SMEX03 Site Photographs

Summary

The SMEX03 Site Photographs data set includes photographs of the regional study areas of Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma, USA as part of the 2003 Soil Moisture Experiment (SMEX03). The photographs were taken in the field at various locations during the SMEX03 campaign from June 2003 to July 2003. This collection of images is intended to be a visual aid to investigators of the SMEX03 data sets, as they display the conditions present during the SMEX03 USA campaign. The total volume for this data set is approximately 320 megabytes. The photographs are provided in JPEG image files and are available via FTP.

These data were collected as part of a validation study for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). AMSR-E is a mission instrument launched aboard NASA's Aqua Satellite on 04 May 2002. AMSR-E validation studies linked to SMEX are designed to evaluate the accuracy of AMSR-E soil moisture data. Specific validation objectives include assessing and refining soil moisture algorithm performance; verifying soil moisture estimation accuracy; investigating the effects of vegetation, surface temperature, topography, and soil texture on soil moisture accuracy; and determining the regions that are useful for AMSR-E soil moisture measurements.

Citing These Data

The following example shows how to cite the use of this data set in a publication. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.

Cosh, Michael H., Jackson, Thomas J. and Charles Laymon. 2008. SMEX03 Site Photographs. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. Digital media.

Overview Table

Category	Description
Data format	JPEG image files
Spatial coverage and resolution	Alabama: Southernmost Latitude: 34.68° N Northernmost Latitude: 35.16° N Westernmost Longitude: 87.08 ° W Easternmost Longitude: 85.78 ° W Georgia: Southernmost Latitude: 31.5° N Northernmost Latitude: 31.8° N Westernmost Longitude: 83.8° W Easternmost Longitude: 83.5° W Oklahoma: Southernmost Latitude: 34.44º N Northernmost Latitude: 36.87º N Westernmost Longitude: 98.33º W Easternmost Longitude: 97.42º W
Temporal coverage and resolution	Alabama: 21 June 2003 - 02 July 2003 Georgia: 23 June 2003 - 07 July 2003 Oklahoma: 02 July 2003 - 17 July 2003
Tools for accessing data	Image software
File naming conventions	Alabama: RGFN.mdd.l(n).view#.jpg Georgia: RGFN_mmddyy.jpg Oklahoma: rgFN_PI_mmddyy.jpg
File size	~30 - 2960 KB
Parameters	NA
Procedures for obtaining data	Data are available via FTP.

Table of Contents

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments
2. Detailed Data Description
3. Data Access and Tools
4. Data Acquisition and Processing
5. References and Related Publications
6. Document Information

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments

Investigator(s)

Michael H. Cosh
Hydrology Remote Sensing Laboratory
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory
Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA

Thomas J. Jackson
Hydrology Remote Sensing Laboratory
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Bldg. 007, Rm. 104, BARC-West
Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA

Charles Laymon
Universities Space Research Association
Global Hydrology and Climate Center
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, Alabama 35812 USA

Technical Contact

Acknowledgements

The investigators would like to thank the many graduate students and volunteers who worked to collect these field photographs, as well as the Soil Moisture Experiment 2003 Science Team and the Grazinglands Research Laboratory for their assistance. The investigators also thank the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for their generous contributions to the study. This work was supported by the NASA Aqua AMSR, Terrestrial Hydrology, and Global Water Cycle programs.

2. Detailed Data Description

Format

Photographs are provided as JPEG image files. Select Alabama photographs, which were taken with disposable cameras then converted to digital images, have a resolution of approximately 600 by 400 pixels. All other images were taken with digital cameras and have a resolution of approximately 1200 by 900 pixels.

File and Directory Structure

The top directory level contains subdirectories for each SMEX03 study region along with the readme.txt file, as shown in Figure 1. Within the Alabama directory, photographs are further organized into subdirectories for each Field Number (FN).

Figure 1. SMEX03 Site Photographs Directory Structure

 

File Naming Conventions

Alabama

Alabama image files are named according to the following convention and as described in Table 1:

RGFN.mdd.l(n).view#.jpg

Where:

Table 1. Description of Alabama JPEG File Name Variables

Variable	Description
RG	Regional Study Area (AL: Alabama)
FN	2-digit Field Number in which photograph was taken (01, 02, 03...59)
m	When present, indicates 1-digit month
dd	When present, indicates 2-digit day
l	When present, indicates a location within a Field Number (a, b, c, d)
(n)	When present, a number following l (location) indicates additional photographs taken in the same location. For example, b2 in the file name AL23.628.b2.jpg indicates that this is the second photograph for this location.
view	When present, indicates View or Camera Orientation, as described here:     View/Camera Orientation Values Description canopy View of the canopy nadir Straight down oblique ~30-45° below horizontal synoptic Overview of the setting
#	When present, a number following view indicates additional photographs taken with the same camera orientation. For example, synoptic9 in the file name AL28.625.a.synoptic9.jpg indicates that this is the ninth photograph for this area taken with synoptic orientation.
.jpg	Indicates that this is a JPEG file.

