire mask composite, latitude, and longitude. The data are stored in binary image format files. There is a metadata file for each site and date/compositing period, in ASCII format.

AVHRR_LST_826

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a key indicator of land surface states, and can provide information on surface-atmosphere heat and mass fluxes, vegetation water stress, and soil moisture. A daily, day and night, LST data set for continental Africa, including Madagascar, was derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Global Area Coverage (GAC; 4 km resolution) data for the 6-year lifetime of the NOAA-14 satellite (from 1995 to 2000) using a modified version of the Global Inventory Mapping and Monitoring System (GIMMS) (Tucker et al., 1994). The data were projected into Albers Equal Area and aggregated to 8 km spatial resolution. The data were cloud-filtered with CLAVR-1 algorithm (Stowe et al., 1999). The LST values were estimated with a split-window technique (Ulivieri et al., 1994) that takes advantage of differential absorption of the thermal infrared signal in bands 4 and 5. The emissivity of the surface was generated using a land cover classification map (Hansen et al., 2000) combined with the FAO soil map of Africa (FAO-UNESCO, 1977) and additional maps of tree, herbaceous, and bare soil percent cover (DeFries et al., 2000). Collateral products include cloud mask, time-of-scan, latitude and longitude, and land/water mask files.The data are in flat binary files. Each data file contains 1152 columns and 1152 rows, in signed integer format (2 bytes), with 8 km by 8 km spatial resolution. A unique map exists for each day and each night of the 6-year NOAA-14 lifetime. The data are best used to infer broad temporal and spatial trends rather than pixel-by-pixel values.

burning_emissions_752

Biomass burning is a major source for gaseous and particulate atmospheric pollution over southern Africa and globally. The purpose of this study was to quantify biomass burning emissions in an attempt to better understand and predict associated environmental impacts. Sixty biomass burning experiments were carried out November 2000-January 2001 in three regions of southern Africa that are representative of major regional ecosystem types: Etosha National Park (Namibia), Kruger National Park (South Africa), and woodland sites in Zambia and Malawi. Organic halogen-containing gases were measured in the exhaust of these fires as well as the smoke mixing ratios of CO, CO2, NOx, CH4 and N2O. Fuel and ash samples were analyzed for elemental composition. These data allow investigators to assess the elemental mass balance for each experimental burn as well as the corresponding emission factors for individual compounds as functions of the biofuel composition.This data set contains four types of data:Baseline data for individual fires (time-series engineering data and mixing ratios and mass fluxes of CO, CO2 and NOx);Elemental analyses of fuel and ash (C, N, S, P, Cl, Br, I, K, Ca, Na, and Mg content of biofuel samples and ash);Flux data (integrated mass fluxes of CO, CO2, NOx and total mass of burned elements relative to the fuel element and the above fuel analyses);Emissions data (emissions of NH3, SO2, CH3COOH, HCOOH, HCl, HONO, and HNO3 and inorganic Cl and Br; ionic and elemental compositions of particles; and emissions of CO2, CO and NOx for different types of biofuel).

sua_pan_skukuza_brdf_779

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Portable Apparatus for Rapid Acquisition of Bidirectional Observation of the Land and Atmosphere (PARABOLA), version III, instrument collected radiance data covering both the upwelling and downwelling hemispheres at the Sua Pan salt playa in the Magkadigkadi region of Botswana and at the Skukuza tower site in the Kruger National Park, South Africa between August 25 and October 2, 2000 during in the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign. PARABOLA III is a sphere-scanning radiometer that provides multi-angle measurements of sky and ground radiances on a spherical grid of 5 degrees in the zenith-to-nadir and azimuthal planes in eight spectral channels (444, 551, 581, 650, 860, 944, 1028, and 1650 nm). The experiment was designed to collect data necessary for multi-angle top-of-atmosphere radiance predictions for a vicarious calibration of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard the Terra satellite. Four of the PARABOLA channels (444, 551, 650, and 860 nm) are similar to those of the MISR sensor. Measurements were made on cloud-free days of Terra satellite overpasses.Each data file contains radiance counts (ASCII integer values) for 8 bands for each 3-minute data collection. Zenith and azimuth angles are implied by radiance count positions in file. Additional files contain average dark current readings, empirically determined by covering the detectors. The data can be processed to radiance using a series of second order polynomial fit coefficients, provided in the documentation file, and dark current offset. Site-specific auxiliary information is also provided, for each date of PARABOLA data collection.

bvoc_flux_759

Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions were measured in a Colophospermum mopane woodland near Maun, Botswana, and in a Combretum-Acacia savanna in Kruger National Park, 13 km from Skukuza, Republic of South Africa (RSA) during the 2001 wet season campaign of SAFARI 2000. In addition, relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) measurements of BVOC fluxes were made on flux towers at these sites, where net CO2 emissions were also measured simultaneously. The investigators also took advantage of a wide variety of easily accessible plant specimens growing in a nursery in the Kruger National Park to screen an additional 95 species of African plants for their ability to emit isoprene, providing species level isoprene emission information which can be used to further initial estimates of isoprene emissions from additional ecosystems of southern Africa. A leaf cuvette technique was used to determine the emission capacities of the nursery plants and the temperature and light dependence of the emissions. This research on BVOC emissions contributes to the development of a regional scale BVOC emissions model for southern Africa.Data files contain records of BVOC measurements from the Maun and Skukuza flux tower sites; species level isoprene emissions and physiological data; and site meteorological data. The data files are stored as ASCII text files, in comma-delimited format, with column headers.More information can be found in the companion file.

uk_met_c-130_720

The Met Office C-130 research aircraft was based at Windhoek, Namibia between September 5-16, 2000, where it conducted a series of flights over Namibia as part of the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign.The effects of atmospheric aerosols on the Earth's radiation balance are known to be very important, but for many types of aerosols these effects are still poorly understood. In particular, aerosol particles produced from biomass burning (associated with Savanna burning, domestic fuel wood consumption, and certain agricultural practices) are thought to be particularly important because they can both absorb and scatter solar radiation. Understanding the correct balance between absorption and scattering is fundamental to the accurate calculation of aerosol effects on local and global climate.The atmosphere of southern Africa is experiencing significant changes at present, due to the emission of trace gases and aerosols from three distinct sources: the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial activities; biomass burning; and natural processes in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the regions. Specifically, the burning of fossil fuels in mining, industrial and domestic activities are in part responsible for rising levels of atmospheric aerosols and trace gases (Held et al., 1996), and these emissions, augmented by those from extensive biomass burning areas (Crutzen and Andreae, 1990) and from biogenic sources (Harris et al., 1996), may be altering the biogeochemical cycling of essential nutrients in the region (Garstang et al., 1998).For these reasons, it is important to quantify the relative contributions from the different types of emissions, understand their transport and transformations in the atmosphere, and to determine their influence on regional climate and weather, together with knowledge of the deposition processes and the effects of this deposition on the local ecosystems. SAFARI 2000 was developed as part of an international programme aimed at developing a better understanding of the southern African earth-atmosphere-human system. The aims of the Met Office's research were:1. In-situ measurements of the physical, chemical and optical properties of the aerosol. Size distributions to be measured using PCASP, FSSP and CVI instrumentation. Chemical composition inferred from filter measurements. Optical properties from PSAP and nephelometer data. The data set includes aerosol samples ranging from near source regions to aged plumes several hundreds of kilometres from source, some of which have been cloud processed.2. Investigate the direct radiative impact of aerosol over sea, land and low-level cloud. High-altitude radiation measurements taken from SAFIRE, ARIES, SWS and the broad-band radiometers will be used to infer the direct radiative impact of the aerosol. Low-level orbits and into- and down-sun runs will be used in an attempt to obtain radiative closure. Over land, the ground-based sun photometers may also prove useful for constraining the data.3. In-situ measurements of aerosol properties in conjunction with ground-based sites, in order to validate the ground-based retrievals of, for example, aerosol size distributions.4. In-situ measurements of aerosol properties in conjunction with TERRA overpasses, in order to validate the satellite-based retrievals of aerosol properties.5. In-situ measurements of stratus/stratocumulus cloud of Namibia/Angola in conjunction with TERRA overpasses, in order to validate satellite-based retrievals of cloud properties.

kt_canopy_structure_768

This data set contains leaf area index (LAI), leaf inclination angle, and canopy dimension data from study sites along the Kalahari Transect in southwest Botswana. The data were collected during the 2001 wet season field campaign of the SAFARI 2000 at a total of seven plots of 200 x 150 meter dimensions; two plots each at Tshane and Mabuasehube, and three plots at Tsabong. The data set consists of measurements of leaf angle for plot dominant woody species, LAI calculated from overstory and understory photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements, and canopy dimension data (i. e., crown height, crown width, and height to crown) for grass and woody vegetation, for use in the parameterization of plant canopy reflectance models.Measurements of LAI were made with a plant canopy analyzer which records direct and diffuse PAR at the top of the canopy using a beam fraction sensor. PAR beneath the canopy was measured simultaneously with a one-meter long probe held horizontally beneath the canopy. Leaf inclination angle measurements were made using a clinometer. Measurements of tree height, crown height, height-to-crown, and crown width were made for 10 to 20 individual trees of the dominant species at each field plot using a tape measure or simple trigonometry, and calculations based on these data.The data files are stored as ASCII table files, in comma-separated-value (.csv) format, with column headers. Photographs (.jpg) are provided of each plot to provide an idea of site conditions. The photographs can be viewed on the S2K Photo Gallery pages.

s2k_olson_633

This data set is a subset of Olson's Major World Ecosystem Complexes for southern Africa in ASCII GRID and binary image files formats. Olson's Major World Ecosystem Complexes Ranked by Carbon in Live Vegetation is a computerized database, used to generate a global vegetation map of 44 different land ecosystem complexes (mosaics of vegetation or landscapes) comprising seven broad groups. The map is derived from patterns of preagricultural vegetation, modern areal surveys, and intensive biomass data from research sites. Work on the database was begun in 1960 and completed in 1980. Ecosystem complexes are defined for each 0.5-degree grid cell, reflecting the major climatic, topographic, and land-use patterns. Numeric codes are assigned to each vegetation type. Classifications include natural as well as human managed/modified complexes such as mainly cropped, residential, commercial, and park. The complexes are ranked by estimated organic carbon in the mass of live plants given in units of kilograms of carbon per square meter. Counting the cells of each type and adding their areas give total area estimates for the ecosystem complexes. Multiplying by carbon estimates gives corresponding estimates of global carbon by ecosystem complex. The results help define the role of the terrestrial biosphere in the global carbon cycle. Information about the ecosystem classifications, as well as the procedure used to create the southern Africa subset can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/olson/comp/olson_README.pdf.

CAR_BRDF_709

This record links to the web page for the Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) data for the SAFARI 2000 project. Twenty-one flights were undertaken over Southern Africa during the study. Flight track maps, browse images, and Convair CV-580 flight logs are available on this web site.The Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) is an airborne multi-wavelength scanning radiometer that can perform several functions including: determining the single scattering albedo of clouds at selected wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared; measuring the angular distribution of scattered radiation; measuring bidirectional reflectance of various surface types; and acquiring imagery of cloud and Earth surface features. The CAR instrument was developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center by Dr. Michael King. The CAR now operates from a position mounted in the improved nose cone on a Convair CV-580. In addition to its traditional starboard viewing mode, the CAR instrument can be operated in zenith viewing, nadir viewing, and bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) mode; and can be switched between each of these four modes during flight.The CAR has been deployed on a regular basis in field campaigns around the world including deployments to Portugal (Azores), Brazil, Kuwait, the conterminous United States, Alaska, and various countries in southern Africa. During typical research field campaigns, the CAR is flown in concert with an array of cloud microphysics, aerosol, atmospheric chemistry, and general meteorological instruments under the direction of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

cp_lidar_images_721

The effect of clouds and aerosols on regional and global climate is of great importance. Two longstanding elements of the NASA climate and radiation science program are field studies incorporating airborne remote sensing and in-situ measurements of clouds and aerosols. These projects involve coordination of ground based and satellite measurements with the airborne observations. The goals of the experiments include testing satellite remote sensing retrievals, development of advanced remote sensing techniques and fundamental advances in knowledge of cloud radiation and microphysical properties. Active lidar profiling is especially valuable because the cloud height structure is measured unambiguously, up to the limit of signal attenuation.The Cloud Physics Lidar (successor to the Cloud Lidar System) is an airborne lidar system designed specifically for studying clouds and aerosols using the NASA ER-2 High Altitude Aircraft. Because the ER-2 typically flies at an altitude of 65,000 feet (20 km), its instruments are above 94% of the Earth's atmosphere, thereby allowing ER-2 instruments to function as spaceborne instrument simulators. The Cloud Physics Lidar provides a unique tool for atmospheric profiling and is sufficiently small and low cost to include in multiple instrument missions.The Cloud Physics Lidar provides a complete battery of cloud physics information. Data products include: (1) Cloud profiling with 30 m vertical and 200 m horizontal resolution at 1064 nm, 532 nm, and 355 nm;(2) Aerosol, boundary layer, and smoke plume profiling;(3) Optical depth estimates (column and by layer); and(4) Extinction profiles. The CPL provides information to permit a comprehensive analysis of radiative and optical properties of optically thin clouds. To determine the effects of particulate layers on the radiative budget of the earth-atmosphere system, certain information about the details of the layer and its constituents is required. The effect of clouds is often referred to as cloud radiative forcing. Cloud radiative forcing, in general, is the alteration that the presence of clouds has on the energy budget. The information required to compute the radiative forcing includes the vertical distribution of short wave cross section, a parameter that the CPL provides up to the limits of optical signal attenuation.Using optical depth measurements determined from attenuation of Rayleigh and aerosol scattering, and using the integrated backscatter, the extinction-to-backscatter parameter can be derived. This permits rapid analysis of cloud optical depth since only lidar data is required; there is no need to use other instrumentation. Using the derived extinction-to-backscatter ratio, the internal cloud extinction profile can then be obtained.The CPL uses photon-counting detectors with a high repetition rate laser to maintain a large signal dynamic range. This dramatically reduces the time required to produce reliable and complete data sets.ORNL DAAC has archived CPL quicklook data samples from the SAFARI 2000 Field Campaign. The samples were provided by the CPL group at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The actual Cloud Physics Lidar data are stored at the CPL Web Site at NASA GSFC and can be accessed at [http://virl.gsfc.nasa.gov/cpl/safari2000_pass.htm]. Data users are asked to read and abide by the CPL data usage policy found at [http://virl.gsfc.nasa.gov/cpl/cpl_register.htm]. For systems specifications and other information regarding Cloud Physics Lidar, please visit the Cloud Physics Lidar Home Page at [http://cpl.gsfc.nasa.gov/].

