The Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign (CLASIC07) was a NASA-led project that focused on helping scientists gain a better understanding of the role that land surface processes play in cumulus convection. CLASIC07 had one deployment in the summer of 2007 across the Southern Great Plains. Five aircraft and one helicopter were used to collect measurements of cloud and surface properties, heat, moisture, and carbon fluxes, and various other meteorological and atmospheric chemistry parameters. Satellite overpasses coincided with aircraft measurements while ground instruments were utilized to provide “ground truth” estimates. CLASIC07 was funded by NASA’s Water and Energy Cycle Program.
The Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) is an airborne lidar system designed specifically to provide multi-wavelength measurements of cirrus clouds, sub-visual cirrus clouds, and aerosols. It measures lidar backscatter across three wavelengths: 355 nm, 532 nm, and 1064 nm. These measurements can be used to derive cloud optical depth, particle size distribution, extinction profiles, aerosol layers, and other properties. CPL has a vertical resolution of 30 m and a typical horizontal resolution of 200 m.
The Cloud Radar System (CRS) is an airborne W-band polarimetric Doppler radar. CRS provides radar observations of clouds and precipitation from the surface up to the lower stratosphere. It has an operating frequency of 94 GHz and has a 150m range resolution. CRS has a typical vertical resolution of 100m and a gate spacing of 37.5m.
The MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) is an airborne multispectral spectrometer designed to simulate the satellite instrument Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). MAS operates across 50 spectral channels in the 0.55 to 14.2 μm range to provide high-resolution imagery of clouds and surface features. MAS has a horizontal spatial resolution of 50 m and a swath width of about 36 km at an altitude of 20 km at nadir. It has a scan rate of 6.25 Hz with each scan line containing 716 pixels.
A microwave imaging radiometer developed by Georgia Institute of Technology and NOAA for obtaining polarimetric microwave emission imagery of the Earth's oceans, land, ice, clouds, and precipitation. The basic concept of the PSR is a set of polarimetric radiometers housed within a gimbal-mounted scanhead drum. The original system has been extended - as discussed below - to greatly exceed the original design objectives by providing additional radiometric channels and expanded platform capabilities.
The Passive Active L- and S-band Sensor (PALS) is a combined airborne polarimetric radiometer and radar developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was designed to evaluate the benefits of combining remote passive and active sensors for ocean salinity and soil moisture measurements. Both the radiometer and radar within PALS operate across the L- (1.41 GHz, 1.26 GHz) and S-band (2.69 GHz, 3.15 GHz) frequencies to measure brightness temperature and radar backscatter of ocean salinity and soil moisture. PALS has a spatial resolution ranging from 600 to 1500 m depending on the altitude of the aircraft. PALS can be equipped on many different aircraft due to its design and is typically used for validation of Aquarius and SMAP satellite observations.
If instrument name or model is not available but documents show that specific chemical compounds or constituents or their properties were observed, can use instrument entry. Examples include: CO, CO2, NO, NO2, N2O, HNO3, HNO4, OH, H2SO4, CH3CN, O3, H2O, halocarbons, VOCs, nitrates, aerosols (including CCN), aerosol optical properties, etc...
The Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) is an airborne multi-wavelength scanning radiometer developed by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). CAR provides measurements of scattered radiance and bidirectional reflectance of the surface across 14 spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths (0.34-2.30 µm). It also acquires imagery of cloud and Earth surface features. CAR has a scan rate of 1.67 Hz (100 rpm) and has a spatial resolution of 4m at nadir for an altitude of 200m above ground level.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Radiative Transfer
A microwave imaging radiometer developed by Georgia Institute of Technology and NOAA for obtaining polarimetric microwave emission imagery of the Earth's oceans, land, ice, clouds, and precipitation. The basic concept of the PSR is a set of polarimetric radiometers housed within a gimbal-mounted scanhead drum. The original system has been extended - as discussed below - to greatly exceed the original design objectives by providing additional radiometric channels and expanded platform capabilities.