Example: AL28.625.a.synoptic9.jpg

 

Georgia

Georgia JPEG files are named according to the following convention and as described in Table 2:

RGFN_mmddyy.jpg

Where:

Table 2. Description of Georgia JPEG File Name Variables

Variable	Description
RG	Regional Study Area (GA: Georgia)
FN	2-digit Field Number in which photograph was taken (01, 02, 03...52)
mm	2-digit month
dd	2-digit day
yy	2-digit year
.jpg	Indicates that this is a JPEG file.

Example: GA01_070103.jpg

 

Oklahoma

Oklahoma JPEG files are named according to the following convention and as described in Table 3:

rgFN_PI_mmddyy.jpg

Where:

Table 3. Description of Oklahoma JPEG File Name Variables

Variable	Description
rg	Regional Study Areas (on:Oklahoma North; os:Oklahoma South; lw: Little Washita watershed)
FN	Indicates Field Number in which the photograph was taken, as further described here:     Region FN Values Oklahoma North 01, 02, 03...36 Oklahoma South 01, 02, 03...52 Little Washita 01, 02, 03...33
PI	Indicates Picture Index number, and thus additional pictures, of the same field. Possible values are further described here:     Region PI Values Oklahoma North 01, 02, 03, 04 Oklahoma South 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 Little Washita 01, 02, 03, 04
mm	2-digit month
dd	2-digit day
yy	2-digit year
.jpg	Indicates that this is a JPEG file.

Example: LW11_01_070403.jpg

 

File Size

File quantity and size for each study area are as follows:

Alabama

There are 462 files that are approximately 100 KB to 600 KB each.

Georgia

There are 52 files that range in size from approximately 360 KB to 3 MB each.

Oklahoma

There are 206 files that range in size from approximately 30 KB to 920 KB each.

 

Spatial Coverage

This data set covers the regional study areas as referenced by the following:

Alabama

Southernmost Latitude: 34.68° N
Northernmost Latitude: 35.16° N
Westernmost Longitude: 87.08 ° W
Easternmost Longitude: 85.78 ° W

Georgia

Southernmost Latitude: 31.5° N
Northernmost Latitude: 31.8° N
Westernmost Longitude: 83.8° W
Easternmost Longitude: 83.5° W

Oklahoma

Southernmost Latitude: 34.44º N
Northernmost Latitude: 36.87º N
Westernmost Longitude: 98.33º W
Easternmost Longitude: 97.42º W

Temporal Coverage

The temporal coverage for each regional study area is as follows:

Alabama

21 June 2003 to 02 July 2003

Georgia

23 June 2003 to 07 July 2003

Oklahoma

02 July 2003 to 17 July 2003

Temporal Resolution

The temporal resolution for each regional study area is as follows:

Alabama

All sites were photographed at least once during the experiment. Several sites, primarily cropland sites, were photographed on two occasions.

Georgia

Photographs were collected throughout the experiment.

Oklahoma

Photographs were collected throughout the experiment.

 

Sample Image

Figure 2 displays the image file GA07_070103.jpg.

Figure 2. Sample Image of Georgia Study Area

3. Data Access

Data are available via FTP.

Volume

Total volume is approximately 320 MB for all images. Volume by region is listed in Table 4.

Table 4. File Volume by Region

Region	Total Volume
Alabama	175 MB
Georgia	45 MB
Oklahoma	97 MB

Software and Tools

Any image viewing program that recognizes JPEG file format is recommended.

Related Data Collections

• AMSR-E Validation Data: Soil Moisture Data Web site: Data sets from SMEX campaigns available at NSIDC.
• AMSR-E/Aqua Data at NSIDC Web site: AMSR-E standard products available at NSIDC.

4. Data Acquisition and Processing

Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma JPEG image files were acquired by teams of graduate students and volunteers using digital cameras. The Alabama image collection also includes photographs taken with disposable cameras which were then converted to digital images.

5. References and Related Publications

Please visit the USDA SMEX03 Web site for in-depth information on the science mission and goal of the SMEX project.

6. Document Information

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Table 5 lists acronyms and abbreviations used in this document.

Table 5. Acronyms and Abbreviations

AL	Alabama
AMSR-E	Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System
DAAC	Distributed Active Archive Center
FTP	File Transfer Protocol
GA	Georgia
JPEG	Joint Photograph Experts Group
LW	Little Washita
NA	Not Applicable
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NSIDC	National Snow and Ice Data Center
OK	Oklahoma
ON	Oklahoma North
OS	Oklahoma South
SMEX03	Soil Moisture Experiment 2003
URL	Uniform Resource Locator

Document Creation Date

June 2008

Document URL

http://nsidc.org/data/docs/daac/nsidc0344_smex03_photographs.gd.html