CV-580_710

The Cloud and Aerosol Research Group (CARG) of the University of Washington participated in the SAFARI-2000 Dry Season Aircraft campaign with their Convair-580 research aircraft. This campaign covered five countries in southern Africa from 10 August through 18 September, 2000. Various types of measurements were obtained on the thirty-one research flights of the Convair-580 in SAFARI-2000, to study their relationships to simultaneous measurements from satellites (particularly Terra), other research aircraft, and SAFARI-2000 ground-based measurements and activities. The main goals of the University of Washington's Convair-580 research aircraft were to: * Measure the physical and chemical properties of aerosols and trace gases in ambient air, and from various sources, in southern Africa. * Obtain measurements on aerosols, trace gases, clouds, and surface properties for comparisons with simultaneous remote sensing measurements from the NASA ER-2 aircraft and Terra satellite and from SAFARI-2000 ground stations. * Carry out closure studies using in situ and remote sensing measurements made aboard the Convair-580. * Compare aerosol and trace gas measurements aloft at various locations in Southern Africa. * Measure the nature and concentrations of aerosols and trace gases, and their emission factors, in smoke from prescribed fires and non-prescribed fires of biomass in southern Africa. * Measure the spectral albedo and bidirectional reflection distribution function (BRDF) of various surfaces and clouds in southern Africa. * Measure the microstructures of clouds off the Atlantic Coast of southern Africa. * Investigate aerosol-cloud interactions. For a complete detailed guide to the extensive measurements obtained aboard the UW Convair-580 aircraft in support of SAFARI 2000, see the UW Technical Report for the SAFARI 2000 Project [PDF format]. The latest version of this document can be found at the UW SAFARI 2000 Web site [Internet Link], listed in the CARG Publications on SAFARI 2000 section.

daily_precip_est_793

The Microwave InfraRed Algorithm (MIRA) is used to produce an imagery data set of daily mean rain rates at 0.1 degree spatial resolution over southern Africa for the period 1993-2001. MIRA combines passive microwave (PMW) from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) on board the DMSP F10 and F14 satellites at a resolution of 0.5 degrees and infrared (IR) data from the Meteosat 4, 5, 6, and 7 satellites in 2-hour slots at a resolution of 5 km. This approach accounts for the limitations of both data types in estimating precipitation. Rainfall estimates are produced at the high spatial and temporal frequency of the IR data using rainfall information from the PMW data. An IR/rain rate relationship, variable in space and time, is derived from coincident observations of IR and PMW rain rate (accumulated over a calibration domain) using the probability matching method. The IR/rain rate relationship is then applied to IR imagery at full temporal resolution. The results presented here are the daily means of those derived rain rates at 0.1 degree spatial resolution.The rainfall data sets are flat binary images with no headers. They are compressed band sequential (bsq) files that contain all of the daily images for the given year. Each image is an array of 341 lines, each with 401 binary floating-point numbers, containing rainfall at 0.1 degree resolution for the area 10 to 50 degrees longitude and 0 to -34 degrees latitude. The number of band sequential images in each annual file and the associated dates can be found in the file MIRA_data_dates.csv.

mongu_daily_rainfall_785

This data set contains daily rainfall totals (mm) from Mongu, in the Western Province of Zambia. The data were collected with a British standard 5 inch diameter rain gauge in a yard 30 m away from the Meteorological Department building near the Mongu Airport (north of downtown and approximately 20 km from the Kataba Local Forest where the permanent 30 m Mongu tower site is located). Rainfall readings were taken by ZMD staff each morning at 06:00 GMT. These data form the official government rainfall record for Mongu.The data files consist of 3 files, one for each year (July to Jun). Each files contains monthly columns with totals for each day of the month as well as a monthly total. The data files are stored as ASCII text files in comma-separated-value (csv) format.

s2k_ISRIC-WISE_soil_properties_634

The data set consists of a southern Africa subset of the ISRIC-WISE global data set of derived soil properties. The World Inventory of Soil Emission Potentials (WISE) database currently contains data for over 4300 soil profiles collected mostly between 1950 and 1995. This database has been used to generate a series of uniform data sets of derived soil properties for each of the 106 soil units considered in the Soil Map of the World (FAO-UNESCO, 1974). These data sets were then linked to a 1/2 degree longitude by 1/2 degree latitude version of the edited and digital Soil Map of the World (FAO, 1995) to generate GIS raster image files for the following variables: total available water capacity (mm water per 1 m soil depth); soil organic carbon density (kg C/m2 for 0-30 cm depth range); soil organic carbon density (kg C/m2 for 0-100 cm depth range); soil carbonate carbon density (kg C/m**2 for 0-100 cm depth range); soil pH (0-30 cm depth range); and soil pH (30-100 cm depth range). More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/soils/ISRIC-WISE_soil_properties/comp/isric_readme.pdf.

globe_dem_630

This data set consists of a southern African subset of the Global Land One-Kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) digital elevation model (DEM) data in both ASCII GRID and binary image file formats. The Global Land One-Kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) digital elevation model (DEM) is a global data set with horizontal grid spacing of 30 arc-seconds (0.008333... degrees) in latitude and longitude, resulting in dimensions of 21,600 rows and 43,200 columns. At the Equator a degree of latitude is about 111 kilometers. GLOBE has 120 values per degree, giving GLOBE slightly better than 1-km gridding at the Equator, with progressively finer gridding longitudinally toward the Poles. The horizontal coordinate system is seconds of latitude and longitude referenced to World Geodetic System 84 (WGS84). The vertical units represent elevation in meters above Mean Sea Level. The elevation values range from -407 to 8,752 meters on land. In GLOBE Version 1.0, ocean areas have been masked as no data and have been assigned a value of -500. Because of the nature of the raster structure of the DEM, small islands in the ocean less than approximately 1 square kilometer (specifically, those that are not characterized by at least one 30 grid cell and/or do not have coastlines digitized into Digital Chart of the World or World Vector Shoreline) may not be represented. More information about the procedure used to create the southern African subset is described in the accompanying file ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/almanac/globe_dem/comp/so_africa_dem_readme.pdf.

MODIS_emissions_758

The recently generated MODIS burned area product over southern Africa for the month of September 2000 was used to calculate regional biomass burning emissions from grassland and woodland fires for a number of trace gases and particulates at 1 km spatial resolution. A dynamic regional fuel load model developed for southern Africa in support of SAFARI 2000 fire emissions modeling is used to compute spatially explicit southern Africa fuel load data. Regional grassland and woodland emissions are estimated using ecosystem-specific emission factor algorithms for carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 um (PM2.5) for southern African savanna fires (Korontzi et al., 2004). In addition, the emissions database for this region is expanded by incorporating emission factors for a variety of compounds, including oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOC), halocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and particulate ionic components measured during the SAFARI 2000 dry season field campaign.The data set archived by ORNL DAAC provides a MODIS-based estimate of CO (carbon monoxide) pyrogenic emissions (in kg) for southern Africa in September 2000 at 1 km. The data image file is stored in GeoTIFF binary format. Pyrogenic emissions of the other trace gases and particulates estimated by this study will be archived by ORNL DAAC when the data sets are finalized.

er2_aerial_photos_722

Aerial photography from the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft was collected to provide detailed and spatially extensive documentation over parts of the SAFARI study area. The ER-2 aerial photography consists of 3,046 color-infrared (IR) transparencies collected during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign in August and September of 2000. ORNL DAAC has archived scanned subsets of the ER-2 aerial photography.The original color-IR aerial photography the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign is located at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) Aircraft Data and Sensor Facilities. Copies can be ordered from the U.S. Geological Survey's EROS Data Center (EDC) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. In addition, 515 image frames have been scanned from copies of the original level-0 ER-2 aerial photography by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), in Pretoria, South Africa. ORNL DAAC has archived subsets of the available imagery from ARC and Wits. Information about the imagery subsets that are available from ORNL DAAC, as well as information about the original color-IR aerial photography at ARC and scanned imagery at Wits can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/atmospheric/remote_sensing/er2_aerial_photos/comp/er2_aerial_photos_readme.pdf.

landcover_bvoc_est_764

Improved vegetation distribution and emission data for Africa south of the equator were developed for the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) and combined with biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emission measurements to estimate BVOC emissions for the southern African region. BVOC emissions were estimated for southern Africa on a monthly basis over a one-year period by combining GIS layers of vegetation, LAI, and climate with a biogenic emissions model, GLOBEIS (Guenther et al, 1993; Guenther, 1999). Model input data included: vegetation data (Rutherford et al., 2000); species emission capacity data (Greenberg et al., 2003; Guenther et al., 1996; Harley et al., 2003; Klinger et al., 1998; Otter et al., 2002; Serca et al., 2001; Wiedinmyer et al., 2004); LAI data (1987-88 ISLSCP LAI; Sellers et al., 1994); cloud cover (MODIS LAI cloud mask); and temperature data (NOAA NCDC data).Model output includes emissions estimates for isoprene, light-dependent monoterpene, stored monoterpene, and other volatile organic compounds by land cover category and by vegetation type (g C m-2 mo-1). Emissions were modeled for a summer (January) and a winter (July) month in 2001. Monthly and annual total emissions per constituent for the year 2001 were also calculated. The data files containing the model outputs are ASCII comma-delimited files. Graphics (.jpgs) included with this data set show the distribution of light dependent monoterpene emissions across southern Africa during January, the average monthly isoprene emissions over southern Africa in January and in July, and the average monthly stored monoterpene emissions over southern Africa in January and in July.

eta_model_723

With modern computer power now capable of making mesoscale model output available in real time in the operational environment, increased attention has been given to utilizing these models in order to improve the forecasting ability of meteorologists. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) has developed a step-mountain eta coordinate model generally known as the ETA Model.This NCEP ETA data assimilation and prediction system (see Mesinger et al., 1988; Black, 1994) has been used by the South African Weather Bureau/Service (SAWS) to provide operational regional forecast guidance since November 1993. SAWS used this model to produce the basic meteorological data for the SAFARI project. The SAWS ETA model is a hydrostatic model with a horizontal grid spacing of approximately 48 km and 38 vertical levels, with layer depths that range from 20 m in the planetary boundary layer to 2 km at 50 mb. There have been several major ETA Model upgrades at SAWS: in March 1996, August 1998, November 1999, and August 2001.

FEWS_precip_711

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) has been supporting the production of 10-day Rainfall Estimate (RFE) data for Africa since 1995. The FEWSNET project was established with the goal of reducing the incidence of drought- or flood-induced famine by providing decision makers with timely and accurate information on conditions that may require intervention. RFE data for continental Africa for 1999, 2000, and 2001 were downloaded the from the African Data Dissemination Service (ADDS) site at [http://edcsnw4.cr.usgs.gov/adds/index.php], and were subset for southern Africa by the SAFARI 2000 data group. The RFE 1.0 algorithm, implemented from 1995 to 2000, uses an interpolation method to combine Meteosat and Global Telecommunication System (GTS) data, and warm cloud information for the 10-day estimations. The 30-minute geostationary Meteosat-7 satellite infrared data are used to estimate convective rainfall from areas where cloud top temperatures are less than 235K. The RFE 2.0 algorithm, implemented as of January 1, 2001, uses additional techniques to better estimate precipitation while continuing the use of cold cloud duration and station rainfall data. The 2.0 algorithm also incorporates two additional satellites, the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) to further aid the estimation. Rain gauge data from around 1000 World Meteorological Organization (WMO) GTS stations that pass quality control procedures are weighted more heavily toward the final rainfall estimate as the distance to the station decreases. Thus, at a distance far from the rain gauge, satellite estimates data dominate the final output result.The RFE subsets are flat binary images, with no headers. The data are limited to the range 0-250 and the rainfall units are millimeters. The data are in an Albers projection, and the pixels are 8 km square. Each single-byte image is 928 samples by 711 lines. There are 3 images per month, thus 36 per year, for a total of 108 10-day rainfall images for the period 1999-2001.

fire_emissions_724

As part of the Southern Africa Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000), the University of Montana participated in both ground-based and airborne campaigns during the southern African dry season of 2000 to measure trace gas emissions from biofuel production and use and savanna fires, respectively.During the airborne campaign, stable and reactive trace gases were measured over southern Africa with an airborne Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (AFTIR) onboard the University of Washington Convair-580 research aircraft in August-September of 2000. The measurements included vertical profiles of CO2, CO, H2O, and CH4 up to 5.5 km on 6 occasions above instrumented ground sites and below the TERRA satellite and ER-2 high-flying research aircraft as well as trace gas emissions from ten African savanna fires. These measurements are the first broad characterization of the most abundant trace gases in nascent smoke from African savanna fires (i.e., including oxygen- and nitrogen-containing species). The measurements are used to calculate emission factors for savanna fires that can be used for regional emissions estimates.This data set provides emission ratios and emission factors from the aircraft sampling effort for the following trace gases: carbon dioxide (CO2); carbon monoxide (CO); methane (CH4); acetylene (C2H2); ethene (C2H4); acetic acid (CH3COOH); methanol (CH3OH); formaldehyde (HCHO); hydrogen cyanide (HCN); formic acid (HCOOH); ammonia (NH3); nitric oxide (NO); and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The file is an ASCII text file in comma-separated-value format. All emission factor units are grams of compound emitted per kilogram of fuel burned (g/kg) for the savanna fires investigated. Emission ratios are dimensionless.

