SUCCESS University of Utah PDL Data Set Document

SUCCESS is a NASA field program using scientifically instrumented aircraft and ground based measurements to investigate the effects of subsonic aircraft on contrails, cirrus clouds and atmospheric chemistry. The experiment is cosponsored by NASA's Subsonic Assessment Program and the Radiation Sciences Program which are part of the overall Aeronautics and Mission to Planet Earth Programs, respectively. SUCCESS has well over a hundred direct participants from several NASA Centers, other agencies, universities and private research companies. Additional information can be found at the SUCCESS Home Page.

SUCCESS coordinated with the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurements Program (ARM) which operates the Clouds and Radiation Testbed (CART) site located in Northern Oklahoma, and Southern Kansas. In addition to the extensive ground based measurements at the CART site, ARM also made airborne measurements with the scientifically instrumented Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).

This document describes the SUCCESS_UTAH_PDL dataset, which contains ground-based measurements made by the University of Utah Polarization Diversity LIDAR at the CART site during the April-May 1996 SUCCESS Mission.

Table of Contents:

1. Data Set Overview:

Data Set Identification:

Data Set Introduction:

In support of all NASA SUCCESS aircraft missions into the vicinity of the DOE Southern Great Plains CART site (36.605 degrees N, 97.488 degrees W) near Lamont, OK, ground-based remote sensing measurements were collected by a mobile remote sensing platform from the University of Utah, including the dual-wavelength scanning Polarization Diversity LIDAR (PDL), coaligned midinfrared radiometer and video recorder, and all-sky video and 35-mm photography. Additional data were obtained at other times during periods of cirrus cloudiness and from extensive fields of contrails generated by local commercial jet aircraft. A radar-based laser safety shutdown device for automatic aircraft identification was successfully tested using a variety of aircraft, allowing PDL scans of cirrus and contrails to be made for the first time. Exceptionally high resolution PDL data were also obtained at 1.5-m range and 0.1-s time resolutions, revealing a surprising amount of fine scale structures in cirrus clouds and contrails.

A preliminary inspection of the SUCCESS PDL dataset reveals that although portions of contrails created by the participating NASA aircraft were sampled, the extensive fields of contrails from nearby commercial jet corridors, including subvisual sheets of spreading contrails, were the most notable and extensively studied.

Objective/Purpose:

The purpose of PDL participation in the SUCCESS field program is to collect supporting in situ and multiple remote sensor data for use in the validation of remote sensing technniques and algorithms for retrieving various cloud microphysical and radiative quantities, and to increase general understanding of contrails and cirrus clouds.

Summary of Parameters:

Discussion:

Related Data Sets:

2. Investigator(s):

Investigator(s) Name and Title:

Title of Investigation:

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study (SUCCESS) University of Utah Polarization Diversity LIDAR (PDL)

Contact Information:

3. Theory of Measurements:

4. Equipment:

Sensor/Instrument Description:

A description of the lidar is given in Sassen, K., 1994: "Advances in polarization diversity lidar for cloud remote sensing," Proc. IEEE, 82, 1907-1914

Collection Environment:

Source/Platform:

Source/Platform Mission Objectives:

Key Variables:

Principles of Operation:

Sensor/Instrument Measurement Geometry:

Manufacturer of Sensor/Instrument:

Frequency of Calibration:

Other Calibration Information:

5. Data Acquisition Methods:

Spatial Characteristics:

Spatial Coverage:

Data Set	Min Lat	Max Lat	Min Lon	Max Lon
SUCCESS_UTAH_PDL	36.60	36.60	-97.49	-97.49

Spatial Coverage Map:

Spatial Resolution:

Projection:

Grid Description:

Temporal Characteristics:

Temporal Coverage:

Data Set	Begin Date	End Date
SUCCESS_UTAH_PDL	04-12-1996	05-02-1996

Temporal Coverage Map:

Temporal Resolution:

Data Characteristics:

Parameter/Variable:

Variable Description/Definition:

Relative backscattered LIDAR signals from air, aerosols and clouds, background substracted, not corrected for range and attenuation effects.

