Tropical Cloud Systems and Processes

A pyrometer is an instrument that measures temperature remotely, i.e. by measuring radiation from the object, without having to be in contact. The KT11 Infrared Radiation Pyrometer provides temperature measurements in the range of -30 to 500 Celsius by intercepting incoming infrared radiation emitted by surfaces. The high stability and noise suppression of the instrument allows for high response times of readings as well as the capability of temperature measurements of small objects. The KT-19II infrared pyrometer was manufactured by Heitronics, and sees a spectrum of 8-12um. The KT-19 is a radiometer that measures the brightness temperature of the surface beneath the aircraft. The KT-19 instrument can estimate the surface temperature by knowing the emissivity of the target. The response time is adjustable from 5 msec, to monitor and control extremely short production cycles, up to 10 minutes, to integrate measurements in long-term thermal processes with an extremely high resolution.

This data will be added in future versions.

The Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) is an airborne microwave radiometer developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and later modified by NCAR. It measures thermal emissions from oxygen molecules in the atmosphere to prove temperature profiles above, below, and at flight level. It operates between 55 to 59 GHz and provides profiles every 17 seconds with 4 km horizontal spacing. MTP has a vertical resolution of 150 m near the aircraft.

The Lightning Instrument Package (LIP) is an in situ airborne electric field detection system. LIP uses eight electric field mills and a conductivity probe to provide measurements of the three-dimensional components of the electric field of surrounding thunderstorms. LIP has a sampling frequency of 0.02 seconds and has an accuracy of 2.5%.

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.

This data will be added in future versions

The Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) is an airborne passive microwave radiometer. AMPR provides calibrated brightness temperature, which can be used to derive cloud and precipitation properties. It operates across four microwave channels: 10.7, 19.35, 37.1, and 85.5 GHz. These frequencies are sensitive to precipitation, thus making AMPR well-suited for rain event studies.

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.

The Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) is a ground-based network of lightning detection sensors. An LMA network consists of very high frequency (VHF) antennas, GPS receivers, and processing systems that measure the location, time, and structure of total lightning. LMA has a horizontal spatial resolution of approximately 6-12 meters, a vertical resolution of approximately 20-30 meters, and a spatial extent of about 200 km from the network center. It has a typical sampling frequency of 10 µs with around 95% accuracy within 100 km of the network. LMA networks exist in several locations including Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Alabama, West Texas, Colorado, and Southern Ontario.

The Cryogenic Frost Point Hygrometer (CFH) is a balloon-borne hygrometer developed by the University of Colorado. CFH uses the chilled-mirror principle to measure water vapor from the Earth's surface to the mid-stratosphere. It is more sensitive to water vapor compared to standard radiosondes, allowing it to measure dew point temperatures with an accuracy of 0.2 K. CFH collects measurements about every 2 seconds during the balloon’s flight and has a vertical resolution of about 50m in the troposphere to 100m in the stratosphere.

This data will be added in future versions.

This data will be added in future versions.