Instrument

Spectrometer
Spectrometer

Spectrometers are instruments used to separate and analyze the spectral components of a substance. They usually measure the electromagnetic radiation that has been reflected, absorbed, or transmitted by the physical sample. Spectrometers can operate across the ultraviolet to infrared spectrum. The most common types include optical, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometers. They can be used on aircraft, research vessels, vehicles, and other ground-based platforms.

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

Spectrometer/Radiometer

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths

Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Ultraviolet Wavelengths

Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Visible Wavelengths

Vertical Measurement Regions

Land Surface, Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

Variable

Spatial Resolution

Variable

Measurement Frequency

Various

Calibration Details

Currently unavailble

Online Information

Lead Investigator
Currently unavailable
Technical Contact
Currently unavailable
Instrument Maker
Varies
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repositories
- Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)
- Global Hydrology Resource Center DAAC (GHRC)
- data center outside NASA
- Ocean Biology DAAC (OB.DAAC)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (ORNL)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

Twin Otter

DeHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

23 Campaigns · 86 Instruments

OLYMPEX

Olympic Mountains Experiment

2015—2016

Olympic Peninsula in U.S. Washington State

view all deployment dates

· 36 Data Products

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

45 Campaigns · 182 Instruments

DC3

Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

2012

Northeastern Colorado, West Texas to Central Oklahoma, Northern Alabama

view all deployment dates

· 19 Data Products

ARCTAS

Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites

2008

Alaska, Western Canada, California

view all deployment dates

· 27 Data Products

AMISA

Arctic Mechanisms of Interaction Between the Surface and Atmosphere

2008

Arctic: Scandinavia and Greenland

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

AAOE

Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment

1987

Antarctica

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

AASE

Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition

1988—1992

Arctic

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

30 Campaigns · 153 Instruments

ARCTAS

Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites

2008

Alaska, Western Canada, California

view all deployment dates

· 27 Data Products

Field Site

Stationary

74 Campaigns · 176 Instruments

TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996

Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard

view all deployment dates

· 5 Data Products

COAST

Coastal and Ocean Airborne Science Testbed

2011

Monterey Bay, CA

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· 0 Data Products

CARES

Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study

2010

Central Valley, California

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· 0 Data Products

Generic Vessel

1 Campaign · 5 Instruments

Delta-X

Delta Exchange

2021—2023

Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins of the Mississippi River Delta

view all deployment dates

· 68 Data Products

CV-990

Convair CV-990

1 Campaign · 8 Instruments

CITE

Global Tropospheric Experiment - Chemical Instrument Test and Evaluation

1983—1989

Wallops Island, Hawaii, Central Pacific, California, Eastern Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic

view all deployment dates

· 6 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

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· 0 Data Products

MIZOPEX

Marginal Ice Zone Ocean and Ice Observations and Processes Experiment

2013

Southern Beaufort Sea, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

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· 0 Data Products

Falcon

Dassault Falcon 20-E5

6 Campaigns · 44 Instruments

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 21 Data Products

Oceanus

R/V Oceanus

2 Campaigns · 14 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

C-131A

Convair C-131 Samaritan

5 Campaigns · 32 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

MAST

Monterey Area Ship Track

1994

Central California Coast, Pacific Ocean

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· 0 Data Products

ARAT

Avion de Recherche Atmospherique Fokker F27

1 Campaign · 7 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

photo of the research vessel Ronald H Brown

R/V RHB

R/V Ronald H. Brown

4 Campaigns · 51 Instruments

SO GasEx

Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment

2008

Southern Ocean

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· 0 Data Products

D-MIFU

D-MIFU Ultralight Aircraft

1 Campaign · 6 Instruments

MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

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· 0 Data Products

G-1

Gulfstream-159

3 Campaigns · 41 Instruments

CARES

Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study

2010

Central Valley, California

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

UH-1

UH-1 Huey

2 Campaigns · 8 Instruments

FIFE

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

1987—1989

Central Kansas

view all deployment dates

· 115 Data Products

Field Survey

Stationary

3 Campaigns · 4 Instruments

AVUELO

Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean

2025

Panama, Costa Rica

view all deployment dates

· 0 Data Products

Data Products

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

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

Gemma Helicopter Data (FIFE)10.3334/ORNLDAAC/38

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

PlatformsUH-1 Huey

DC3 In-Situ DC-8 Aircraft Aerosol Datahttps://doi.org/10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DC3_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsDeep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

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

CampaignsArctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment

PlatformsField Survey

GPM Ground Validation Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) OLYMPEX V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/OLYMPEX/LIDAR/DATA101

CampaignsOlympic Mountains Experiment

PlatformsDeHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) MAGE Oceanus Sulfur in the Air Data10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0035

CampaignsFirst International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

PlatformsR/V Oceanus

FormatsASCII

First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) MAGE Oceanus Sulfur in the Ocean Data10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0037

CampaignsFirst International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

PlatformsR/V Oceanus

FormatsASCII

FIRE_AX_SOF_ARAT_FLT10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0054

CampaignsFirst International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

PlatformsAvion de Recherche Atmospherique Fokker F27

First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) University of Washington C-131A Discrete Data10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0068

CampaignsFirst International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

PlatformsConvair C-131 Samaritan

FormatsNative

Pre-Delta-X: Spectral Reflectance of Water Surface, Atchafalaya Basin, LA, USA, 201610.3334/ORNLDAAC/1804

CampaignsDelta Exchange

PlatformsGeneric Vessel

FormatsCSV

Delta-X: In Situ Water Surface Reflectance across MRD, LA, USA, 2021, V310.3334/ORNLDAAC/2153

CampaignsDelta Exchange

PlatformsGeneric Vessel

FormatsCSV

SpectrometerSpectrometer

Overview

Instrument Details

Instrument Operation

Data Products

Spectrometer
Spectrometer