mongu_fpar_trac_784

Data from the Tracing Architecture and Radiation of Canopies (TRAC) instrument were processed to determine the fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) at the EOS Validation Core Site in Kataba Local Forest, approximately 20 km south of Mongu, Zambia. Measurements began in 1999 and continued into 2002, with measurements collected about every month. TRAC contains three pyranometers sensitive to PAR wavelengths, with two sensors upward looking and one downward looking. The TRAC instrument was carried along three parallel transects, each 750 m long and spaced 250 m apart, about 0.7 m off the ground on clear days near midday. The sensors measured PAR at 32 Hz, resulting in a horizontal sampling interval of about 1.7 cm (Privette et al., 2002). Each transect was divided into 25 m segments, and Fpar values, with date/time stamp, are reported for each segment. The length and spacing of the transects were chosen to sample an area large enough to be representative of a 1 km MODIS pixel. PAR transmittance values were determined from the upward viewing pyranometers on the TRAC instrument. Due to the large gaps in the canopy, incident PAR was estimated from the TRAC data as 95% of the maximum PAR transmittance value for each transect. The FPAR values of all the observations were averaged to give segment-average FPAR, and segment average FPAR values were averaged to give transect-average FPAR.The data file is stored as an ASCII text file, in comma-separated-value (csv) format, with column headers.

s2k_soller_wetlands_635

The data set consists of a southern Africa subset of the Global Distribution of Freshwater Wetlands database 1-degree data and are available in ASCII GRID and binary image files formats. The Global Distribution of Freshwater Wetlands database has been assembled from two data sets: Aselman and Crutzen's (AC) (1989) wetlands data set and Klinger's (pers. comm., 1995) Political Alaska data set. The aim is to provide an accurate, comprehensive and uniform set of files for convenient specification of wetlands in global climate models. The main source of data is AC global maps of percent cover for a variety of wetlands categories at 2.5-deg latitude by 5-deg longitude resolution. There is some reorganization for seasonally varying categories. Using bilinear interpolation, the AC data was interpolated to a standard 1-deg by 1-deg grid. The AC data set is geographically complete except for the Alaska region. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/soller_wetlands/comp/sollerwetlands_readme.pdf.

biofuel_emissions_753

Domestic biomass fuels (biofuels) are estimated to be the second largest source of carbon emissions from global biomass burning. Wood and charcoal provide approximately 90% and 10% of domestic energy in tropical Africa, respectively. As part of the Southern Africa Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000), the University of Montana participated in both ground-based and airborne campaigns during the southern African dry season of 2000 to measure trace gas emissions from biofuel production and use and savanna fires, respectively.In September of 2000, ground-based, open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) was used to quantify 18 of the most abundant trace gases emitted by wood and charcoal cooking fires and an earthen, charcoal-making kiln in Zambia. These are the first, in-situ measurements of an extensive suite of trace gases emitted by tropical biofuel burning.This data set provides biofuel burning emission ratios and emission factors from field measurements for the following trace gases (in order of abundance): carbon dioxide (CO2); carbon monoxide (CO); methane (CH4); acetic acid (CH3COOH); methanol (CH3OH); formaldehyde (HCHO); ethene (C2H4); ammonia (NH3); acetylene (C2H2); nitric oxide (NO); ethane (C2H6); phenol (C6H5OH); propene (C3H6); formic acid (HCOOH); nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydroxyacetaldehyde (HOCH2COH); and furan (C4H4O). The files are ASCII text files in comma-separated-value format. All emission factors units are grams of compound emitted per kilogram of dry fuel. Emission ratios are dimensionless.

spot_veg_burned_790

The Global Burned Area 2000 initiative (GBA2000) was launched by the Global Vegetation Mapping Unit of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, in partnership with several other institutions, to develop reliable and quantitative information on the global magnitude and spatial distribution of biomass burning. The objective of GBA2000 was to produce a map of the areas burned globally for the year 2000, using the medium resolution satellite imagery provided by the SPOT-VEGETATION (VGT) system and to derive statistics of area burned per type of vegetation cover. A subset of the global GBA20000 map was prepared for SAFARI 2000 to map the area burned in sub-Saharan Africa during 2000 on a monthly basis using VGT imagery at 1 km spatial resolution. Burned areas were identified with a classification tree, relying only on the near-infrared channel of VGT. The data used in this work are in the S1 daily synthesis format, i.e. the data are radiometrically calibrated, precisely geo-located, and corrected for atmospheric effects.The data are binary image files of area burned, BSQ format in geographic projection. There is one file for each month of 2000 and one file for all of the year 2000. There is also a comma-delimited ASCII text file that provides geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the center of each pixel indicated as a burned area for all of 2000.

ghcn_631

This data set consists of a southern African subset of the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) Version 1 database. All stations with the following bounding coordinates are included in this subset: 5W - 60E and 5N - 35S. There are three files available, one each for precipitation, temperature, and pressure data. Within this subset the oldest data date from 1874 and the most recent from 1990. The GHCN V1 database contains monthly temperature, precipitation, sea-level pressure, and station-pressure data for thousands of meteorological stations worldwide. The database was compiled from pre-existing national, regional, and global collections of data as part of the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) project, the goal of which is to produce, maintain and make available a comprehensive global surface baseline climate data set for monitoring climate and detecting climate change. It contains data from roughly 6000 temperature stations, 7500 precipitation stations, 1800 sea-level pressure stations, and 1800 station-pressure stations. Each station has at least 10 years of data; 40% have more than 50 years of data. Spatial coverage is good over most of the globe, particularly for the United States and Europe. Data gaps are evident over the Amazon rainforest, the Sahara desert, Greenland, and Antarctica. The earliest station data are from 1697; the most recent are from 1990. The database was created from 15 source data sets including: The National Climatic Data Center's (NCDC's) World Weather Records, CAC's Climate Anomaly Monitoring System (CAMS), NCAR's World Monthly Surface Station Climatology, CIRES' (Eischeid/Diaz) Global precipitation data set, P. Jones' Temperature data base for the world, and S. Nicholson's African precipitation database. Quality Control of the database included visual inspection of graphs of all station time series, tests for precipitation digitized 6 months out of phase, tests for different stations having identical data, and other tests. This detailed analysis has revealed that most stations (95% for temperature and precipitation, 75% for pressure) contain high-quality data. However, gross data-processing errors (e.g., keypunch problems) and discontinuous inhomogeneities (e.g., station relocations and instrumentation changes) do characterize a small number of stations. All major data processing problems have been flagged (or corrected, when possible). Similarly, all major inhomogeneities have been flagged, although no homogeneity corrections were applied. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/climate_meteorology/ghcn/comp/ghcn_v1_readme.pdf.

GPCP_precip_712

The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) is an international project designed to provide improved long-record estimates of precipitation over the globe. The general approach is to combine the precipitation information available from several sources into a final merged product that takes advantage of the strengths of each data type. The GPCP has promoted the development of an analysis procedure for blending the various estimates together to produce the necessary global gridded precipitation fields. The currently operational procedure is based on Huffman et al. (1995) and has been used to produce the GPCP Version 2 Combined Precipitation Data Set, covering the period January 1979 through the present. The primary product in the Version 2 data set is a combined observation-only data set, that is, a gridded analysis based on gauge measurements and satellite estimates of rainfall. Beginning in October of 1996, the GPCP began producing 3-hourly merged global infrared (IR) brightness temperature (Tb) histograms on a 1 degree by 1 degree grid, which became the impetus for this product, also known as the 1 degree daily (1DD) product. The data set prepared for SAFARI 2000 has been extracted from the 1DD data set for the years 1999, 2000, and 2001.The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) is an element of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) of the World Climate Research program (WCRP). The 1DD is produced by the GPCP Merge Development Centre (GMDC), located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the Laboratory for Atmospheres.

knp_fire_maps_756

Kruger National Park (KNP) was established in 1898 to protect wildlife on nearly 2 million hectares of the South African Lowveld. The climate in this region of South Africa is subtropical, with hot summers and warm, dry winters. Summer rains fall between October and March.Savanna fires are common in the South African Lowveld during the dry season. The two primary sources of fire ignition, historically and currently, are human activity and lightning.This data set contains a record of all fires observed in the Kruger National Park for each of the 10 fire years from 1992 to 2001. The data were compiled from various sources, including old fire records in hardcopy and vector form, as well as satellite imagery. The data product consists of a polygon map (GIS shapefile format) of Kruger National Park and a cross-referenced database of fire information associated with all mapped units. The fire information includes the date and time when the fire started (if known); the cause of the fire; the person, group or phenomenon (e.g. lightning) that started the fire; the purpose for which the fire was lit (if relevant); an estimate of the fire intensity aggregated over the whole fire; the extent of the area burnt in hectares; and the perimeter of the area burnt in kilometers. The database file can be viewed with a text editor and can also be imported into common spreadsheet applications.

hydrographic_gghydro_636

This southern African subset of the Global Hydrographic data set (GGHYDRO) Release 2.2 is organized into 19 files containing terrain type, stream frequency counts, major drainage basins, main features of the cryosphere surface, and ice/water runoff per year for the entire Earth's surface at a spatial resolution of 1 degree longitude by 1 degree latitude. This southern African subset of the Global Hydrographic data is provided in both ASCII GRID and binary image files formats. More information and selected thumbnails images can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/hydrology/hydrographic_gghydro/comp/gghydro_readme.pdf . GGHYDRO Data Set Categories (Data File): 1. Exposed land not covered by swamp, intermittent water bodies, glacier ice, sand dunes, saltmarsh or salt flats (LAND); 2. Perennial freshwater lakes (FLAK); 3. Swamp, marsh and other wetlands(SWMP); 4. Saltwater, whether marine or terrestrial (SLTW); 5. Intermittent water bodies (ILAK); 6. Glacier ice, including shelf ice but excluding pack ice (GLAC); 7. Sand dunes (DUNE); 8. Saltmarsh (SMRS); 9. Salt flats (SFLT); 10. Land + Swamp + Sand dunes + Saltmarsh (DSRF); 11. Perennial rivers (FRIV); 12. Intermittent rivers (IRIV); 13. Land mask (MS05); 14. Major drainage basins (BAS1); 15. Smaller drainage basins (BAS2); 16. Main features of the cryosphere (CRYO); 17. Surface runoff of water (kg/m2/yr) (RNOF); 18. Estimated root-mean-square error of RNOF (%) (RNER); and 19. Runoff of ice ( kg/m2/yr ) (RICE).

SAWB_JRA_713

As part of the 3rd Intensive Campaign of SAFARI 2000, the South African Weather Bureau Aerocommander, JRA, flew 19 missions, for a total of 28 separate flights conducted between August 15th and September 7th, 2000. JRA worked closely with the other Aerocommander, JRA, and was dedicated to the measurement of trace gas and aerosol properties. A suite of trace analyzers (for O3, SO2, CO and NO), laser aerosol probes and atmospheric probes were present for all flights. Other instruments and sampling units present for some of the flights included, a nephelometer (Elias), CO flasks (Novelli) for MOPITT validation purposes, and VOC canisters for the collection and characterization of volatile organic compounds present over various land surface types.

SAWB_JRB_714

As part of the 3rd Intensive Campaign of SAFARI 2000, the South African Weather Bureau Aerocommander, JRB, flew 19 missions, for a total of 28 separate flights conducted between August 15th and September 7th, 2000. JRB worked closely with the other Aerocommander, JRA, and was dedicated to the measurement of trace gas and aerosol properties. A suite of trace analyzers (for O3, SO2, CO and NO), laser aerosol probes and atmospheric probes were present for all flights. Other instruments and sampling units present for some of the flights included, a nephelometer (Elias), CO flasks (Novelli) for MOPITT validation purposes, and VOC canisters for the collection and characterization of volatile organic compounds present over various land surface types.

kalahari_co2_heat_flux_765

Short-term measurements of carbon dioxide, water, and energy fluxes were collected at four locations along a mean annual precipitation gradient in southern Africa during the SAFARI 2000 wet (growing) season campaign of 2000. The purpose of this research was to determine how observed vegetation-atmosphere exchange properties are functionally related to long-term climatic conditions. This research was conducted along the Kalahari Transect (KT), one in the global set of International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) transects, which covers a north-south aridity gradient, all on a homogenous sand formation. Eddy covariance instruments were deployed on a permanent tower in Mongu, Zambia (879 mm of rainfall per year), as well as on a portable tower in Maun (460 mm/yr), Okwa River Crossing (407 mm/yr), and Tshane (365 mm/yr), Botswana for several days at each site.The data files are stored as ASCII text files, one file per site, in comma-separated-value (csv) format, with column headers. Each file contains measurements of the following parameters: air temperature; CO2 concentration; CO2 flux; friction velocity; heat flux; infrared surface skin temperature; longwave radiation; net radiation; photosynthetic photon flux density; photosynthesis energy; relative humidity; shortwave radiation; soil moisture; soil temperature; vapor pressure deficit; wind speed and angle; water use efficiency; and water vapor. Additional information can be found in the companion file: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/climate_meteorology/kalahari_co2_heat_flux/comp/ kt_co2_heat_flux_readme.pdf. Detailed photographs (.jpg) that complement the experimental descriptions for this data set are available on the S2K Photo Gallery pages.

sua_pan_lai_fpar_778

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Validation team was deployed to the Sua Pan salt playa in the Magkadigkadi region of Botswana during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign to collect various data sets for validating the MISR LAI/FPAR algorithm. Ground measurements of leaf area index (LAI) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) were made using the LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer and Sunfleck PAR ceptometer, respectively, during focused periods from August 20 to August 28, 2000 at a dry grassland site adjacent to the Sua Pan. The 1 km by 1 km sampling grid was a homogeneous, relatively dense grassland, with a height of 20-100 cm and two prevalent grass types, Odyssea paucinervis and Sporobolus spicatus. Associated reflectance measurements were made with the PARABOLA and ASD instruments (Helmlinger et al., 2004a; 2004b).The data files contain measurements of LAI and PAR reflectance and transmission and a description of sky conditions during the sampling periods. With one exception, all measurements were made under clear sky conditions. PAR data were measured only on the transect scale while LAI are provided at both pixel and transect scales. PAR readings were performed at 93 transect sample points, and LAI readings were performed at 135 (93 transect and 42 subgrid) sample points. Each file also contains mean LAI and PAR values. The data files are ASCII tables, in comma-separated-value format.