     YEAR=1996 
     Month= 4 
     DAY=12 
     Hour=18 
     MINUTE=57 
     SECOND=40 
     TIME_INT=10 
     HIGHT_INT=30 
     POINTS= 409 
     HIGHT_BOT=     0 
     HIGHT_TOP= 12270 
       392       504       594       616       628       680       800       946 
      1168      1436      1824      2654      4452      7604     11580     15148 
     17948     20032     21266     21812     21912     21708     21276     20686 
     19996     19236     18440     17620     16802     15964     15178     14408 
     13688     12988     12308     11648     11004     10316      9544      8676 
      3230      2930      2630      2396      2184      2004      1838      1672 
      1572      1442      1390      1280      1198      1154      1058      1002     
       996       950       880       816       798       798       794       794 
       836       952      1014      1116      1200      1304      1378      1432 
      1530      1590      1626      1708      1764      1782      1800      1796 
      1774      1708      1616      1594      1556      1476      1412      1398 
      1354      1270      1214      1182      1120      1032       998       976 
       906       836       808       796       786       762       706       652 
       624       624       620       620       618       658       682       704 
       728       736       740       736       732       710       702       668 
       652       626       612       606       600       598       598       598 
       588       584       564       548       536       514       516       510 
       500       536       556       568       556       562       572       578 
       568       556       538       526       496       476       486       460 
       450       436       420       406       404       400       398       398 
       398       394       382       376       356       348       314       280 
       248       244       220       208       208       202       198       198 
       198       198       198       196       198       194       190       188 
       188       184       184       176       176       172       172       174 
       164       172       152       160       146       160       144       146 
       132       130       144       140       138       140       144       132 
       142       136       132       132       130       128       138       128 
       116       120       112       106       114       108        88       112 
       108       116       128       152       168       184       190       190
       198       204       220       242       256       268       274       248
       212       212       202       196       196       198       196       190
       188       182       166       158       146       138       138       124 
       122       108       106       106        92        90       100        84 
        82        66        84        78        92        88       108       144 
       212       394       682      1082      1570      2150      2772      3472 
      4148      4684      5000      5112      4944      4732      4524      4322 
      4192      4067      3942      3788      3626      3498      3360      3236 
      3104      2972      2820      2674      2500      2368      2230      2096 
      1972      1844      1720      1610      1496      1398      1298      1218 
      1128      1042       974       902       828       772       716       636 
       600       584       540       464       412       396       376       312 
       242       204       198       196       188       180       164       128 
       108        64        64        64        70        84       114       126 
       144       156       148       158       160       146       130        84 
        68        46        44        24        22         8        20         4 
         8         0         6         8         2         4         4         4 
         4         4         2         4         0         8         2         2 
         6         0         0         2         2         0         0         0 
         0         0         0         2         0         2         0         0 
         0         2         0         0         2         0         0         2 
         0

8. Data Organization:

Data Granularity:

PDL data granules are composed of one or more files of data acquired on a given day.

A general description of data granularity as it applies to the IMS appears in the EOSDIS Glossary.

Data Format:

The PDL data files are ASCII data. The files contain data records where each record consists of an eleven line header section followed by the data values. Units in the header section are seconds for the Time Interval and meters for the height parameters.

9. Data Manipulations:

Formulae:

Derivation Techniques and Algorithms:

Data Processing Sequence:

Processing Steps:

Processing Changes:

Calculations:

Special Corrections/Adjustments:

Calculated Variables:

Data Validation by Source:

Confidence Level/Accuracy Judgement:

Measurement Error for Parameters:

Additional Quality Assessments:

Data Verification by Data Center:

The Langley DAAC performs an inspection process on data received by the data producer via ftp. The DAAC checks to see if the data transfer completed and the data were delivered in their entirety. An inspection software was developed by the DAAC to make sure every granule is readable. The code also checks to see if every data value falls within the range specified by the data producer. This same code extracts the metadata required for ingesting the data into the IMS. If any discrepancies are found, the data producer is contacted. The discrepancies are corrected before the data are archived at the DAAC.

11. Notes:

Limitations of the Data:

Known Problems with the Data:

Usage Guidance:

Any Other Relevant Information about the Study:

12. Application of the Data Set:

13. Future Modifications and Plans:

14. Software:

Software Description:

Software Access:

15. Data Access:

Contact Information:

Data Center Identification:

Procedures for Obtaining Data:

The Langley DAAC Information Management System (IMS) is an on-line system that features a graphical user interface (GUI) which allows users to query the Langley DAAC data set holdings, to view pre-generated browse products, and to order specific data products. Users may also request data by letter, telephone, electronic mail (INTERNET), or personal visit.

The Langley DAAC User and Data Services (UDS) staff provides technical and operational support for users ordering data. The Langley DAAC Handbook is available in a postscript file through the IMS for users who want detailed information about the Langley DAAC holdings.

Data Center Status/Plans:

16. Output Products and Availability:

17. References:

18. Glossary of Terms:

19. List of Acronyms:

20. Document Information:

Document Revision Date:: October 7, 1997; November 24, 1997
Document Review Date:: ...
Document ID:: ...
Citation:: ...
Document Curator:: Langley DAAC User and Data Services Office
Telephone: (757) 864-8656
FAX: (757) 864-8807
E-mail: larc@eos.nasa.gov
Document URL:: http://eosweb.nasa.gov/GUIDE/dataset_documents/base_success_utah_pdl.html

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study (SUCCESS) University of Utah Polarization Diversity LIDAR (PDL) Langley DAAC Data Set Document

Summary:

Table of Contents: