The TExas and FLorida UNderflights Experiment (TEFLUN) was a NASA-led project that provided ground validation measurements for the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM). TEFLUN had two deployments, which are often referred to as TEFLUN-A and TEFLUN-B. TEFLUN-A occurred in April and May of 1998 near and along areas of the Texas coast. NASA’s ER-2 and SPEC Inc.’s Learjet collected airborne measurements while ground instrumentation provided ground truth measurements for validation purposes. TEFLUN-B took place in August and September of the same year in areas near and along the Florida coast. A similar sampling strategy was employed with NASA’s ER-2, DC-8, and the University of North Dakota’s Citation aircraft providing airborne measurements along with ground instrumentation providing measurements for ground truth validation. TEFLUN-B was also conducted in close coordination with NASA’s CAMEX-3 project.
The NPOESS Aircraft Sounder Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I) is an airborne infrared interferometer maintained and operated by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). It uses Fourier transform spectroscopy to provide measurements of brightness temperature and radiance. NAST-I operates within the spectral range of 3.7-16.1 µm and has a spectral resolution of 0.25 cm-1. It has a spatial resolution of 2.6 km and a cross-track swath width of 46 km at a flight altitude of 20 km. A complete scan period for NAST-I takes around 12.2 seconds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Atmospheric Temperature Indices
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
The Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR) was a passive airborne cross-track scanning radiometer developed by NASA. MIR measured brightness temperature across nine channels and was used for clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric water vapor studies. MIR operated near and around the following frequencies: 89, 150, 183, 220, and 325 GHz. It had an angular swath of 100 degrees and a sampling frequency of 3 seconds. MIR typically operated on NASA ER-2 aircraft before its retirement.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
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%.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Electricity > Electric Field
The NPOESS Aircraft Sounder Testbed - Microwave (NAST-M) is an airborne microwave radiometer maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It measures brightness temperature which can be used to retrieve water vapor profiles in the atmosphere. It consists of two radiometers with one operating across 8 channels between 50-57 GHz and the other operating across 9 channels at 118 GHz. In 2003, NAST-M was upgraded with two additional radiometers operating at 183 and 425 GHz to improve water vapor retrievals and the detection of small hydrometeors. NAST-M has a spatial resolution of 2.6 km and a cross-track swath width of 100 km at a flight altitude of 20 km. It has a typical integration time of 100 ms.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
The ER-2 Doppler Radar (EDOP) is an airborne X-band radar designed to operate on the nose of the ER-2 aircraft. It measures radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and spectrum width to characterize precipitation systems. EDOP operates at a 9.6 GHz frequency and provides data at a rate of 2 Hz. It has a typical gate spacing of 75 m and a beamwidth of 2.9 degrees. EDOP has been replaced by the EXRAD radar.
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 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.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
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 Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sounder (MAMS) is an airborne multispectral scanner that was developed by modifying NASA’s Thematic Mapping Sensor (TMS). MAMS measures reflected radiances in eight visible/near-infrared (VNIR) bands and thermal emission in four infrared bands. It was designed to study weather-related phenomena such as storm system structure, cloud-top temperature, and upper atmospheric water vapor. MAMS operates in the 0.42-12.56 μm spectral range across 12 channels. It has a horizontal resolution of 100 m and a swath width of about 37 km at a flight altitude of 20 km. MAMS has a scan rate of 6.25 Hz.
The Rosemount Icing Detector (RICE) is an in situ airborne probe manufactured by Rosemount Inc. It is a magnetostrictive oscillation probe that detects changes in the frequency of oscillation due to ice buildup on the sensing cylinder. These changes in frequency can be related to the rate of ice accretion, which can be used to derive liquid water content. RICE has a typical sampling rate of 1 second.