kt_lai_770

The Boston University team collected several data sets along the Kalahari Transect during the SAFARI 2000 wet season field campaign from March 3rd to March 18th, 2000 to support the validation of the MODIS LAI/FPAR algorithm. Ground measurements of LAI, FPAR, leaf hemispherical reflectance, leaf hemispherical transmittance, and canopy transmittance were made using a LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer, an AccuPAR ceptometer, a LiCor 1800-12S External Integrating Sphere (LI-1800) portable spectroradiometer, and an ASD handheld spectroradiometer. LAI data are provided in this data set. LAI was intensively measured at 4 different sites in Botswana -- Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River, and Tshane (from north to south) -- where vegetation types range from moist closed woodlands to arid sparsely-shrub-covered grasslands. LAI measurements were mostly made during dusk, shortly before and after sunset at ground level in Maun, Okwa, and Tshane and at two horizontal levels in Pandamatenga -- one 2.0 m above the ground to measure the LAI of trees and the other was at ground level for total LAI.This data set contains reduced LAI measurements made at two scales: a 1 km x 1 km transect scale and a 250 m x 300 m pixel scale. The transect LAI data are stored in one ASCII file containing all measurements along the three transects at each site. The pixel or subgrid LAI are stored in separate ASCII files for each site.

s2k_glcf1deg_626

This data set consists of a southern African subset of the University of Maryland (UMD) 1-degree Global Land Cover product in ASCII GRID and binary image formats. The UMD 1-degree Global Land Cover product was produced by researchers at the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS) at UMD. The product is based on Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) maximum monthly composites for 1987 of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values at approximately 8-km resolution, averaged to one-by-one degree resolution. This coarse- resolution data set was used as the basis for a supervised classification of eleven cover types that broadly represent the major biomes of the world. Because of missing values at high latitudes, the Pathfinder AVHRR data set for 1987 for summer monthly NDVI and red reflectance values were used to distinguish the following cover types: tundra, high latitude deciduous forest and woodland, coniferous evergreen forest and woodland. The 1-degree global land cover product is available for download from the Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) web site. The data are available as a global coverage in both binary and ASCII format. Additional information and references on this data set can be found at the GLCF web site as well as at the LGRSS web site (link provided at the GLCF web site ) and in the readme file found along with the data [ ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/land_cover_data_1deg/comp/glcf1deg_readme.pdf].

land_cover_data-1km_627

The data set consists of a southern African subset of the 1-km Global Land Cover Data Set Derived from AVHRR developed at the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS) at the University of Maryland. Both ASCII data and binary image files are available. Over the past several years, researchers have increasingly turned to remotely sensed data to improve the accuracy of data sets that describe the geographic distribution of land cover at regional and global scales. To develop improved methodologies for global land cover classifications as well as to provide global land cover products for immediate use in global change research, researchers at the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS) at the University of Maryland have employed the NASA/NOAA Pathfinder Land (PAL) data set with a spatial resolution of 1 km. This data set has a record length of 14 years (1981-1994), providing the ability to test the stability of classification algorithms. Furthermore, this data set includes red, infrared, and thermal bands in addition to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Inclusion of these additional bands improves discrimination between cover types. The project aim is to develop and validate global land cover data sets and to develop advanced methodologies for more realistically describing the vegetative land surface based on satellite data. The 1-km global land cover product was created from 1992-93 LAC AVHRR data. The full 1-km global land cover product is available for download from the Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) web site. Forty-one (41) metrics were developed to describe global vegetation phenology, and these data were used to make the 1-km land cover map. The final product contains 13 land cover classes. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/land_cover_data-1km/comp/glcf1km_readme.pdf.

s2k_land_cover_data_8km_628

This data set consists of a southern African subset of the University of Maryland (UMD) 8-km Global Land Cover product in ASCII GRID and binary image files formats. Over the past several years, researchers have increasingly turned to remotely sensed data to improve the accuracy of data sets that describe the geographic distribution of land cover at regional and global scales. To develop improved methodologies for global land cover classifications as well as to provide global land cover products for immediate use in global change research, researchers at the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS) at the University of Maryland (UMD) have employed the NASA/NOAA Pathfinder Land (PAL) data set with a spatial resolution of 8 km. This data set has a length of record of 14 years (1981-1994), providing the ability to test the stability of classification algorithms. Furthermore, this data set includes red, infrared, and thermal bands in addition to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Inclusion of these additional bands improves discrimination between cover types. The project aim is to develop and validate global land cover data sets and to develop advanced methodologies for more realistically describing the vegetative land surface based on satellite data. The 8-km global land cover product was derived by testing several metrics that describe the temporal dynamics of vegetation over an annual cycle. These metrics were applied to 1984 PAL data at 8-km resolution to derive a global land cover classification product using a decision tree classifier. The final product contains 13 land cover classes. The original 8-km global land cover product is available for download from the Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) web site. Additional information and references on this data set can be found at the GLCF web site as well as at the LGRSS web site (link provided at the GLCF web site ). More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/land_cover_data_8km/comp/glcf8km_readme.pdf.

kt_gps_photos_769

This data set contains Global Positioning System (GPS) imprinted landscape photographs at 100 m intervals along the Large Grid Transects at Kalahari Transect sites in Botswana and at measurement sites in Kataba Forest, Mongu, Zambia and in the vicinity of the Skukuza flux tower site in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The Kalahari sites visited were Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa Valley, and Tshane. There are about 30 pictures per site. In a related study, vegetation cover and composition were measured at various locations along the Kalahari Transect and trends in major vegetative cover, including species types and richness, were recorded (Ringrose and Matheson, 2004). The sites visited showed interesting degrees of variability despite the apparent homogeneity of the Kalahari sands and predominantly semi-arid savanna shrub-woodland vegetation cover. In this data set, the photography provides a visual characterization of species composition and vegetation cover along the Kalahari Transect. The photographs are intended to aid in the interpretation of other data sets, and can be used to suggest canopy height, gap fraction, grass, soil, and sky conditions.The photographs are provided as JPEG images. The following information is imprinted across the top of each photograph: camera number; date mode (G=UTC time) and date (YYMMDD format); time (HHMMSS format); locational mode (1 char) and DOP value (A < 1, J > 9.1); longitude (N, S), followed by DDMM.MMM format; latitude (E, W) followed by DDDMM.MMM format; and bearing (degrees) from magnetic north (indicates direction of shot).

kt_lai_trac_771

Data from the Tracing Radiation and Architecture of Canopies (TRAC) instrument were collected at five sites along the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) Kalahari Transect, including Mongu in Zambia and Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane in Botswana, during the 2000 wet season field campaign (March-April) of SAFARI 2000. At the Mongu site, TRAC measurements began in August of 1999 and continued beyond the 2000 wet season field campaign, about every month for the rest of 2000.The TRAC instrument contains pyranometers that are sensitive to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at 400-700 nm. The TRAC measures the PAR flux transmitted through the overstory canopy continuously at 32 Hz. The parameters derived from the TRAC instrument include estimates of plant or leaf area index (PAI, LAI), overstory gap fraction, and clumping index.At each site, the TRAC instrument was carried along three parallel transects, each 750 m long and spaced 250 m apart. Measurements were made every 25 m along the transects. The length and spacing of the transects were chosen to sample an area large enough to be representative of a 1 km MODIS pixel.The data files are stored as ASCII text files, one file per transect, site, and date, with column headers. There are also summary files (ASCII text) containing mean values of each derived parameter over an entire transect for each collection date.

mongu_lai-2000_781

Data from the LAI-2000 instrument were processed to determine the leaf area index (LAI) at the EOS Validation Core Site in Kataba Local Forest, approximately 20 km south of Mongu, Zambia. Measurements began in 2000 and continued into 2002, with measurements collected about every month throughout the growing season to examine the phenology of LAI for the site. The LAI-2000 measures the intensity of blue light in five upward-looking concentric conical rings. Measurements are made under the forest canopy and compared with open-sky measurements to determine transmittance for each of the five viewing angles. The sensor head was placed at ground level while the sensors measured light levels in conical scans. Effective leaf area was calculated from the transmittance in the different view angles based on the assumption of a random distribution of leaves (Welles and Norman, 1991).The LAI-2000 was carried along three parallel transects, each 750 m long and spaced 250 m apart. Each transect was divided into 25 m segments, and measurements were collected at the endpoints of each segment. Data from all transects were combined to provide site-average LAI for each sampling date. The length and spacing of the transects were chosen to sample an area large enough to be representative of a 1 km MODIS pixel. Ground observations of LAI from this study compared with MODIS LAI products were found to be in close agreement.The data are stored in an ASCII text file, in comma-separated-value (csv) format, with column headers.

kt_leaf_meas_772

Data presented in this data set were collected during an intensive field campaign in Botswana between February 28 and March 18, 2000 along the Kalahari Transect as part of the SAFARI 2000 wet season field campaign. The sites visited were Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane (north to south). Individual leaf blade measurements were made on replicate samples from selected dominant and subdominant tree species using an optical lens and graticule. Leaves used in the study had recently-matured new growth, and were fully exposed to the sun for a significant part of the day. The data set is comprised of individual leaf blade dimensions along the length and width of each leaf by tree species as well as the mean of the replicate leaf length and width samples. The data are in comma-delimited ASCII format (kt_leaf_dimensions.csv).

kt_leaf_spectra_773

The Boston University team collected several data sets along the Kalahari Transect during the SAFARI 2000 wet season field campaign between March 3 and March 18, 2000 to support the validation of the MODIS LAI/FPAR algorithm. Ground measurements of LAI, FPAR, leaf hemispherical reflectance and transmittance, and canopy transmittance were made using a LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer, an AccuPAR ceptometer, a LiCor 1800-12S External Integrating Sphere (LI-1800) portable spectroradiometer, and an ASD handheld spectroradiometer. Leaf spectral data are provided in this data set. Leaf spectral measurements were made on samples from dominant tree, shrub, and grass species at 5 different Kalahari Transect sites - Mongu in Zambia and Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River, and Tshane in Botswana (from north to south) - where vegetation ranges from moist closed woodlands to arid sparsely-shrub-covered grasslands. Measurements were made on site with a LI-1800 portable spectroradiometer right after the leaves were cut from the trees or shrubs. Three or four sample leaves of each dominant species were measured.The data files, in ASCII comma-delimited (.csv) format, contain the wavelength of the measurement (from 400 nm to 1100 nm, at an interval of 1 nm) and the corresponding fraction of leaf reflectance, transmittance, and albedo (reflectance+transmittance). There is a separate data file for each tree and shrub species sampled at each site and a single file containing unidentified grass species collected from all of the sites. Average values for combined samples of trees and of shrubs at different sites are also provided.

leaf_voc_emissions_763

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) comprise a significant proportion of trace gases in the atmospheric environment and play an important role in the formation of secondary air pollutants. Emissions of monoterpenes from vegetation were studied at adjacent sites in Botswana as part of the SAFARI 2000 (Southern African Regional Science Initiative). Using a LI-COR leaf cuvette, VOC emissions were measured from the dominant tree species (Colophospermum mopane) and other vegetation near Maun, Botswana. The aims of this work were to: (1) determine the VOC emission potential of C. mopane; (2) investigate any differences in VOC emission potential between the tall and short C. mopane morphology types; (3) investigate environmental controls of VOC emissions from C. mopane; and (4) screen other non-dominant vegetation for high VOC emission potential. The data are contained in an ASCII text file (maun_leaf-level_voc.csv) in comma-delimited format with column headers. The data file contains leaf-level VOC emission rates for C. mopane and other plant species growing near Maun, Botswana recorded under different types of experiments associated with the measurements (e.g., preliminary light dependency, emission potential, tall/short and water potential, light dependency, screening). In addition, the data file contains physical measurements, such as leaf area and dry biomass, which are used in calculating leaf-level emissions rates. Environmental parameters in the leaf cuvette (PAR, temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration) are also recorded. All measurements were made during the wet season campaign (February) of 2001.

mapss_modis_aerosol_814

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)Atmosphere Group develops remote sensing algorithms for deriving sets of atmospheric parameters from MODIS radiance data. These parameters can be integrated into conceptual and predictive global models. MODIS Atmosphere Products Subset Statistics (MAPSS) are generated over important locations around the world, as one of the ways to increase the scope of application of the MODIS atmospheric parameters. This MAPSS data set contains daily time series of the MODIS MOD04_L2 aerosol product over seventeen (17) AERONET sunphotometer measurement sites in southern Africa for the period February 26, 2000, through December 31, 2001. The process of generating the statistics involves identifying these locations on the MODIS MOD04_L2 product, extracting the values of the pixel corresponding to each coordinate point as well as surrounding pixels falling within a 50 x 50 km box centered on the coordinate point. The data files are stored as ASCII tables in comma-separated-value (.csv) format. There is one file per site per year for each of the following variables: cloud fraction (land); cloud fraction (ocean); particle effective radius (ocean); optical depth (land and ocean); optical depth (land, corrected); optical depth (ocean, effective average); and optical depth ratio (small ocean).

mapss_modis_watervapor_815

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Atmosphere Group develops remote-sensing algorithms for deriving sets of atmospheric parameters from MODIS radiance data. These parameters can be integrated into conceptual and predictive global models. MODIS Atmosphere Products Subset Statistics (MAPSS) are generated over important locations around the world, as one of the ways to increase the scope of application of the MODIS atmospheric parameters. This MAPSS data set contains daily time series of the MODIS MOD05_L2 water vapor product over seventeen (17) AERONET sunphotometer measurement sites in southern Africa for the period February 24, 2000, through March 4, 2002. The process of generating the statistics involves identifying these locations on the MODIS MOD05_L2 product, extracting the values of the pixel corresponding to each coordinate point as well as surrounding pixels falling within a 50 x 50 km box centered on the coordinate point. The data product consists of column water-vapor amounts. During the daytime, a near-infrared algorithm is applied over clear land areas of the globe and above clouds over both land and ocean. Over clear ocean areas, water-vapor estimates are provided over the extended glint area. An infrared algorithm for deriving atmospheric profiles is also applied both day and night for Level 2. The data files are stored as ASCII tables in comma-separated-value (.csv) format. There is one file per site per year for each of the following two variables: total column precipitable water vapor (infrared retrieved) and total column precipitable water vapor (near-infrared retrieved).

