The Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX) was a NASA investigation that focused on studying convective processes over tropical waters to better understand the life cycle of tropical convective storms. CPEX consisted of one deployment over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea from May to June 2017. NASA's DC-8 aircraft collected profile measurements of wind, temperature, and water vapor as well as provided dual-frequency radar imagery. CPEX was funded through NASA's Atmospheric Dynamics Program.
2017-05-25 — 2017-06-25
North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Oceanic region
The High Altitude Monolithic Microwave integrated Circuit (MMIC) Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) is an airborne microwave sounder developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program. HAMSR measures brightness temperature which can be used to derive three-dimensional profiles of temperature, water vapor, and cloud liquid water in the atmosphere. It operates across 25 spectral channels in 3 microwave bands (50-60 GHz, 118 GHz, 183 GHz) and has a sampling frequency of 5 seconds. HAMSR has a horizontal spatial resolution of 2 km at nadir and a field of view of about 40 km at an altitude of 20 km.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Absolute Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Relative Humidity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Total Precipitable Water
The Microwave Atmospheric Sounder for Cubesat (MASC) is an 8 channel, cross track scanning instrument. It operates at two frequencies, 118 GHz and 183 GHz. It’s used to measure radiance, which is converted to brightness temperature. MASC was developed by JPL.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
The Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN) is an active remote, airborne lidar developed by NASA Langley Research Center. DAWN uses a pulsed, solid-state laser that operates at a wavelength of 2 micrometers to detect aerosol backscatter in the atmosphere. DAWN can also provide vertical profiles of the horizontal winds below the aircraft and the line of sight winds at each azimuth angle. Typically, DAWN provides profiles at a resolution of 60 m and emits a pulse at a rate of 10 Hz.
A dropsondes or dropwindsondes are in situ instruments designed to be released from aircraft. They are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and sensors to collect profile measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direction. Dropsondes are important during field investigations because they allow researchers to collect vertical profiles in remote locations and during severe weather events. Dropsondes typically have a vertical resolution of 5 m and provide measurements of wind speed/direction every 0.25 seconds and temperature, pressure, and humidity every 0.5 seconds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
The Microwave Temperature and Humidity Profiler (MTHP) is a microwave radiometer that measures two frequency bands at 60 GHz and 183 GHz to produce vertical profiles of temperature and humidity ahead of the aircraft. The MTHP builds on over three decades of Microwave Temperature
Profiler (MTP) operation at JPL, where the MTP has logged over 5500 flight hours of various aircraft.
Earth Science > >
The Airborne Second Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-2) is a cross-track scanning, dual-frequency airborne precipitation radar. It measures radar backscatter from rainfall to provide measurements of reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and linear depolarization ratio (LDR). APR-2 operates at 13.4 GHz and 35.6 GHz and has a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5000 Hz. At a flight altitude of 11,000 feet, it has a horizontal resolution of 730 m at 13.4 GHz and 920 m at 35.6 GHz. APR-2 has a vertical resolution of 60 m and a ground swath width of 10 km.