The High Volume Particle Sampler, also known as the High Volume Precipitation Spectrometer (HVPS), measures particle size distributions and obtains particle images in the size range of about 0.1 cm to 6 cm. It is an open-path instrument located on the outside of the aircraft, typically below the wing. A laser sheet throws a shadowgraph image of the hydrometeor (cloud droplets or ice crystals) in the sample volume on a photodiode array. As the hydrometeor moves through the sample volume, this optical array records the moving shape and a two-dimensional picture can be recorded. At an air speed of 100 m/s, the sample volume is 310 l/s. The recorded images can be analyzed for size distributions, number concentrations, and further cloud properties detailed below. Hydrometeors in the range of 0.3−19.2 mm can be fully recorded at a 150 μm resolution; larger particles can only be sized along the direction of flight. In order to keep the pixel resolution along the flight path constant, the system clock frequency is adjusted according to the detected True Air Speed (TAS) by the data system itself. The maximum clock frequency for the HVPS is 240 kHz. The HVPS data recorded during this project has 400 m m resolution along the flight path.
The Cloud Particle Imager (CPI) is an airborne imager manufactured by SPEC Inc. CPI collects high-resolution (2.3 μm pixel size) images of cloud particles that pass through its sample volume. It uses a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that operates at 810 nm to record images and can take up to 74 frames per second with a refresh rate of 40 Hz. The imagery from CPI can be used to derive microphysical properties such as particle size and habit.
If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for temperature, pressues, wind speed, wind direction, humidity
Earth Science > >
The 2D-C/P Hydrometeor Imaging Probe (2D-C/P) is an in situ, airborne instrument that captures imagery of hydrometeors. It collects these images by recording the status (illuminated or shadowed) of the photodiode array as the shadow of the hydrometeors passes over. 2D-C/P also provides 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 King Probe is an airborne cloud probe 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 provides measurements of cloud liquid water content (LWC) by measuring the heat released when water droplets are vaporized. The King Probe operates at a constant temperature (~100 C) and has a data output rate of 1 to 10 Hz. It is typically used in cloud microphysics and aircraft icing studies.
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.
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 X-Band Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar (XPOL) is a ground-based, transportable polarimetric radar manufactured by ProSensing. XPOL measures reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and polarimetric radar parameters to characterize precipitation and clouds. XPOL operates at a 9.41 GHz frequency and has a typical beam width of 1.4 degrees. It has a selectable range resolution of 15-150 meters.
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 Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) is an airborne lidar system developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). LASE uses the differential absorption lidar technique to provide profile measurements of water vapor and aerosols in the atmosphere. LASE operates at the 815 nm wavelength and has a measurement frequency of 5 Hz. For aerosol scattering profiles, LASE has a horizontal resolution of 200m and a vertical resolution of 30m. It has a horizontal resolution of 5 km and a vertical resolution of 0.2 km for water vapor measurements.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles
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%.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Electricity > Electric Field
The Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) is an in situ airborne instrument used for measuring atmospheric state parameters. MMS provides high-resolution and accurate measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind direction/speed immediately around the plane. Additional parameters can be derived such as potential temperature, true airspeed, turbulence dissipation rate, and Reynolds number. Measurements of all parameters are typically collected at a rate of 20 Hz.
The Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH) is an in situ airborne hygrometer developed by NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC). It uses tunable diode laser absorption to measure water vapor in the atmosphere. DLH operates in the near-infrared region at around 1.4 μm and has a measurement frequency of 100 Hz. It can provide accurate measurements of water vapor even while flying through clouds.
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 > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
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 Airborne Rain Mapping Radar (ARMAR) is an airborne Ku-band Doppler radar developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was developed to simulate Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite mission for algorithm development and calibration. ARMAR operates at the 13.8 GHz frequency to measure the return power of microwave energy to calculate the velocity and reflectivity. It also can be operated as a radiometer to measure brightness temperature. ARMAR typically scan across track at 20 degrees angles, but also has the ability to operate at a fixed angle. ARMAR has a horizontal resolution of 800m and a swath width of 9km at flight altitude of 12km.
The Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) is an airborne system that utilizes dropsondes and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to collect in situ profiles of atmospheric state parameters. It provides profile measurements of temperature, pressure, and humidity at a sampling frequency of 0.5 s and measurements of atmospheric winds at a frequency of 0.25 s. AVAPS has a vertical resolution of about 10 m and can allow for dropsonde launches every 20 s. AVAPS was developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for the NASA Global Hawk, but it can be deployed on other aircraft such as the DC-8 and P-3.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
This data will be added in future versions
Earth Science > >
The Airborne Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (AMMR) was a remote passive, airborne microwave radiometer. It measured thermal microwave emissions in terms of brightness temperature. AMMR consisted of an array of radiometers that operated at the following frequencies: 10, 18.7, 21, 37, and 92 GHz. It had a typical sampling rate of 1 second and a spatial resolution of 1-2 km at the surface.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
The Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR) is an airborne passive microwave imaging radiometer developed by Georgia Tech and NOAA. It obtains polarimetric microwave emission imagery of Earth to characterize ocean and land surface features, precipitation, ice, and clouds. PSR operates across four microwave channels: 10.7 GHz, 18.7 GHz, 37 GHz, and 89 GHz. The PSR/A version of the sensor has an additional dual-polarimetric channel at 21.5 GHz. At an altitude of 22,000 feet above sea level, PSR has a spatial resolution of 0.3-2.2 km, depending on the frequency band and scan mode.
The Rosemount Icing Detector (RICE) is an in situ airborne probe manufactured by Rosemount Inc. It is a magnetostrictive oscillation probe that detects changes in the frequency of oscillation due to ice buildup on the sensing cylinder. These changes in frequency can be related to the rate of ice accretion, which can be used to derive liquid water content. RICE has a typical sampling rate of 1 second.
The High Volume Particle Sampler, also known as the High Volume Precipitation Spectrometer (HVPS), measures particle size distributions and obtains particle images in the size range of about 0.1 cm to 6 cm. It is an open-path instrument located on the outside of the aircraft, typically below the wing. A laser sheet throws a shadowgraph image of the hydrometeor (cloud droplets or ice crystals) in the sample volume on a photodiode array. As the hydrometeor moves through the sample volume, this optical array records the moving shape and a two-dimensional picture can be recorded. At an air speed of 100 m/s, the sample volume is 310 l/s. The recorded images can be analyzed for size distributions, number concentrations, and further cloud properties detailed below. Hydrometeors in the range of 0.3−19.2 mm can be fully recorded at a 150 μm resolution; larger particles can only be sized along the direction of flight. In order to keep the pixel resolution along the flight path constant, the system clock frequency is adjusted according to the detected True Air Speed (TAS) by the data system itself. The maximum clock frequency for the HVPS is 240 kHz. The HVPS data recorded during this project has 400 m m resolution along the flight path.
The Cloud Particle Imager (CPI) is an airborne imager manufactured by SPEC Inc. CPI collects high-resolution (2.3 μm pixel size) images of cloud particles that pass through its sample volume. It uses a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that operates at 810 nm to record images and can take up to 74 frames per second with a refresh rate of 40 Hz. The imagery from CPI can be used to derive microphysical properties such as particle size and habit.
If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for temperature, pressues, wind speed, wind direction, humidity
Earth Science > >
The 2D-C/P Hydrometeor Imaging Probe (2D-C/P) is an in situ, airborne instrument that captures imagery of hydrometeors. It collects these images by recording the status (illuminated or shadowed) of the photodiode array as the shadow of the hydrometeors passes over. 2D-C/P also provides 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 King Probe is an airborne cloud probe 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 provides measurements of cloud liquid water content (LWC) by measuring the heat released when water droplets are vaporized. The King Probe operates at a constant temperature (~100 C) and has a data output rate of 1 to 10 Hz. It is typically used in cloud microphysics and aircraft icing studies.
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.
The S-band Polarimetric (S-POL) Doppler radar is a ground-based transportable radar operated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). It is a dual-polarization radar that provides radar measurements to characterize precipitation and convective systems. S-Pol operates at 2.7-2.9 GHz frequency and has a beam width of 0.92 degrees. S-Pol has a range of 150-675 m and a gate spacing of 37.5-150 m.
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.