cramer_leemans_637

This data set is a subset of the global mean monthly climatology (Cramer and Leemans 1999). The subset is for the area of southern Africa within the following bounds: 5 N to 35 S and 5 E to 60 E. The data are available in ASCII grid and binary image formats. The parent database is a major update of the Leemans and Cramer database (Leemans and Cramer 1991). It contains long-term monthly averages, for the period 1931-1960, of mean temperature, temperature range, precipitation, rain days and sunshine hours for the terrestrial surface of the globe, gridded at 0.5-degree longitude/latitude resolution. It was generated from a larger database, using the partial thin-plate splining algorithm developed by Michael F. Hutchinson, Canberra (Hutchinson and Bischof 1983). The current version is 2.1--this is the same version that is currently used widely around the globe, notably by all groups participating in the IGBP NPP model intercomparison. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/climate_meteorology/cramer_leemans/comp/cramer_leemans_readme.pdf.

maun_met_flux_760

To investigate potential contributions of savanna ecosystems to the Earth s carbon balance, an eddy covariance system was used to measure the seasonal variation in carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy flux at the Maun micrometerological tower site in a broadleaf semi-arid savanna in Southern Africa, approximately 20 km east of Maun in northeastern Botswana. The open woodland studied consists of an overstory dominated by Colophospermum mopane with a sparse understory of grasses and herbs. Measurements presented in this data set cover the wet and dry season periods that coincided with field activities of the SAFARI 2000 project in February-April and August-September, 2000. The data files contain numeric values that represent 30-minute averages from instrumentation mounted on the Maun tower. The parameters measured, or derived from measurements, include: air pressure, air temperature, albedo, carbon dioxide flux, dewpoint temperature, friction velocity, latent heat flux, longwave radiation, net radiation, precipitation, relative humidity, sensible heat flux, shortwave radiation, soil moisture, soil temperature, specific humidity, vapor pressure, and wind speed. The data files are stored as ASCII table files, one file per month, in comma-separated-value (.csv) format, with column headers.Long term climatic data of the Maun area (monthly rainfall, maximum recorded monthly rainfall, mean maximum daily temperature, mean minimum daily temperature, and potential evapotranspiration) are provided, along with data set documentation, in the companion file: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/climate_meteorology/maun_met_flux/comp/maun_met_flux_readme.pdf.

knp_met_761

An eddy covariance system mounted on a tower near the Skukuza Camp in Kruger National Park, South Africa, has been operating continuously since early 2000. Meteorological measurements started in February 2000, and the first flux measurements were made in April 2000. The site is unique in that the micrometeorological instruments are positioned on a tower located between two distinct savanna types, a broad-leafed Combretum savanna and a fine-leafed Acacia savanna. These contrasting savanna types are found on soils of differing texture, water holding capacity, and nutrient status, and are characterized by different physical structure, physiology, and phenology. It was expected that the tower placement and prevailing wind directions would allow for the sampling of net ecosystem fluxes from both of these ecosystems. Measurements on the main eddy covariance tower include net ecosystem exchange of CO2, water, and energy, and measurements of a range of meteorological variables with 30-minute averaging period. Additional continuous measurements in both adjacent savanna systems include soil heat flux, soil moisture and soil temperature profiles (from the soil surface to bedrock), and canopy profiles of CO2 concentration, humidity, and air temperature. Intermittent measurements include soil surface CO2 flux and spatially-distributed soil moisture and soil temperature.The data files contain 30-minute averages from instrumentation mounted on the Skukuza tower from 2000-2002. The data files are stored as ASCII table files, one file per year, in comma-separated-value (.csv) format, with column headers.Additional information about the meteorological and flux measurements can be found at: http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/kruger/ and in the companion file at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/climate_meteorology/knp_met/comp/knp_met_readme.pdf.

micro_pulse_lidar_715

Two Micro-Pulse Lidar (MPL) systems were deployed to Africa for the SAFARI 2000 experiment. One MPL was setup in Mongu, Zambia and the other was setup in Skukuza, South Africa. The primary focus of MPL work during SAFARI was to study the vertical distribution and optical properties of smoke from biomass burning in the region.

MISR_885

MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer) views the sunlit Earth simultaneously at nine widely spaced and collects global images with high spatial detail in four colors at every angle. These images are carefully calibrated to provide accurate measures of the brightness, contrast, and color of reflected sunlight. The change in reflection at different view angles affords the means to distinguish different types of atmospheric particles (aerosols), cloud forms, and land surface covers. Combined with stereoscopic techniques, this enables construction of 3-dimensional models and more accurate estimates of the total amount of sunlight reflected by Earth's diverse environments.MISR was built for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is part of NASA's Terra spacecraft, launched into a polar orbit around the Earth on December 18, 1999.The Southern African Fire Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI) 2000 field campaign focused on the smoke and gases released into the environment of southern Africa by industrial, biological, and man-made sources such as biomass burning. The area of study and MISR path numbers include Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These MISR data cover the period August 12 through September 28, 2000.

fuel_load_755

This data set contains global, spatially explicit (1 km2 grid cells) and temporally explicit (semi-monthly) modeled output of fuel loads over southern Africa. The fuel types considered in the data set are litter (dead tree leaves), dead grass, green grass, and small-diameter twigs. The Production Efficiency Model (PEM) was used to produce the estimated fuel loads for southern Africa for the 1999-2000 growing seasons. In order to accommodate the southern African growing season, which spans October to May, the PEM was run on twenty-four 15-day intervals from September 1, 1999 to August 31, 2000. The fuel load model was calibrated from measurements recorded in 1996 along the Kalahari Transect, and has been verified from independent site measurements of fuel loads recorded during the SAFARI 2000 dry season field campaign in August and September of 2000 (Alleaume et al., 2003, Hely et al., 2003a) as well as other past campaigns.This data set consists of gridded binary image files. The single-byte images have a 1 km resolution and the grid is 3900 columns by 4800 rows in size. There are 24 files each for litter, dead grass, and green grass fuel loads, and a single file for the twig fuel loads. For the latter, small twigs (less than 1cm in diameter) are calculated from the tree cover percentage (UMD Tree Cover from Hansen et al., 2000) using an empirical relationship (Alleaume et al., 2003). Therefore, this fuel type is a constant throughout the year.

trajectory_images_792

The ETA Forecast Trajectory Model was used to produce forecasts of air-parcel trajectories twice a day at three pressure levels over seven sites in Southern Africa for the period August 14, 2000 to September 23, 2000. These sites are Durban, Middleburg, Pietersburg, and Springbok, South Africa; Maun, Botswana; Mongu, Zambia; and Windhoek, Namibia. The twice daily three-dimensional wind field (at 0000 and 1200 UTC) was used as input to the trajectory model. By integrating the vertical motion of the air parcels over a period of time, the trajectory model was able to forecast the net vertical displacement of air parcels during 12-hour periods. The resulting trajectory plots represent the three-dimensional transport of air in time and can be used to examine what is happening in the low-to-mid troposphere during flight and ground-based observations. These levels are most significant in terms of the thermodynamic structure of the troposphere, especially the stable layers and accumulation of material between and below them, as well containing the major levels of subsidence over the subcontinent. The trajectory model output and thermodynamic profiles of the troposphere were used to position aircraft for sampling trace gases, aerosols and other species during the SAFARI 2000 field campaign and to predict regions of high aerosol and trace gas concentrations downwind.The model output data are daily forward and backward trajectory plots at 850 hPa, 700 hPa, and 500 hPa pressure levels for each location. The plots are provided as JPEG images with coordinate, date, and time stamps.

modis_burned_area_796

The SAFARI 2000 project was selected as the first regional test for a prototype regional 500 m MODIS burned area product. The MODIS burned area product maps the 500 m location and approximate day of burning using a change detection algorithm based on a bi-directional reflectance model-based expectation method applied to the MODIS near-infrared and shortwave infrared bands (Roy et al., 2002). The algorithm was applied to recently reprocessed 500 m daily MODIS land surface reflectance data to produce burned area data sets for all of southern Africa for 2000 forward. This archived data set contains MODIS 500 m burned area products for two dry season months (July and September 2000).Burned area products are spatially explicit data sets that describe the approximate day of burning at 500 m resolution for all of southern Africa south of the Equator, including Madagascar. The burned area maps are compressed GeoTiff files. Several text files are included in the compressed files to aid ENVI (Research Systems, Inc.) users, including ENVI header files and ENVI density slice files. The data set also includes a projection parameters file.The MODIS burned area data set was validated using a methodology based upon the interpretation of multitemporal Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) data as described in Roy et al. (in press).

MAS_832

This dataset contains the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Airborne Simulator (MAS) multispectral data collected during the SAFARI 2000 project. The flights were undertaken over Southern Africa by the NASA ER-2 aircraft during August and September, 2000.

modis_l3_albedo_840

The Filled Land Surface Albedo Product for Southern Africa, which is generated from MOD43B3 Product (the official Terra/MODIS-derived Land Surface Albedo - http://geography.bu.edu/brdf/userguide/albedo.html ), is a subset of the global data set of spatially complete albedo maps computed for both white-sky and black-sky at 10 wavelengths. The data spatial extent is from approximately 5 degrees N to -30 degrees S latitude and 5 minutes E to 60 degrees E longitude and covers 7 sixteen day periods starting on July 11 through October 15, 2000.Map Products, containing spatially complete land surface albedo data, are generated at 1-minute resolution on an equal-angle grid. The maps are stored in separate HDF files for each wavelength, each 16-day period and each albedo type (white- and black-sky). Data belonging to black sky and white sky albedo have been zipped separately. This format allows the user to have flexibility to download and store only the data absolutely needed.The One-Minute Land Ecosystem Classification Product is a global (static map) data set of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) classification scheme stored on an equal-angle rectangular grid at 1-minute resolution. The dataset is generated from the official MODIS land ecosystem classification dataset, MOD12Q1 for year 2000, day 289 data (October 15, 2000). This dataset is used in generating the spatially complete albedo maps, but is also a stand-alone product designed for use by the user community. The Land Ecosystem Classification Map File product file is stored in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF).

modis_MOD04_aerosol_813

The subset of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MOD04_L2 aerosol product provided in this data set represents the swaths that coincide with known times of the South African Weather Bureau/Service (SAWS) Aerocommanders JRA and JRB research aircraft missions to support aerosol research and validation activities for the SAFARI 2000 region. The MODIS aerosol product monitors the ambient aerosol optical thickness over the oceans globally and over a portion of the continents. Further, the aerosol size distribution is derived over the oceans, and the aerosol type is derived over the continents. Daily Level 2 data are produced at the spatial resolution of a 10 x 10 1 km (at nadir) pixel array. The daily data files cover the period August 21, 2000, through September 26, 2000. For some data collection dates, there are two or more data files.The MOD04_L2 swath data files included in this data set are from the GSFC DAAC (V4.1.0, Collection 004). The MODIS Level 2 data files were converted from Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) to granule tables (GRANT) format. The GRANT format provides the extracted Scientific Data Set (SDS) in ASCII table form where each pixel (x,y) is represented as a row of data with georeferencing information and each SDS is provided as a separate column in the table. The ASCII tables are in comma-delimited format.

modis_MOD05_watervapor_812

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) precipitable water product consists of vertical column water-vapor amounts in centimeters (cm) at 1-km spatial resolution. The SAFARI 2000 product, provided in flat binary data files, is a subset of the official MODIS Level 2 MOD05 product in EOS Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) format. Specifically, the SAFARI product contains data from daytime-only MODIS granules over southern Africa for the period August 21, 2000, through September 20, 2000. A granule is the data collected over the full MODIS swath in a five-minute period. Further, the SAFARI product contains values generated by the MODIS near-infrared algorithm applied over clear land areas only (determined via the QA bit field). All values were derived from MODIS on the morning-pass Terra satellite. The product is very sensitive to boundary-layer water vapor since it is derived from attenuation of reflected solar light from the surface. This data product is essential to understanding the hydrological cycle, aerosol properties, aerosol-cloud interactions, energy budget, and climate.The MOD05 water vapor data files were converted from their original HDF format to flat binary files for this SAFARI 2000 data set. The conversion was performed using code developed in the Interactive Data Language (IDL) Version 5.5. The following Scientific Data Sets (SDS) are provided in this data set: Latitude; Longitude; Sensor_Zenith; and Water_Vapor_Near_Infrared.

modis_h2o_heat_flux_762

A physically-based model, Energy: Surface Towards Atmosphere (ESTA), was used to model and map the energy and water balances of a heterogeneous land surface in a savanna environment on the southern fringe of the Okavango Delta, near Maun, Botswana. ESTA is governed by remotely sensed values of surface temperature, reflection, and vegetation density.Surface reflectance data from the MODIS sensor aboard the Terra satellite were obtained for the Okavango Delta region for September of 2001. Use was made of the visible, near infrared, and thermal bands of MOD09, a configuration that allows discrimination of broad-band surface albedo, vegetation indices, and surface temperature. A crude land cover classification image was created to provide vegetation canopy heights for the estimation of aerodynamic resistance. The original spatial resolution of the visible and near infrared imagery of 250 and 500 meters, respectively, was reduced to 1 km to be compatible with the resolution of the thermal imagery. Input to the model also includes near-surface meteorological observations from the Maun flux tower.Net radiometer data from the Maun station were used for crude atmospheric corrections and for validating net radiation estimates. Soil heat flux plates, also in place at the tower site, in combination with an eddy-correlation system, were used to validate the model output for soil and turbulent heat fluxes. This data set consists of 3 separate gridded binary image files representing daily evapotranspiration (mm/day) for the Okavango Delta region for September 2, September 13, and September 29, 2001.

s2k_soil_respiration_gridded_644

The data set provides estimated monthly and annual soil CO2 emissions for southern Africa (the SAFARI 2000 project region). The calculated emissions are from the respiration of both soil organisms and plant roots and are provided on a 0.5-degree grid cell basis. The data are a subset of a global data set (Raich and Potter, CDIAC 1996), reformatted and subsetted to the SAFARI region.