Stream gauges are ground-based sensors that provide in situ measurements of the stage or height of rivers and streams. The stream flow or discharge of the river can be derived from the stage measurements. Stream gauges can provide continuous measurements and are useful for monitoring flooding potential and water supply. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains and operates a network of over 10,000 stream gauges across the United States to aid with flood forecasting and water management.
The AIMMS - 20 delivers precise real-time meteorological data at rates up to 20Hz. Formed by a combination of four modules: an Inertial Measurement Unit module (IMU) that delivers six degree-of-freedom rate data at 40Hz; a GPS Phase Module that processes satellite navigation signals from two antennas; an Air-Data-Probe (ADP) that measures temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and the aircraft-relative flow vector; and, a Central Processing Module (CPM) to process GPS data, inertial signals and air-data information that yield accurate wind data when combined.
Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) are in situ sensors that measure aerosol particle concentration. CPCs measure aerosol concentration by condensing fluid onto the particles, allowing them to grow to more detectable sizes for optical scattering. Typically, CPCs can detect particles with a size range of 7 nm-3 μm, can measure particle concentrations up to 100,000 particles/cc, and can provide measurements at 1-second intervals. CPCs are manufactured by TSI Incorporated and can be deployed on airborne, shipborne, and ground-based platforms.
The Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (TDMA) is an in situ airborne and ground-based analyzer that measures the physical properties of aerosol particles such as size distribution and concentration. It can measure particles in the size range of 0.013 to 0.75 mm at a size resolution of 0.013 mm at 0.2 mm. The TDMA is sometimes combined with an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) to allow measurements of particles in the submicron range. A typical measurement sequence of TDMA can take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
The Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP) is an in situ airborne photometer manufactured by Radiance Research. It uses Beer's Law to measure the change in light transmission of aerosol particles. These measurements can be used to derive aerosol absorption and extinction. PSAP operates across three wavelengths (467, 530, and 660 nm) and has a temporal resolution of 1 second. It is typically deployed on aircraft, but it can be deployed on other platforms such as ships and vehicles.
The Total Sky Imager (TSI) is a ground-based, optical instrument that is manufactured by Yankee Environmental Systems (YES), Inc. TSI can provide full-color, hemispheric images of the sky during the day by using a charge-coupled device (CCD) imager. It also can provide measurements of fractional sky cover and sun obscuration by cloud. TSI can be mounted on mobile platforms such as trailers and research vehicles, allowing it to collect cloud cover measurements in various locations during a field investigation.
The Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (PCASP) is an in situ airborne optical spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It measures the light scattered by particles to determine the aerosol size distribution and concentration in the 0.1 to 3.0 μm size range. PCASP operates at the 632 nm wavelength and has a typical sampling rate of 10 Hz.
The Cloud Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS) is an in situ airborne spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It combines the Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer (CAS), and the Hotwire Liquid Water Content (LWC) Sensor into one instrument. CAPS measures the size distribution of aerosol, cloud, and liquid droplets for particles between the sizes of 50-1600 μm at a time resolution of 1 Hz. It can also record images of cloud particles and provide measurements of temperature, pressure, and LWC.
If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for temperature, pressues, wind speed, wind direction, humidity
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The Condensation Nuclei Counter (CNC) is optical method for
counting atmospheric aerosol particles.
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If instrument name or model is not available but documents show that specific chemical compounds or constituents or their properties were observed, can use instrument entry. Examples include: CO, CO2, NO, NO2, N2O, HNO3, HNO4, OH, H2SO4, CH3CN, O3, H2O, halocarbons, VOCs, nitrates, aerosols (including CCN), aerosol optical properties, etc...
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The Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP) is an in situ airborne optical particle counter originally designed by Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. It provides particle size distribution by measuring the intensity of the light scattered by individual particles within the cloud. FSSP can detect particles within a diameter range of 0.5 to 47 μm. It operates at a wavelength of 633 nm and has a typical sampling frequency of 1 Hz.
