Instrument

Digital Camera
Digital Camera

Digital cameras provide imagery for research applications. Cameras are mounted on aircraft to collect aerial imagery for mapping and surveying, environmental monitoring, cloud observations, agriculture, geological studies, and other Earth science applications. They are also deployed at field sites to capture visual observations that monitor changes in land cover, vegetation, clouds, air quality, glaciers, and other phenomena.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Optical/Photon

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Visible Wavelengths > Visible Imagery

Vertical Measurement Regions

Land Surface, Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

Variable

Spatial Resolution

Variable

Measurement Frequency

Variable

Calibration Details

Currently unavailable

Online Information

Lead Investigator
Currently unavailable
Technical Contact
Currently unavailable
Instrument Maker
Varies
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repository
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (ORNL)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

C-23 Sherpa

Short Brothers C-23 Sherpa

4 Campaigns · 22 Instruments

CARVE

Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment

2012—2015

Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 26 Data Products

CARAFE

NASA Carbon Atmospheric Flux Experiment

2016—2017

Eastern United States Coast, Mid-Atlantic Region

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

Field Site

Stationary

76 Campaigns · 175 Instruments

SnowEx

2016—2023

Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 86 Data Products

CLASIC07

Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign 2007

2007

Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, Kansas

view all deployment dates

· 7 Data Products

OTTER

Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research Project

1989—1991

western coniferous forest in Oregon

view all deployment dates

· 14 Data Products

SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001

Southern Africa

view all deployment dates

· 110 Data Products

BOREAS

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study

1994—1996

Boreal forests of central Canada

view all deployment dates

· 303 Data Products

IMPACTS

Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms

2020—2023

Eastern United States

view all deployment dates

· 73 Data Products

OLYMPEX

Olympic Mountains Experiment

2015—2016

Olympic Peninsula in U.S. Washington State

view all deployment dates

· 36 Data Products

GCPEx

GPM Cold Season Precipitation Experiment

2012

Ontario, Canada and northern portions of the United States (e.g., New York state, the New England area, etc.)