S2K_EACM_Subset_623

This is a data set of mean monthly surface climate data over Southern Africa for nearly all of the twentieth century. The data set is gridded at 0.5 degree latitude/longitude resolution and includes seven variables: precipitation, mean temperature, diurnal temperature range, wet-day frequency, vapour pressure, cloud cover, and ground-frost frequency. All variables have mean monthly values for the period 1901-1995, several have data as recent as 1998, and more data will be added by the data originators. In constructing the monthly grids the authors used an anomaly approach which attempts to maximize station data in space and time (New et al., 2000). In this technique, grids of monthly historic anomalies are derived relative to a standard normal period. Station measurement data for the years 1961-1990, extracted from the monthly data holdings of the Climatic Research Unit and the Global Historic Climatology Network (GHCN), served as the normal period (New et al., 1999). The anomaly grids were then combined with high-resolution mean monthly climatology to arrive at fields of estimated historical monthly surface climate. Data users are encouraged to see the companion file New et al. (2000) for a complete description of this technique and potential applications and limitations of the data set. For additional information, refer to the IPCC Data Distribution Centre. Access to the complete year-by-year monthly data set or to data more recent than posted here can be achieved by making a request with the Climate Impacts LINK Project at the Climatic Research Unit (email: d.viner@uea.ac.uk, web site: www.cru.uea.ac.uk/link ).

MOPITT_co_835

The MOPITT (Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere) instrument on the NASA Terra Satellite makes measurements of infrared radiation originating from the surface of the planet and isolates the energy being radiated from carbon monoxide (CO). By using appropriate data analysis techniques, concentration profiles of CO (Level-2 (L2) data) can be obtained on a global basis at a reasonably high horizontal (22km) and vertical resolution (3km).The MOPITT Level-3 (L3) data products provided in this data set are a subset of the daily averages from the L2 data. This subset was produced by overlaying a global 1x1-degree grid onto the L2 data, and then clipping the data to this southern Africa subset which originates at 5 degrees longitude and -35 degrees latitude and extends to 60 degrees longitude and 35 degrees latitude. Data are reported for 2 heights, 700 and 350 hPa, from daytime swaths for the period August 1-September 30, 2000, the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Campaign.

nbi_veg_maps_787

The National Botanical Institute (NBI) has mapped woody plant species distribution to provide estimates of individual species contribution to peak leaf area index for designated vegetation types in southern Africa (Rutherford et al., 2000). The target was to account for 80% of the woody vegetation leaf area in terms of named species, for 80% of the surface area of Africa south of the equator. The data sources include published and unpublished species lists for vegetation types and individual sample plots, with the species contribution estimated by local experts in terms of dominants and subdominants. Source maps include: Low and Rebelo (1998); Giess (1971); Wild and Barbosa (1968); Barbosa (1970); and White (1983). Each source map delineates a wide variety of land cover categories that differ from region to region. Because vegetation discontinuities exist along some of the regional borders and a perfectly continuous regional map could not be achieved within the timeframe and budget of the project, the final map is made up of six independent sub-regional maps. A cross-referenced database of woody plant species, in order of species dominance, associated with all mapped units is provided.The data set contains six GIS shapefile archives, each containing a shape file for a given region in southern Africa on a 5 x 5 degree grid. An accompanying ASCII file contains the species list associated with the map files. The regional NBI Vegetation Map (a compilation of the 6 independent sub-regional coverages) is provided as a JPEG image.

s2k_zinke_soil_638

The data set contains a subset of the Worldwide Organic Soil Carbon and Nitrogen (Zinke et al. 1986) data set for southern Africa. The data were obtained from soil surveys by Zinke and soil survey literature. The main samples for laboratory analyses were collected at uniform soil increments and included bulk density determinations. Many samples reported in the literature did not have uniform soil increments or bulk density determinations. Only soil profiles that had been sampled either to a meter in depth or to actual depth were included in this data base from soil survey literature. In literature where bulk densities were absent, densities were estimated by regressions based on organic carbon content of the soil samples associated with the profile using 1800 soil profiles for which bulk densities were known. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/soils/Zinke_soil/comp/zinke_readme.pdf.

kt_pai_estimates_774

This data set was collected during February-March 2000 wet season and September 2000 dry season field campaigns of SAFARI 2000. Mongu in Zambia and Pandematenga (aka Kasane) and Tshane in Botswana were visited during the wet season campaign. Dry season data are for Mongu only. Hemispherical photographs, from which Plant Area Index (PAI) estimates are derived, were obtained at the field sites to characterize vegetation structural changes along the Kalahari Transect. At each site, photographs were collected using a Nikon Coolpix 950 digital camera with a fish-eye lens mounted on a tripod, every 25 m along three transects, each 750 m in length. The methodology of van Gardingen et al. (1999) was applied to process the data. The photographs are classified into sky and vegetation (trunk, green and senescent leaves, and branches) using an unsupervised classification scheme. Derivation of gap fraction estimates was carried out by dividing the azimuth sector for each view zenith into 72 equal area segments with the gap fraction estimated for each segment. The average azimuth segmented gap fraction was used to characterize the gap fraction at the current view zenith angle. This approach attempts to reduce the underestimation introduced by assuming a random distribution in clumped canopies. PAI estimates were derived from the gap fraction data using Miller's (1967) formula for average foliage density.Data are in comma-delimited ASCII files, one for each transect at each site, containing a 5-line header, then a blank line, column names, and the two-column data (sample number and PAI).

kt_par_794

Ceptometer data from a Decagon AccuPAR (Model PAR-80) were collected at four sites in Botswana during the SAFARI 2000 Kalahari Transect Wet Season Campaign (March, 2000). These sites include Maun, Pandamentanga, Ghanzi/Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane. The measurements were taken near stake flags placed at 25 m intervals along three parallel 750 m transects located 250 m apart. The ceptometer contains 80 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors fixed at 1 cm intervals along a wand and connected to a control box. The sampling protocol followed in general was to first measure above canopy incident PAR, then canopy reflected PAR, then above canopy incident PAR again, and finally, canopy transmitted PAR. The data can be used to compute fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR), intercepted PAR, leaf area index (LAI), and gap fraction. These data currently exist in raw format, but can be processed using manufacturer-provided software to estimate the derived products.The data are stored as ASCII files, in csv format, organized by site, with one file per transect. Incident, transmitted, and reflected PAR radiation values for a transect and site are in the same file. The type of measurement for each data point is known due to comments in the data files. For the Maun and Pandamatenga sites, there is an additional file containing above canopy PAR irradiance. The PAR data units are micromols m-2 s-1, and the time is in Local Time. There is also a readme file, in txt format, for each site.

aerosol_properties_725

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative 2000 (SAFARI 2000) provided an opportunity to study aerosol particles produced by savanna burning. We used analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), including energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), to study aerosol particles from several smoke and haze samples and from a set of cloud samples. These aerosol particle samples were collected using the University of Washington Convair CV-580 research aircraft (Posfai et al., 2003).Individual aerosol particles in smoke plumes from biomass fires and in regional hazes in southern Africa were studied using analytical transmission electron microscopy, which allowed detailed characterization of carbonaceous particle types in smoke and determination of changes in particle properties and concentrations during smoke aging. Based on composition, morphology, and microstructure, three distinct types of carbonaceous particles were present in the smoke: organic particles with inorganic (K-salt) inclusions; 'tar ball' particles; and soot. The relative number concentrations of organic particles were largest in young smoke, whereas tar balls were dominant in a slightly aged (~1 hour) smoke from a smoldering fire. Flaming fires emitted relatively more soot particles than smoldering fires, but soot was a minor constituent of all studied plumes. Further aging caused the accumulation of sulfate on organic and soot particles, as indicated by the large number of internally mixed organic/sulfate and soot/sulfate particles in the regional haze. Externally mixed ammonium sulfate particles dominated in the boundary layer hazes, whereas organic/sulfate particles were the most abundant type in the upper hazes. Apparently, elevated haze layers were more strongly affected by biomass smoke than those within the boundary layer. Based on size distributions and the observed patterns of internal mixing, we hypothesize that organic and soot particles are the cloud-nucleating constituents of biomass smoke aerosols. Sea-salt particles dominated in the samples taken in stratus clouds over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Namibia, whereas a distinct haze layer above the clouds consisted of aged biomass smoke particles.

plant_soil_c_n_783

This data set contains measurements of the concentration and stable carbon (13C / 12C) and nitrogen (15N / 14N) isotope ratios of plant (leaves, roots and fungi) and soil samples from southern Africa. The study sites in Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa are located along the Kalahari Transect precipitation gradient. Some of the sites were relatively undisturbed while others had different intensities of cultivation, domestic grazing, and fires. The data were collected to detect patterns of N cycling along precipitation and grazing gradients, including N2 fixation by legumes. Data from different multiple projects are included. The plants and soils were sampled mainly in the wet season of years 1995, 1999, and 2000, with most of the data collected during the SAFARI 2000 Kalahari Wet Season Field Campaign in February and March of 2000. Some grass samples were collected in the dry season of year 2000 (from Mongu-dambo and Sua Pan grassland sites). Soil and plant samples were analyzed in a laboratory for %C, %N, d13C, and d15N with an Optima isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled to an elemental analyzer. The stable isotope ratios are expressed using standard delta notation in units per mil. The isotope ratios are expressed relative to the international standard PDB (Pee Dee Belemnite) for carbon and atmospheric N2 for nitrogen samples. The carbon and nitrogen contents are expressed in percentage weight of the dry sample.The data files contain numerical and character fields of varying length separated by commas (.csv format).

s2k_potential_vegetation_639

The data set consists of a southern Africa subset of the 5-min resolution Global Potential Vegetation data set developed by Navin Ramankutty and Jon Foley at the University of Wisconsin. Data are available in both ASCII GRID and binary image file formats. The original map was derived at a 5-min resolution and contains natural vegetation classified into 15 types. This data set is derived mainly from the DISCover land cover data set, with the regions dominated by land use filled using the vegetation data set of Haxeltine and Prentice (1996). The data set represents the world's potential vegetation (i.e., vegetation that would most likely exist now in the absence of human activities), and not necessarily natural pre-settlement vegetation. This is because human activities such as fire suppression have modified the stages of succession at which vegetation communities exist. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/potential_vegetation/comp/Potential_Veg_readme.pdf.

pre_post_fire_refl_757

The main goal of this study was to analyze the possibility of estimating combustion completeness based on fire-induced spectral reflectance changes of surface features by the development of relationships between combustion completeness and pre-fire to post-fire spectral reflectance changes, in the green, red, and near-infrared spectral domains (equivalent to Landsat ETM+ channels 2, 3, and 4). Experimental burns were carried out in the Western Province of Zambia in dambos (hydromorphic grasslands) and miombo woodlands during the SAFARI 2000 Third Intensive Field Campaign in August and September of 2000.This data set contains three sets of measurements: reflectance measurements from a FieldSpec UV/VNIR Spectroradiometer along burned and unburned woodland transects, in pre- and post-fire woodland and dambo plots, and for pure spectra of soil, vegetation, and charcoal; reflectance and transmittance measurements of both upper and lower leaf faces for three tree species (Julbernardia globiflora, Isoberlinia angolensis, and Brachystegia spiciformis) using an External Integrating Sphere connected to the FieldSpec Spectroradiometer; and calculations that integrate pre- and post-fire biomass measurements with pre- and post-fire reflectance in ETM+ channel 2, 3, and 4 wavelengths to estimate combustion completeness. The data files are stored as Excel spreadsheets (.csv format). Additional information about the data format, study area, instrumentation, and results is found in the companion file: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/remote_sensing/pre_post_fire_refl/comp/pre_post_fire_refl_readme.pdf.

knp_fire_residue_751

The goal of this study was to understand the change in reflectance caused by the action of fire and the heterogeneity of fire effects (i.e., the fraction of the observation that burned and the combustion completeness of that observation). A spectral mixture model and field and satellite observations were used to compare changes in Landsat reflectance associated with fire and combustion completeness derived from field measurements at prescribed fire sites in South Africa and to substantiate and illustrate the model findings.Fire residue samples were collected from experimental burn plots in Kruger National Park during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Campaign in August-September of 2000. The residues include 3 different ash types: pure white ash; black ash; and residual non-photosynthetic fuel biomass (senescent grass, twigs, leaves, and bark). The samples were analyzed in the laboratory to determine their multi-spectral reflectance using an Analytic Spectral Devices (ASD) radiometer, which measures spectral reflectance in the range 0.45-2.2 um at intervals of 0.01 um. The ASD measurements were made under diffuse illumination conditions in the spectral range of 350 nm to 2500 nm, with the ASD radiometer aligned perpendicular to the samples to simulate nadir remote sensing conditions.The data file contains reflectance measurements (fraction, 0-1) for replicate samples of 3 different ash types (white ash, black ash, and non-photosynthetic vegetation) recorded at 10 nm intervals over the wavelength spectral range of 350 nm to 2500 nm. The data are stored in a single ASCII file in comma-separate-value format (.csv).

river_discharge_cpep_640

The data set consists of southern Africa subset of the CPEP Global River Discharge Data Set. The Climate, People, and Environment Program (CPEP) global river discharge data set is a compilation of monthly mean discharge data for over 2600 sites worldwide. The data sources are RivDis 2.0, the United States Geological Survey, and Brazilian National Department of Water and Electrical Energy. The period of record is variable, from 3 years to greater than 100. The purpose of this compilation is to provide detailed hydrographic information to the climate research community in as general a format as possible. Data is provided in units of meters cubed per second (m**3/sec) in ASCII format. Data from stations with less than 3 years of information or with basin area less than 5000 km2 were excluded from this compilation. Therefore the original sources may have more sites available. No further documentation is available on this data set. Users should refer to the data originators for documentation. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/hydrology/river_discharge_cpep/comp/cpep_discharge.pdf.

seawifs_624

This data set contains Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) imagery for the eight core study sites of Mongu, Etosha, Kasangu, Skukuza, Mutoko, Mzola, Nampula, and Ndola. There are two main sets of local area coverage (LAC) data, Level-1 and Level-2 200-km x 200-km image subsets for seven of the sites and 400-km x 400-km image subsets for the Etosha site. The data files presented here were selected from a large collection of SeaWiFS images based on image clarity and lack of clouds. Several hazy days were included as a contrast. The data are provided in HDF format files. The SeaWiFS sensor, launched in late 1997, collects data in 8 bands ranging from 402 nm to 885 nm. SeaWiFS data are available at two spatial resolutions, local area coverage (LAC) at 1.1 km and global area coverage (GAC) at 4.5-km resolution. There are many additional images available at the SeaWiFS Web site. More information about this dataset can be found in the companion document, SAFARI 2000 SeaWiFS Site and Regional Imagery Descriptions. ORNL DAAC maintains information on the entire SAFARI 2000 Project.

