NACP Regional: Gridded 1-deg observation data and biosphere and inverse model outputs

Metadata:

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

This data set provides the standardized, gridded observation measurements and model simulation output results that MAST-DC produced from the original data submissions. The differences (range) in estimates of regional land-atmosphere carbon fluxes in the data files in this data set appear to be driven by a combination of factors.

The participating models differ from each other because they are based on different simplifying assumptions and use different approaches (forward vs. inverse) and modeling strategies (detailed process, statistical, or observation based). They also differ structurally in how they represent the processes controlling carbon exchange between the land and atmosphere (e.g., representation of photosynthesis), in their input or environmental driver data (e.g., land cover, climate variables) and the temporal variability of those data, in their initial conditions, and in the parameter values used within their varying process descriptions. The gridded observation data also differ with regards to biome type, acquisition methods, spatial coverage and resolution, and temporal coverage and resolution. These varying approaches result in a large degree of variability in estimates of regional land-atmosphere carbon fluxes.

The variability in carbon flux estimates highlights the need for further analysis through the use of model runs following a common simulation protocol, to isolate the influences of model formulation, structure, and assumptions on flux estimates. A more formal model-data comparison is required to more definitively quantify the impact of model formulation and supporting and driver data on the accuracy of the simulation model outputs. Such efforts are underway by NACP, requiring substantial technical support for model participation, development of consistent and optimal environmental driver data sets, a unified intercomparison protocol, as well as coordination of the intercomparison effort across research groups. These NACP projects include (1) working to understand how model formulation and model choices impact overall model performance through the use of detailed simulation protocol and controlled input environmental driver data and (2) the Multi-Scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP), which directly builds of the NACP regional synthesis products presented here.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

See additional documentation available with the data download.

Completeness_Report:

See additional documentation available with the data download.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Original model simulation results and observation measurement data were resampled by ORNL DAAC to a standard 1-degree spatial resolution for North American region, interpolated into monthly or yearly temporal resolution, converted to a standardard measurement unit (generally, kilogram C/meters2/month or year), and reformatted into CF convention compatible netCDF format. [Note: Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) forest biomass/area data are also provided at half degree resolution.]

See additional documentation available with the data download for more details.

Information about the specific data processing steps taken by MAST-DC are available by contacting the Data Center as indicated below.

E-mail: uso@daac.ornl.gov
Telephone: +1 (865) 241-3952

Process_Date: Unknown

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

This data set contains a total of 127 data files (5 OM data files, 114 TBM output data files, and 8 IM output data files). The data have been resampled by ORNL DAAC to a standard 1-degree spatial resolution for North American region, interpolated into monthly or yearly temporal resolution, converted to a standardard measurement unit (generally, kg C/m2/month or year), and reformatted into CF convention compatible netCDF format.

A description of the data files and variables within is available here: https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1157. (Click on the 'Data Set Reference Document'. Then scoll down to Section 2. Descriptions of the data include, name, temporal resolution, temporal extent, spatial extent, units and variable.)

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1157

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20210601

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Yaxing Wei

Contact_Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: 1 Bethel Valley Road

Address: P.O. Box 2008

City: Oak Ridge

State_or_Province: TN

Postal_Code: 37831

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 865-241-3952

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: weiy@ornl.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999