The Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) was a field investigation that focused on studying electrical activity within storms and validating satellite observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). ACES consisted of one deployment in August 2002 over the Florida Everglades. An uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), ALTUS II, was used to collect measurements of the electric field and lightning of thunderstorms. Ground-based measurements from various lightning detection networks were also collected. ACES supported NASA's TRMM mission and the UAV Science Demonstration Program.
Rain gauges are ground-based instruments that provide in situ measurements of liquid precipitation amounts over a set time. There are multiple types of rain gauges that each collect and record data differently such as the tipping bucket rain gauge and weighing precipitation gauge. Rain gauges can be deployed in various locations due to their relatively small size and easy set-up and are typically colocated with other precipitation instruments such as disdrometers to provide more details about precipitation being collected such as precipitation rate and size distribution.
The Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) is an active ground-based acoustic sounder that provides profiles of virtual temperature. It uses radar techniques to measure acoustic disturbances to derive the virtual temperature. They are typically used in conjunction with radar wind profilers (RWPs) and operate at frequencies of 915 MHz and 1290 MHz. RASS has a sampling rate of around 5 to 15 minutes, a 150 m vertical resolution, and a 60 m horizontal resolution.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Boundary Layer Temperature
The Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) system is a ground-based lightning network located at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). It consists of seven very high-frequency (VHF) radio receivers that detect radio pulses produced by lightning. These seven receivers are arranged in a hexagonal pattern about 6 to 10 km apart from the central receiver. The LDAR system operates at the 66 MHz frequency and has a bandwidth of 6 MHz. It has a typical detection range of 100 km and a time resolution of 10 ns. It provides near real-time mapping of lightning in support of Space Shuttle operations.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Electricity > Electric Field
The Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) is a network of high-resolution, S-band radars operated by the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United States Air Force. NEXRAD measures the magnitude of the returned energy to provide reflectivity, velocity, and spectrum width observations, which can be processed to create mosaic maps of precipitation. NEXRAD radars typically operate with a 0.9 degree beamwidth, 0.25-1 km spatial resolution, and 230-460 km maximum range. There are currently over 160 NEXRAD radars operating in the United States and select overseas locations.
The National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) is a remote, ground-based network operated by Vaisala. It consists of over 100 lightning detection sensors across the United States. These sensors detect the electromagnetic signals given off by lightning to provide information about the location, time, polarity, and amplitude of each lightning stroke. NLDN has a detection efficiency greater than 95% for cloud-ground lightning and has a location accuracy of better than 100 m.
The Cloud‐to‐Ground Lightning Surveillance System (CGLSS) located at the Kennedy Space Center consists of six medium-gain IMPACT Enhanced Sensitivity and Performance (ESP) sensors developed by Vaisala. The CGLSS network processes cloud-to-ground lightning signals by detecting an electromagnetic waveform of the return stroke, transmitting that data to a central processor that estimates stroke intensity and location, and sending the information to users in a real-time setting. Lightning occurrences from the network are used for decision support towards ground and launch activity on the Florida coast.
A Four beam system that uses Yagi antenna with enhanced beam steering capability and contains a Median Filter First Guess (MFFG) algorithm to generate a wind profile from Doppler spectra at each range gate
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
The Dual Optical Pulse Sensor (DOPS) is an airborne optical sensor used to study lightning in the atmosphere. It is an updated version of the Optical Pulse Sensor (OPS). DOPS collects measurements of lightning's duration, intensity, and waveform characteristics. It operates across two channels centered at 500 and 777.4 nm and has a sample duration of 0.328 seconds. It has a wide field of view (60 degrees) and can detect lightning during daytime conditions.
The Fluxgate Magnetometer (FGM) is a type of instrument that takes measurements of the magnetic field. There are multiple types of FGMs. FGMs operated on airborne platforms can be used to measure changes in the ambient magnetic field during flights.
Accelerometers are in situ sensors that measure the acceleration experienced by an object. Accelerometers utilize electromagnetic sensing to detect the vibration of an object. The force of vibration causes the sensor to produce an electrical charge, indicating how much force was exerted, which can be used to determine the acceleration. Accelerometers are typically used on aircraft when collecting flight navigation information. Accelerometers have also been deployed on research vessels and other water-based platforms such as buoys.
Earth Science > >
The Gerdien Probe is an in situ airborne conductivity probe. It measures atmospheric electrical conductivity by measuring the time it takes a sample of air to discharge after being exposed to a capacitor. The Gerdien probe can detect both positive and negative ion conductivity. It can be deployed on aircraft, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), and rockets.
An Electric Field Mill (EFM) is an in situ airborne and ground-based electric sensor designed and built at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It measures the full vector components of the atmospheric electric field and provides details about the electrical structure within and around a storm. EFMs can detect both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning and can operate during large thunderstorm fields (thousands of volts/meter). An EFM has a typical time response of about 10 Hz.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Electricity > Electric Field
The magnetic search coil measures dB/dt, or temporal changes in magnetic flux density, which couples to the instrument in two distinct ways. The intended mechanism is transformer coupling, whereby alternating current (AC) field lines from a distant source couple to the windings of the sensor. The secondary mechanism is generator coupling, whereby the sensor is physically displaced within a direct current (DC) magnetic field.
The Electric Field Change Meter (EFCM) is an airborne in situ electric meter. It is a two-channel (fast and slow) antenna used to measure the changes in the electric field produced by lightning. The fast channel has a sample rate of 10 MHz and is designed to detect the radiative component of the lightning discharge field. The slow channel has a sample rate of 1 MHz and is designed to observe the electrostatic field component. EFCM operates over the 1 Hz-100 kHz frequency range and has a detection limit of 25 km.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Electricity > Electric Field