seawifs_region_625

This data set contains Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) imagery for the southern African region. These images are Level-1a swaths of the southern Africa region selected from global area coverage (GAC) at 4.5-km resolution. The data files presented here were selected from a large collection of SeaWiFS images based on image clarity and lack of clouds. Several hazy days were included as a contrast. The data are provided in HDF formatted files. The SeaWiFS sensor, launched in late 1997, collects data in 8 bands ranging from 402 nm to 885 nm. SeaWiFS data are available at two spatial resolutions, local area coverage (LAC), at 1.1 km, and global area coverage (GAC) at 4.5-km resolution. There are many additional images available at the SeaWiFS Web site. More information about this dataset can be found in the companion document, SAFARI 2000 SeaWiFS Site and Regional Imagery Descriptions. ORNL DAAC maintains information on the entire SAFARI 2000 Project.

s2k_IGBP-DIS_Soil_Surfaces_647

The data set consists of a southern African subset of the "Global Gridded Surfaces of Selected Soil Characteristics (IGBP-DIS)" produced by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme - Data and Information Services. Data files are provided in ASCII GRID format. The "Global Gridded Surfaces of Selected Soil Characteristics (IGBP-DIS)" data set contains seven data surfaces: soil-carbon density, total nitrogen density, field capacity, wilting point, profile available water capacity, thermal capacity, and bulk density. All the surfaces are global, at a resolution of 5 x 5 arc-minutes, in ASCII GRID format for ARC INFO. Each file contains a single ASCII array in a geographic (lat/long) projection. The ASCII files consist of header information containing a set of keywords, followed by cell values in row-major order.

shadoz_ozonesonde_726

Ozonesonde launches were made by the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) group as part of the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Campaign in September 2000 (Thompson et al., 2002). Ozonesondes are balloon-borne instruments measuring profile ozone, as well as temperature and pressure from an attached radiosonde, up to 35 km in height (around 5 hPa in pressure coordinates) capturing the troposphere and lower stratospheric portion of the atmosphere. During the campaign, ozonesondes were launched daily during the height of the burning season and in a region of active biomass burning activity.

s2k_ISRIC_Wise_profiles_648

The data set consists of a southern African subset of the "Global Soil Profile Data (ISRIC-WISE)" data set. Data files are provided in comma-delimited ASCII format. The International Soil Reference and Information Centre - World Inventory of Soil Emission Potentials (ISRIC-WISE) international soil profile data set consists of a homogenized, global set of 1,125 soil profiles for use by global modelers. These profiles provided the basis for the Global Pedon Database (GPDB) of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme - Data and Information System (IGBP-DIS). The data set consists of a selection of 665 profiles originating from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.A.), 250 profiles obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, Rome, Italy), and 210 profiles from the reference collection of the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC, Wageningen, The Netherlands). All profiles are georeferenced and classified according to the 1974 Legend of the FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World (FAO-UNESCO 1974), as well as the 1988 Revised Legend of FAO-UNESCO (FAO 1990). The data set includes information on soil classification, site data, soil horizon data, source of data, and methods used for determining analytical data.

mongu_skukuza_soil_prop_789

Soil moisture and temperature profile sensors were deployed at flux tower sites in Mongu, Zambia and Skukuza, South Africa. In addition, thermal infrared sensors were deployed to monitor surface temperature at the sites, and soil samples were collected for physical property analysis. A heat-flux plate was also installed at 10 cm depth at the Mongu site. The data cover the period variously from August, 1999 to December, 2001.At the Mongu site, three profiles of soil moisture and temperature were obtained to a maximum depth of 125 cm. These profiles were located approximately 30 meters north of the Mongu flux tower, within the Kataba Local Forest. Surface radiometric temperature was measured by thermal infrared sensors deployed on top of the 30-meter tower and on a tree. At the Skukuza site, two profiles of soil moisture and temperature were obtained to a maximum depth of 40 cm in a Combretum stand. The radiometric temperature of the tree crown and the background surface were monitored by infrared thermocouple sensors deployed on a pole at 2.5 m and 5 m heights. Soil samples were collected at different depths in the vicinity of the soil profiles at each site and were analyzed at CSIR in Pretoria to determine bulk density, texture, and particle size distribution. The data files are stored as ASCII text files, in comma-separated-value (.csv) format. Associated with each data file is a metadata (.txt ) file. Among other information, the metadata files indicate periods of missing data.

Zobler_Soil_649

The data set consists of a southern African subset of the "Global Soil Types, 0.5-Degree Grid (Modified Zobler)" data set. Data files are provided in ASCII GRID format. A global data set of soil types is available at 0.5-degree latitude by 0.5-degree longitude resolution. There are 106 soil units, based on Zobler?s (1986) assessment of the FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World. This data set is a conversion of the Zobler 1-degree resolution version to a 0.5-degree resolution. The resolution of the data set was not actually increased. Rather, the 1-degree squares were divided into four 0.5-degree squares with the necessary adjustment of continental boundaries and islands.

SSFR_irradiance_841

The Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) was deployed on the University of Washington CV-580 during the dry season component of the Southern African Regional Science Initiative, August 1 - September 20, 2000. The SSFR made simultaneous measurements of both downwelling and upwelling net solar spectral irradiance at varying flight levels. Data have been provided for twenty flights in netcdf format for the period August 17 - September 16, 2000.For a complete detailed guide to the extensive measurements obtained aboard the UW Convair-580 aircraft in support of SAFARI 2000, see the UW Technical Report for the SAFARI 2000 Project.

GPROF_precip_716

The GPROF 6.0 Pentads data set contains 5-day (pentad) averages of the GPROF 6.0 Gridded Orbits. The GPROF(Goddard Profiling Algorithm) data set contains a suite of 9 products providing instantaneous, gridded values of precipitation totals for each granule of the SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) data over the roughly 14-year period July 1987 through the present. Even though there have been at least two satellites for the entire period, sampling is sufficiently sparse that the data are averaged for pentads, then the pentads are smoothed with a 1-2-3-2-1 time-weighting. The last two pentads are unevenly weighted since the last (or last two) pentads in the average are not yet available. Consequently, the last two pentads must be recomputed when the next pentad becomes available.The data set prepared for SAFARI cover the years 1999, 2000, and 2001.The main refereed citations for the data set are Kummerow et al. (1996)and Olson et al. (1999)

kt_stem_map_775

This data set provides species distribution, basal area, height, and crown cover of woody stems at 10 sites along the Kalahari Transect where a large gradient in both the mean and variation of annual rainfall results in dramatic changes in vegetation structure. Some of the data were collected during earlier Kalahari Transect projects in 1995 and 1997 at Vastrap, South Africa; Sandveld and Sachinga, Namibia; and Maziba, Senanga, and Lukulu, Zambia. The rest of the data were collected at Mongu, Zambia; and Pandamatenga, Maun, and Tshane, Botswana during the February-March 2000 wet season field campaign of SAFARI 2000. Stem maps were generated at each site using a variable-width belt-transect approach. Tree location, species, diameter, height, and major and minor axis of crown dimensions were measured for each individual taller than 1.5 meters. For multi-stemmed individuals, the diameter of each stem was recorded separately. Canopy area was calculated to be an ellipse defined by the two major axes of measurement. Canopy height was estimated using a clinometer. Biomass was calculated following Goodman (1990) as modified by Dowty (1999).There are two ASCII data files, in comma-delimited format. The stem map file contains records of living, dead, and cut stem allometry, canopy geometry, and biomass at the SAFARI sites. The species list file provides plant family, genus, and species names, numerical codes that correspond to the stem map file, and species common names in English and AFRICAANS.

mongu_skukuza_albedo_786

Top-of-the-canopy broadband albedo and radiation fluxes are calculated from measurements at the Mongu and Skukuza flux tower sites in southern Africa from March 2000 through December 2002. Data were collected by instrumentation deployed at the top of the 30 m tower in the Kataba Local Forest near Mongu, Zambia, and atop the 20 m tower at the Skukuza tower site in Kruger National Park, South Africa. At the Mongu site, Kipp and Zonen albedometers housing both upward- and downward-looking pyranometers were outfitted with clear and red domes to collect broadband albedo and radiation fluxes in the shortwave (SW) and near-infrared (NIR) wavebands, respectively. The data are mean values provided at 15-minute intervals for 2000-2002. At the Skukuza tower, Kipp and Zonen albedometers (also outfitted with clear and red domes) collected broadband albedo and radiation fluxes in the SW and NIR wavebands. In addition, a pyrgeometer was used to collect longwave radiation flux in thermal infrared (TIR) wavebands. The data at Skukuza are mean values provided at 30-minute intervals for 2000-2002, except for the TIR data, which are provided for 2001 and 2002 only. For both sites, photosynthetically active radiation can be calculated from measurements.The data are provided in comma-delimited ASCII files, with column headers. The SW and NIR data for both sites are provided in one file per year per site for 2000-2002. The Skukuza longwave data are provided separately, and for years 2001 and 2002 only.

smart_radiometers_727

Surface-sensing Measurements for Radiative Transfer (SMART) and Chemical, Optical, and Microphysical Measurements of In-situ Troposphere (COMMIT) consist of a suite of instruments that measure (both in-situ and by remote sensing) parameters that help to characterize, as completely as possible, constituents of the atmosphere at a given location. SMART and COMMIT are mobile systems that can be deployed to locations that exhibit interesting atmospheric phenomena. This allows investigators to participate in coordinated measurement campaigns, such as SAFARI 2000.The SMART instruments were deployed to the Skukuza Airport from August 15 to September 17, 2000 to take part in the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign. The SMART-COMMIT mission is designed to pursue the following goals: Earth Observing System (EOS) validation; innovative investigations; and long-term atmospheric monitoring.The results reported in this data set are for the following instruments deployed and measurements recorded at the Skukuza Airport site within the Kruger National Park:several broadband radiometers, for global, diffuse, direct downward solar irradiance and global infrared downward irradiance; meteorological sensors, for surface air temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and wind; anda Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (NASA Ames), for spectral solar downward irradiance.

mongu_irradiance_782

This data set contains the top-of-canopy irradiance in the shortwave (0.3-2.8 micron) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 0.4-0.7 micron) wavebands collected with an Eppley Precision Spectral Pyranometer (PSP) and a Skye SKE510 pyranometer, respectively. The instruments were deployed at the top of the 30-m tower in the Kataba Local Forest approximately 20 km south of Mongu in Western Province, Zambia. The data include the hourly mean and maximum values from 0500-1600 GMT (7 a.m. - 6 p.m. local time) and cover the period from September 4, 2000 to December 31, 2002. The data were obtained primarily for EOS validation and energy budget modeling.The Skye SKE510 uses a blue enhanced planar diffused silicon detector and has a fairly even response from 400 to 700 nm. The Eppley PSP is a World Meteorological Organization First Class Radiometer designed for the measurement of sun and sky radiation, totally or in defined broad wavelength bands. It comprises a circular multi-junction wire-wound thermopile. A data logger sampled the sensors at 60-second intervals and recorded the maximum and mean values every 60 minutes throughout the day.The data are contained within a single ASCII text file, in comma-separated-value format, with associated date, time, and QA information.

sua_pan_surface_spectra_780

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Validation team was deployed to Sua Pan, a salt playa in the Magkadigkadi region of Botswana, from August 18 to September 4, 2000, during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign. The experiment was designed to collect data necessary for multi-angle top-of-atmosphere radiance predictions in order to provide a vicarious calibration of the MISR instrument aboard the Terra satellite. Reported here are ground-based reflectance measurements collected using an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) spectroradiometer at Sua Pan and adjacent grassland targets. The grasslands provided large homogeneous areas for comparison of scale between ground measurements and remote sensing results.Data files contain numeric values that represent mean reflectance over space (grassland) or wavelength range (pan), stored as ASCII files, one file per site, in comma-separated-value (.csv) format, with column headers. The Sua Pan data, collected over a 1 km x 2 km area, are presented as rows of mean reflectance (every 10 nm) for 20 points, where the mean represents the average local reflectance spectra collected within 150 m of the given latitude and longitude. The grassland data cover a 1 km2 area and are provided every nm from 1 to 2500. Each row of data contains a mean and standard deviation at a given wavelength, where the mean represents the average of 570 measurements taken over the 1 km2 area.Related data sets from Sua Pan provide ground measurements of BRDF, and LAI and FPAR (Helmlinger et al., 2004 and Buermann and Helmlinger, 2004, respectively).

TOMS_aerosol_823

Daily Aerosol Index (AI) data from Earth Probe (EP) Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) for the period of August 12-September 25, 2000 were processed and provided by the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch at NASA/GSFC for the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign.The TOMS AI is formed directly from measured TOMS radiances in two channels. It is a measure of how much the wavelength dependence of backscattered UV radiation from an atmosphere containing aerosols (Mie scattering, Rayleigh scattering, and absorption) differs from that of a pure molecular atmosphere (pure Rayleigh scattering). Quantitatively, the AI is defined at http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/aerosols/AI_definition/ai_ep_definition.pdf. Positive values represent absorbing aerosols (dust and smoke); negative values represent non-absorbing aerosols. The identification is not perfect because of geophysical reasons (e.g., when aerosols are too low to the ground).The data from TOMS records have been used increasingly to understand the behavior of aerosols within the atmosphere. The TOMS is the first instrument to allow observation of aerosols as the particles cross the land/sea boundary. Using these data it is possible to observe a wide range of phenomena such as desert dust storms, forest fires, and biomass burning.The TOMS AI data are a daily gridded Level-3 product (ASCII .dat format) that covers the area of 40 deg. S to the Equator and 40 deg. W to 80 deg. E. There is also a JPEG image of each data file.