view all deployment dates

· 44 Data Products

FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998

Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 131 Data Products

SMEX

Soil Moisture Experiment

2002—2005

Iowa, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, Sonora, Mexico

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

PROVE

Prototype Validation Exercise

1997

Jornada Experimental Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico

view all deployment dates

· 4 Data Products

SMAPVEX

Soil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment

2008—2022

United States, Canada, Iowa, Maryland, Arizona, Massachusetts, Manitoba

view all deployment dates

· 25 Data Products

FIFE

First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment

1987—1989

Central Kansas

view all deployment dates

· 115 Data Products

C-130

C-130 Hercules

17 Campaigns · 96 Instruments

OTTER

Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research Project

1989—1991

western coniferous forest in Oregon

view all deployment dates

· 14 Data Products

ARISE

Arctic Radiation - IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment

2014

Alaska, Beaufort Sea

view all deployment dates

· 5 Data Products

ER-2

NASA Earth Resources-2 Aircraft

63 Campaigns · 109 Instruments

OTTER

Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research Project

1989—1991

western coniferous forest in Oregon

view all deployment dates

· 14 Data Products

DCOTSS

Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere

2021—2022

Central United States

view all deployment dates

· 5 Data Products

PROVE

Prototype Validation Exercise

1997

Jornada Experimental Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico

view all deployment dates

· 4 Data Products

SUCCESS

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study

1996

Central and Western United States

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

WINCE

WINter Cloud Experiment

1997

Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Canada

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

UAV

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle

5 Campaigns · 6 Instruments

OWLETS

Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study

2017—2018

Chesapeake Bay

view all deployment dates

· 12 Data Products

SnowEx

2016—2023

Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 86 Data Products

SASSIE

Salinity and Stratification at the Sea Ice Edge

2022

Beaufort Sea

view all deployment dates

· 19 Data Products

Learjet

SPEC Inc. Learjet 25

8 Campaigns · 30 Instruments

CEPEX

Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment

1993

Central Pacific Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

SIERRA

Sensor Integrated Environmental Remote Research Aircraft

2 Campaigns · 14 Instruments

CASIE

Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Experiment

2009

Svalbard archipelago of Norway

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

MIZOPEX

Marginal Ice Zone Ocean and Ice Observations and Processes Experiment

2013

Southern Beaufort Sea, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

Sabreliner

NCAR Sabreliner

3 Campaigns · 21 Instruments

FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998

Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 131 Data Products

B-200

Beechcraft B-200 King Air

39 Campaigns · 84 Instruments

FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998

Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska

view all deployment dates

· 131 Data Products

CARES

Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study

2010

Central Valley, California

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

Image of a FLUXNET tower in Harvard Forests, Maine

Permanent Land Site

Stationary

63 Campaigns · 100 Instruments

SUCCESS

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study

1996

Central and Western United States

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

CanEx

Canadian Experiment for Soil Moisture

2010

Saskatchewan, Canada

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

WB-57

NASA WB-57

17 Campaigns · 84 Instruments

NOVICE

Newly-Operating and Validated Instruments Comparison Experiment

2008

Houston, Texas

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

CARTA-2005

Costa Rica Airborne Research and Technology Applications 2005

2005

San Jose, Costa Rica

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

Field Survey

Stationary

3 Campaigns · 4 Instruments

SHIFT

Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) High-Frequency Time Series

2022

Santa Barbara County, California, Pacific Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 17 Data Products

AVUELO

Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean

2025

Panama, Costa Rica

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

R/V Shearwater

1 Campaign · 6 Instruments

PACE-PAX

Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment

2024

Southern and Central California

view all deployment dates

· 14 Data Products

Twin Otter

DeHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

23 Campaigns · 85 Instruments

MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

SWIFT

Surface Wave Instrument Float with Tracking

2 Campaigns · 5 Instruments

ATOMIC

Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign

2020

Tropical North Atlantic east of Barbados

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

Saildrone

3 Campaigns · 9 Instruments

ATOMIC

Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign

2020

Tropical North Atlantic east of Barbados

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

P-3

P-3 Orion

30 Campaigns · 153 Instruments

CAMP2Ex

Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

2019

Philippines

view all deployment dates

· 12 Data Products

AMSRIce

Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer Sea Ice Product Validation

2003—2006

Alaska, Elson Lagoon, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, Northern Pacific Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

photo of the research vessel Ronald H Brown

R/V RHB

R/V Ronald H. Brown

4 Campaigns · 51 Instruments

ATOMIC

Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign

2020

Tropical North Atlantic east of Barbados

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

CARVE: In-flight Photos from the CARVE Aircraft, Alaska, 2013-201510.3334/ORNLDAAC/1435

CampaignsCarbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment

PlatformsShort Brothers C-23 Sherpa

SAFARI 2000 Landscape Photographs of Kalahari Transect, Mongu, Skukuza Sites10.3334/ORNLDAAC/769

CampaignsSouthern African Regional Science Initiative

PlatformsField Site

SnowEx20 Time Series Snow Pit Measurements V00210.5067/KZ43HVLZV6G4

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsPDF, JPEG, CSV, Excel

Leaf Area Index Data (OTTER)10.3334/ORNLDAAC/45

CampaignsOregon Transect Ecosystem Research Project

PlatformsField Site

SHIFT: Vegetation Plot Photos, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 202210.3334/ORNLDAAC/2334

CampaignsSurface Biology and Geology (SBG) High-Frequency Time Series

PlatformsField Survey

Formatsmultiple

GPM GROUND VALIDATION ENVIRONMENT CANADA (EC) WEB CAMERA IMAGES GCPEX V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/GCPEX/CAMERA/DATA101

CampaignsGPM Cold Season Precipitation Experiment

PlatformsField Site

SnowEx23 Mar23 Snow Pit Measurements V00110.5067/SJZ90KNPKCYR

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsCSV, Excel, JPEG, PDF

ABoVE: Environmental Conditions and Subsistence Resource Access, Alaska, 2016-201710.3334/ORNLDAAC/1705

CampaignsArctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment

PlatformsField Survey

Snow Depth, Stratigraphy, and Temperature in Wrangell St Elias NP, Alaska, 2016-201810.3334/ORNLDAAC/1656

CampaignsArctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment

PlatformsField Survey

Cloud Camera Data (FIFE)10.3334/ORNLDAAC/28

CampaignsFirst International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment

PlatformsField Site

BOREAS TE-23 Canopy Architecture and Spectral Data from Hemispherical Photos10.3334/ORNLDAAC/492

CampaignsBoreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study

PlatformsField Site

GPM Ground Validation Snow Depth Monitoring System OLYMPEX V110.5067/GPMGV/OLYMPEX/SNOWTUBE/DATA101

CampaignsOlympic Mountains Experiment

PlatformsField Site

PROVE Surface albedo of Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, 199710.3334/ORNLDAAC/667

CampaignsPrototype Validation Exercise

PlatformsField Site

FormatsBinary

PROVE Land Cover and Leaf Area of Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, 199710.3334/ORNLDAAC/665

CampaignsPrototype Validation Exercise

PlatformsField Site

FormatsCSV

S-MODE Pre-Pilot Ocean Wave Slope from Visible-Band Polarimetry at the Air-Sea Interaction Tower Version 110.5067/SMODE-WSLOPE

CampaignsSub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment

PlatformsPermanent Water Site

FormatsnetCDF

SMAPVEX12 Surface Roughness Data for Agricultural Area V00110.5067/QB4JHGKXH16O

CampaignsSoil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment

PlatformsField Site

FormatsASCII

SMAPVEX12 Surface Roughness Data for Forest Area V00110.5067/0OCZDB099FWR

CampaignsSoil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment

PlatformsField Site

FormatsExcel

SMAPVEX08 Surface Roughness Data V00110.5067/1UCIETYP0PUO

CampaignsSoil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment

PlatformsField Site

FormatsASCII

ATom: DC-8 Forward Camera Videos, 2016-201710.3334/ORNLDAAC/1938

CampaignsAtmospheric Tomography Mission

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsMP

SnowEx23 Oct23 Ground Surface Roughness Reconstruction V00110.5067/9BTG86R3ISRB

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsLAZ

SnowEx20 Grand Mesa Snow Depth from Snow Pole Time-Lapse Imagery V00110.5067/14EU7OLF051V

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsCSV

SnowEx20 Time-Lapse Imagery V00110.5067/P3D1QRH7O8X5

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsJPEG

SnowEx20 Raw Near Surface Snow Temperature Profile Time Series V00110.5067/9HYQMFZP4ALB

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsPNG, JPEG, BMP, Excel, ASCII

SnowEx23 Oct22 Ground Surface Roughness Reconstruction V00110.5067/KCXOEYAY6PA9

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsLAZ

SnowEx23 Oct22 Ground Surface Roughness Imagery V00110.5067/PIW7DPSU3SOA

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsJPEG

SnowEx23 Oct23 Ground Surface Roughness Imagery V00110.5067/FZ3KL32LBPA2

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsJPEG

SnowEx21 Prairie Station Digital Surface Models from UAV-LiDAR V00110.5067/2JA2F0NF99TF

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsUncrewed Aerial Vehicle

FormatsGeoTIFF

SnowEx20 Grand Mesa Intensive Observation Period Snow Pit Measurements V00110.5067/DUD2VZEVBJ7S

CampaignsSnowEx

PlatformsField Site

FormatsPDF, JPEG, CSV, Excel

ABoVE: Reflectance Spectra of Tundra Plant Communities across Northern Alaska10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1685

CampaignsArctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment

PlatformsField Survey

Digital CameraDigital Camera

Overview

Instrument Details

Instrument Operation

Data Products

Digital Camera
Digital Camera