Convection and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment

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.

The Lower Fuselage (LF) Radar is an airborne radar system that operates on the lower fuselage of the NOAA P-3 aircraft used by the Hurricane Research Division. It measures radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and other radar parameters to characterize tropical storms and precipitation. It operates at the 5370 MHz frequency and has a horizontal beamwidth of 1.1 degrees. The LF Radar has a maximum ambiguous range of 750 km and a pulse repetition frequency of 200 Hz.

If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for microphysics probes

The Tail Doppler Radar (TDR) is an airborne vertically scanning, pulse Dopper X-band radar operated by NOAA. It is installed on the tail of the research aircraft and is typically equipped on NOAA’s P-3 aircraft for hurricane and precipitation research missions. TDR measures radar reflectivity and Doppler wind velocities at the 9315 MHz frequency band. It has a horizontal beam width of 1.35 degrees and a range gate spacing of 150 or 300 meters.

The King Probe is an in situ airborne cloud instrument developed by Warren King (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and manufactured by Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) and Droplet Measurement Technologies (DMT). The King Probe measures cloud liquid water content (LWC) by detecting the heat released when water droplets vaporize. It operates at a constant temperature of approximately 100°C and has a data output rate of 1 to 10 Hz. The probe is commonly used in studies of cloud microphysics and aircraft icing.

The Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP) is an in situ airborne optical particle counter initially developed by Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. It determines particle size distribution by measuring the light intensity scattered by individual particles within the cloud. FSSP can detect particles ranging from 0.5 to 47 μm in diameter. It functions at a wavelength of 633 nm and typically samples at a rate of 1 Hz.

The 2D-C/P Hydrometeor Imaging Probe (2D-C/P) is an in situ, airborne instrument that captures images of hydrometeors. It records these images by detecting the illuminated or shadowed states of the photodiode array as the shadow of the hydrometeors passes over. 2D-C/P also offers measurements of particle size distribution, cloud droplet concentration, and hydrometeor shape. Typically, 2D-C/P probes have an image resolution of 25 micrometers and can image hydrometeors with diameters up to 1600 micrometers.

The Johnson-Williams Cloud Water Meter (CWM) is a mounted airborne hot wire probe developed by Johnson-Williams, Inc. The CWM measures the liquid water content (LWC) of clouds using an electrical circuit that detects resistivity changes caused by cloud droplets evaporating from an exposed heated wire. It can detect LWC levels ranging from 0 to 6 grams per cubic meter and operates at airspeeds between 50 and 150 meters per second. The device runs on a constant current and typically records data at 2 Hz.

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.

An Electric Field Mill (EFM) is a ground-based and airborne electric sensor developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It measures the full vector components of the atmospheric electric field and provides information about the electrical structure within and around storms. EFMs can detect both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning and can operate in large thunderstorm fields (thousands of volts per meter). An EFM typically has a response time of about 10 Hz.

A pyrgeometer is a ground-based or airborne passive radiation sensor. It measures downward and upward longwave radiation in the 4-50 μm spectral range. Pyrgeometers measure changes in resistance/voltage using a thermopile sensor to determine longwave radiation. These measurements can be used to calculate the infrared radiation flux. Pyrgeometers are typically used for climatological, meteorological, and agricultural applications.

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.

An Electric Field Mill (EFM) is a ground-based and airborne electric sensor developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It measures the full vector components of the atmospheric electric field and provides information about the electrical structure within and around storms. EFMs can detect both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning and can operate in large thunderstorm fields (thousands of volts per meter). An EFM typically has a response time of about 10 Hz.

If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for microphysics probes

The Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sounder (MAMS) is an airborne multispectral scanner developed by modifying NASA’s Thematic Mapping Sensor (TMS). MAMS captures reflected radiances in eight visible/near-infrared (VNIR) bands and thermal emissions in four infrared bands. It was built to study weather-related phenomena such as storm system structure, cloud-top temperature, and upper atmospheric water vapor. MAMS operates within the 0.42-12.56 μm spectral range over 12 channels. It has a horizontal resolution of 100 meters and a swath width of approximately 37 kilometers at a flight altitude of 20 kilometers. MAMS scans at a rate of 6.25 Hz.

The Lightning Instrument Package (LIP) is an in situ airborne system that detects electric fields. LIP uses eight electric field mills and a conductivity probe to measure the three-dimensional components of electric fields in thunderstorms around it. LIP has a sampling frequency of 0.02 seconds and an accuracy of 2.5%.

The Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) is an airborne passive microwave radiometer. AMPR provides calibrated brightness temperatures, which can be used to determine cloud and precipitation characteristics. It operates across four microwave channels: 10.7, 19.35, 37.1, and 85.5 GHz. These frequencies are sensitive to precipitation, making AMPR well-suited for studying rain events. It has a surface footprint size ranging from 640 m (85.5 GHz) to 2.8 km (10.7 GHz).