TOMS_ozone_824

Tropical Tropospheric Ozone (TTO) data from Earth Probe (EP) Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) for the period of August 8-September 29, 2000 were processed and provided by the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch at NASA/GSFC for the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Aircraft Campaign.The TTO measurement is derived from TOMS total ozone (Thompson and Hudson, 1999; Thompson et al., 2001) using the modified-residual method to separate stratospheric ozone from tropospheric ozone. The tropospheric ozone column thickness is reported in Dobson Units (DU).EP TOMS is currently the only NASA spacecraft on orbit specializing in ozone retrieval. EP TOMS was launched in 1996 into an orbit 500 km rather than the 950 km that was originally planned. The Earth Probe satellite was boosted to 740 km in 1997 when the ADEOS satellite failed. The lower orbit of EP TOMS decreased the size of the footprint of each measurement, which increased the resolution and also increased the ability to make measurements over cloudless scenes. This orbit was chosen to improve the ability of the TOMS instrument to make measurements of UV-absorbing aerosols in the troposphere and enhanced the capability of converting the TOMS aerosol measurements into geophysical quantities such as optical depth. Tropospheric aerosols play a major role in the Earth's climate and the capability to measure them from a TOMS instrument had recently been developed using data from Nimbus-7 and Meteor-3 TOMS.The TOMS Tropospheric Ozone data are 9-day averaged, gridded (1-degree by 2-degree) ASCII products. There is also a GIF image of each data file.

TOVS_717

NOAA's TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) is a suite of three sensors: the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU), the High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS), and the Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU) aboard the NOAA series of polar-orbiting operational meteorological satellites. TOVS-derived data provide a means to investigate long-term climate change and interannual variability and study local and periodic phenomena such as El Nino and stratospheric warmings. A set of the derived meteorological parameters for southern Africa have been selected by SAFARI 2000. The data were extracted from 1 degree x 1 degree global fields, with data from each satellite's local AM and PM orbits provided separately.Selected parameters for SAFARI 2000 data set:Layer mean temperature at 4 coarse layers Total effective cloud fraction Cloud fractions at 7 pressure layers Longwave cloud radiative forcing Outgoing long-wave radiation Cloud top pressure Precipitation estimate Precipitable water vapor above the surface and four pressure levels Surface pressure Cloud top temperature Cloud fraction at 7 pressure layers Surface skin temperature Specific humidity at surface and at 5 pressure layers Temperature at multiple levels Retrieved virtual temperature between levelsThe data files are stored as annual files of pentad (5-day) images. The pentads are stored in band sequential [BSQ] format (one image after the other) within the yearly files, 73 pentads per file. There is one file for each of the AM and the PM satellite overpasses for each parameter provided.

tree_cover-1km_641

The data set consists of a southern Africa subset of the 1km Global Tree Cover Data Set developed at the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS) at the University of Maryland. Data are available in both ASCII GRID and binary image files formats. Characterization of terrestrial vegetation from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the global to regional scale has traditionally been accomplished using classification schemes with discrete numbers of vegetation classes. Representation of vegetation into a limited number of homogeneous classes does not account for the variability within land cover, nor does the portrayal recognize transition zones between adjacent cover types. An alternative paradigm to describing land cover as discrete classes is to represent land cover as continuous fields of vegetation characteristics using a linear mixture model approach. This prototype data set, created by researchers at the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS) at the University of Maryland, contains 1-km cells estimating: 1) Percent tree cover; 2) Percentage cover for two layers representing leaf longevity (evergreen and deciduous); and 3) Percentage cover for two layers estimating leaf type (broadleaf and needleleaf). Data acquired in 1992-93 from NOAA's AVHRR at a 1-km spatial resolution and processed under the guidance of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP) were used to derive the tree cover, leaf type and leaf longevity maps. Each pixel in the layers has a value between 10 and 80 percent. These layers can be directly used as parameters in models or aggregated into more conventional land cover maps. For the latter, the product offers the flexibility to derive land cover maps based on user's requirements for a particular application. The product is intended for use in terrestrial carbon cycle models, in conjunction with other spatial data sets such as climate and soil type, to obtain more consistent and reliable estimates of carbon stocks. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/tree_cover-1km/comp/glcftree_readme.pdf.

mongu_tree_rings_788

This data set contains tree ring data from three sites located about 25 km of the meteorological station at Mongu, Zambia. Data from about 50 individual trees are reported. In addition, chronologies (or site mean curves) that better represent common influences (e.g., in this study, the climatic signal) were developed for each site based on the individual data (Trouet, 2004; Trouet et al., 2001). The series covers a maximum of 46 years, although most series do not extend longer than 30 years. The data were collected during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Field Campaign of August 2000.Ten to 23 samples were taken at each site. Brachystegia bakeriana was sampled at site 1, and Brachystegia spiciformis at sites 2 and 3. The vegetation at all sites underwent primitive harvesting for subsistence earlier the same year, thus samples could be taken from freshly cut trees and no living trees were cut. At all sites, samples consisted of full stem discs. Where possible, samples were taken at breast height (1.3 m) or slightly lower. Growth ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using LINTAB equipment and TSAP software (Rinn and Jakel, 1997). Four radii per sample disc were measured. Cross-dating and response function analyses were performed by routine dendrochronological techniques. There are two files for each site, one containing integer values representing tree ring widths (raw data), and the other containing standardized values (chronologies), for each year. The data are stored as ASCII table files in comma-separated-value (.csv) format, with column headers.

TRMM_precip_718

The purpose of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and TRMM Product 3B-43 is to provide a monthly, best-estimate precipitation rate and root-mean-square (RMS) precipitation error. These gridded estimates are on a one-calendar month temporal resolution and a 1-degree by 1-degree spatial resolution for the global band extending from 40 degrees south to 40 degrees north in latitude. Product 3B-43 combines two independent precipitation estimates, the daily-average adjusted GOES Precipitation Index (GPI) based on merged-infrared (IR) estimates (TRMM Product 3B-42) and the monthly accumulated Climate Assessment and Monitoring System (CAMS) or Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) rain gauge analysis (TRMM Products 3A-45A and 3B-45B, respectively). During initial processing the CAMS data is used. During reprocessing, the GPCC data is used.The data set prepared for SAFARI covers the years 1999, 2000, and 2001. The data files are stored as yearly files of monthly images. The monthly images are stored in a band sequential [BSQ] format (one image after the other) within the yearly files. The files for each year thus contain 12 monthly images per file.

met_profile_skukuza_728

Vaisala RS80 sondes were deployed from Skukuza Airport, South Africa, to collect atmospheric sounding profiles of temperature and moisture data from the surface to 30 km. These sonde launches were coordinated to augment the regional sounding network in the region during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Campaigns of 1999 and 2000. The radiosondes were launched from Skukuza Airport between August 14-September 3, 1999 and between August 24-September 23, 2000. The radiosonde instrument package RS80 measured the following meteorological parameters: pressure in hecto-Pascals (P), ambient temperature in degrees Celsius (T), and relative humidity in percentage (RH). A hydrostatic equation was applied to the recorded data, after error-checking, to calculate the output parameters: height above sea level in meters, dew point temperature in degrees Celsius, and q (g/kg) which is specific humidity in grams per kilogram.

met_profile_SA_729

The University of Wyoming has a series of balloonborne radiosonde measurements from all around the world, from the surface to 30 km. This data set contains upper air meteorological profiles from 594 radiosonde launches deployed from sites in South Africa. These sonde launches were made to augment the regional sounding network in the region during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Campaign of 2000.Vaisala RS80 sondes were launched from nine sites in South Africa between August 1, 2000 and September 30, 2000. The launch sites were Pietersburg (changed to Polokwane after 2000), Pretoria (Irene), Bethlehem, Springbok, De Aar, Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Gough Island. The parameters measured by the radiosonde instruments include: pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction.

vegsoils_wilhend_642

This data set contains a subset for southern Africa of Wilson and Henderson-Sellers' Global Vegetation & Soils 1-degree data. The data are available in both ASCII GRID and binary image files formats. The Wilson, Henderson-Sellers' Global Vegetation and Soils data set is an archive of soil type and land cover data derived for use in general circulation models (GCMs). The data were collated from natural vegetation, forestry, agriculture, land use, and soil maps. The data are archived at 1 degree latitude x 1 degree longitude resolution and include data for soil, soil reliability, primary vegetation, secondary vegetation, and land cover reliability. There are approximately fifty land cover classifications which include categories for agricultural and urban uses. The inclusion of secondary vegetation type is particularly useful is areas with cover types which may have a fragmented distribution, such as urban development. The soil type data are classified using climatically important properties for CGMs and provide color (light, medium, or dark), texture, and drainage quality of the soil. The land cover data are compatible with the soils data forming a coherent and consistent data set. Reliability data rank the land cover data on a 1 to 5 scale from high to low reliability. The soil reliability is ranked as one of the following: high, good, moderate, fair, or poor. Recommendations for the use of these data as well as more detailed information can be found in: Wilson, M.F. and A. Henderson-Sellers, 1985. A Global Archive of Land Cover and Soils Data for Use in General Circulation Climate Models. Journal of Climatology, Vol.5, 119-143. More data set information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/vegsoils_wilhend/comp/wilhend_readme.pdf.

kt_veg_inventory_776

Vegetation cover and composition, including species types and richness assessments, were measured at four locations along the Kalahari Transect in Botswana (Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River, and Tshane) during the SAFARI 2000 wet season field campaign. The sites visited showed interesting degrees of variability despite the apparent homogeneity of the Kalahari sands and predominantly semi-arid savanna shrub-woodlands vegetation cover (Ringrose et al., 2003).At each site, twelve individual locations were chosen by random stratified techniques within a 30-km radius at each location, based on differences in topography, soils, and known disturbance, to help determine local variability (Huennecke et al., 2001). Data collection methods were identical at each location (Ringrose et al., 1996; 1998): (1) identification and enumeration of all species along 3 x 90-m transects, spaced 45-m apart; (2) visual estimation (tape measure and pacing) of canopy diameter along each transect; and (3) visual estimation of percent live and dead herbaceous cover, litter, and bare soil using 3 x 50 m2 quadrats spaced at 30-m intervals along each transect. In addition, vegetation components were calculated for each site comprising woody vegetation cover, green herbaceous cover in terms of grass and forbs, dead herbaceous cover, plant litter, and bare soil. Species richness was calculated as the actual number of species per three transects (270 m2) at each site (Kent and Coker, 1996).The data set consists of two data files (ASCII tables) in comma-delimited format (.csv) with descriptive header records.

mongu_veg_structure_795

Tree basal area, percent tree canopy cover, and proportional contribution of main species to canopy cover were measured at 60 sampling points at 50 m intervals along six transects in the vicinity of the MODIS validation site tower in Kataba Forest, near Mongu, Zambia, in late February to early March 2000 as part of the SAFARI 2000 Wet Season Campaign. The aim of the study was to provide a broad description of the tree canopy layer around the tower.Tree and shrub species composition was recorded for each grid and measurements of canopy cover (% and rank) and frequency of occurrence (%) were made. Basal area was estimated at each grid site in a single 360 degree sweep using a basal area prism. Four estimates of canopy cover, oriented north, south, east, and west around the sample point, were taken at each grid site using a spherical densiometer and the data were averaged to give a single value for each grid. Only the canopies of trees and shrubs above 1.5 m height were measured.The data are stored in an ASCII file, in csv format. The file lists all tree and shrub species recorded and provides the proportional contribution of these species to canopy cover in each grid. Total tree basal area (m2 ha-1) and overall tree canopy cover (%) in each grid is also provided. The companion file provides additional vegetation data, graphics, long-term meteorological data, a discussion of the study results, and photographs of the study site.

giss_wetlands_632

This database, compiled by Matthews and Fung (1987), provides information on the distribution and environmental characteristics of natural wetlands. The database was developed to evaluate the role of wetlands in the annual emission of methane from terrestrial sources. The original data consists of five global 1-degree latitude by 1-degree longitude arrays. The subset retains all five arrays at the 1-degree resolution but only for the area of interest. The arrays are (1) wetland data source, (2) wetland type, (3) fractional inundation, (4) vegetation type, and (5) soil type. The data subsets are in both ASCII GRID and binary image file formats. The data base is the result of the integration of three independent digital sources: (1) vegetation classified according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) system (Matthews, 1983), (2) soil properties from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) soil maps (Zobler, 1986), and (3) fractional inundation in each 1-degree cell compiled from a global map survey of Operational Navigation Charts (ONC). With vegetation, soil, and inundation characteristics of each wetland site identified, the data base has been used for a coherent and systematic estimate of methane emissions from wetlands and for an analysis of the causes for uncertainties in the emission estimate. The complete global data base is available from NASA/GISS [http://www.giss.nasa.gov] and NCAR data set ds765.5 [http://www.ncar.ucar.edu]; the global vegetation types data are available from ORNL DAAC [http://www.daac.ornl.gov]. More information can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/vegetation_wetlands/giss_wetlands/comp/matt_fung_readme.pdf.

kt_woody_veg_777

This data set contains species composition, basal area, height, and crown cover of all woody plants at six sites along the Kalahari Transect visited in February-March of 2000 as part of SAFARI 2000. Similar measurements on woody and herbaceous vegetation at the Skukuza Flux Tower site in Kruger National Park, South Africa, were made in June of 2000. Leaf area index was derived from measurements made using PAR sensors at each site.Sampling protocol was the same at each site, with a slight variation at Skukuza. A grid of 42 points, 6 rows of 7 columns, each 50 m apart, was laid down in an area 300 m x 350 m for the Kalahari Transect sites. At Skukuza, the grid was 7x7, or 350 m x 350 m, centered on the tower site, yielding 49 points. At each grid point, all woody plants within a circular plot of a fixed radius were identified and measured. Stem circumference was measured on all stems and basal area per stem was derived. Basal area for the circular plots, per species, was calculated and extrapolated to hectares. Tree and stem densities were determined from the number of trees and stems in subplots and extrapolated to hectares. Woody plant height and canopy cover were determined, and aboveground woody biomass and peak leaf area index were estimated. The files are in comma-delimited ASCII format, with the first line listing the data set, author, and date, followed by the data records.

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NASA SAFARI 2000 Project was accessed on DATE from https://registry.opendata.aws/nasa-safari-2000.