The Millimeter-Wave Temperature Sounder (MTS) was an airborne microwave radiometer developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It consisted of two radiometers that measure brightness temperature for precipitation and atmospheric temperature profiling. One radiometer was an eight-channel scanning spectrometer centered on the 118.75 GHz oxygen line. It had a 7.5-degree beamwidth and an integration time of 224 ms per spot, resulting in a 0.5 K resolution. The second radiometer was a single-channel nadir-viewing system operating from 52 to 56 GHz with a 10-degree beamwidth. MTS was replaced by the NPOESS Aircraft Sounder Testbed Microwave Radiometer (NAST-M).

The Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) is an airborne cross-track scanning interferometer developed by the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It measures emitted thermal radiation between 3.3 and 18 microns with high spectral resolution. These measurements help derive atmospheric profiles of temperature and water vapor in clear-sky conditions. S-HIS has a spatial resolution of 2 km and a swath width of 40 km at an altitude of 20 km at nadir. It operates at a sampling frequency of 0.5 seconds and has an absolute radiance accuracy of 0.2 K.

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.

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.

If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for microphysics probes

This data will be added in future versions

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.

An Electric Field Mill (EFM) is a ground-based and airborne electric sensor developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It measures the full vector components of the atmospheric electric field and provides information about the electrical structure within and around storms. EFMs can detect both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning and can operate in large thunderstorm fields (thousands of volts per meter). An EFM typically has a response time of about 10 Hz.

If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for microphysics probes

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.

An Electric Field Mill (EFM) is a ground-based and airborne electric sensor developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It measures the full vector components of the atmospheric electric field and provides information about the electrical structure within and around storms. EFMs can detect both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning and can operate in large thunderstorm fields (thousands of volts per meter). An EFM typically has a response time of about 10 Hz.

If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for microphysics probes

The Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP) is an in situ airborne optical particle counter initially developed by Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. It determines particle size distribution by measuring the light intensity scattered by individual particles within the cloud. FSSP can detect particles ranging from 0.5 to 47 μm in diameter. It functions at a wavelength of 633 nm and typically samples at a rate of 1 Hz.

The 2D-C/P Hydrometeor Imaging Probe (2D-C/P) is an in situ, airborne instrument that captures images of hydrometeors. It records these images by detecting the illuminated or shadowed states of the photodiode array as the shadow of the hydrometeors passes over. 2D-C/P also offers measurements of particle size distribution, cloud droplet concentration, and hydrometeor shape. Typically, 2D-C/P probes have an image resolution of 25 micrometers and can image hydrometeors with diameters up to 1600 micrometers.

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.

The Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Wind Profiler is a ground-based Doppler radar. It measures electromagnetic signals to detect wind speed and direction. UHF Wind Profilers operate at the 300-1000 MHz frequency range. Due to operating at a high frequency, they allow for high-resolution wind measurements within the boundary layer.

The Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) system is a ground-based lightning network located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). It consists of seven very high-frequency (VHF) radio receivers that detect radio pulses produced by lightning. These receivers are arranged in a hexagonal pattern about 6 to 10 km from the central receiver. The LDAR system operates at 66 MHz with 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 to support Space Shuttle operations.

Eddy Covariance Flux Towers are in situ micrometeorological surface towers. They are equipped with gas sensors to continuously measure the trace gas fluxes between the land surface and the atmosphere. Eddy Covariance Towers are typically used to measure fluxes for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O). These towers are also equipped with various meteorological sensors to measure air temperature, precipitation, winds, radiation, and soil temperature.

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 to 1 km spatial resolution, and a maximum range of 230 to 460 km. Currently, over 160 NEXRAD radars are operating across the United States and some overseas locations.

This data will be added in future versions

The Very High Frequency (VHF) Interferometer is a ground-based broadband interferometer system. It detects lightning by measuring the radio frequency signals radiated from lightning strikes. The VHF Interferometer system consists of 3 VHF antennas and one fast antenna. It operates across the 30-300 MHz frequency band.

An Electric Field Mill (EFM) is a ground-based and airborne electric sensor developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It measures the full vector components of the atmospheric electric field and provides information about the electrical structure within and around storms. EFMs can detect both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning and can operate in large thunderstorm fields (thousands of volts per meter). An EFM typically has a response time of about 10 Hz.

S-band radars are ground-based or shipborne radars that operate at the frequency range of 2-4 GHz. They provide measurements of radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and other radar parameters to characterize precipitation and clouds. They are not easily attenuated making them useful for near and far-range weather observations.

X-band radars are ground-based radars that operate in the 8-12 GHz frequency range. They provide measurements of radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and other radar parameters to characterize precipitation and clouds. Due to operating on a smaller wavelength, the X-band radars are more sensitive and can detect smaller particles, making them useful for studying light precipitation and cloud development.

Radiosondes are a balloon-borne instrument package used to collect profile measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds. These sensors are connected to a radio transmitter that sends the measurements to a ground receiver typically operating in the 400-406 MHz range. They typically provide measurements at 1-6 seconds, depending on the type and manufacturer of the radiosonde. Radiosondes are used for weather forecasting, ground truth satellite data, atmospheric research, and input for weather prediction models.