FIRE Level 2
Entry Title: First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) University of Washington C-131A Discrete Data

Entry ID: FIRE_AX_UW_DSCRT_1
Aerosols Clouds Field Campaigns
Description

The First ISCCP Regional Experiments have been designed to improve data products and cloud/radiation parameterizations used in general circulation models (GCMs). Specifically, the goals of FIRE are (1) to improve basic understanding of the interaction of physical processes in determining life cycles of cirrus and marine stratocumulus systems and the radiative properties of these clouds during their life cycles and (2) to investigate the interrelationships between the ISCCP data, GCM parameterizations, and higher space and time resolution cloud data.To-date, four intensive field-observation periods were planned and executed: a cirrus IFO (October 13-November 2, 1986); a marine stratocumulus IFO off the southwestern coast of California (June 29-July 20, 1987); a second cirrus IFO in southeastern Kansas (November 13-December 7, 1991); and a second marine stratocumulus IFO in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean (June 1-June 28, 1992). Each mission combined coordinated satellite, airborne, and surface observations with modeling studies to investigate the cloud properties and physical processes of the cloud systems. The development of parameterizations requires an understanding of the processes that generate, maintain, and dissipate boundary layer clouds. This development is currently impeded by lack of understanding of the transition from stratocumulus clouds to trade cumulus clouds and the factors that control cloud type and amount in the boundary layer. The Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition EXperiment (ASTEX) was designed to address key issues related to stratocumulus to trade cumulus transition and mode selection. ASTEX involved intensive measurements from several platforms operating from 1-28 June 1992 in the area of the Azores and Madeira Islands. The purpose was to study how the transition and mode selection are effected by 1) cloud-top entrainment instability, 2) diurnal decoupling and clearing due to solar absorption, 3) patchy drizzle and a transition to horizontally inhomogeneous clouds through decoupling, 4) mesoscale variability in cloud thickness and associated mesoscale circulations, and 5) episodic strong subsidence lowering the inversion below the LCL. Detailed descriptions of the scientific goals of ASTEX are in the FIRE Phase II: Research plan (1989) and in the ASTEX Operations Plan (1992).This ASCII formatted data set includes data collected aboard the University of Washington's Corsair 131A airplane. Several different probes were used to gather data on the liquid water content of clouds, the droplet radius/diameter, and condensation nuclei measurements. All sulfur parameter measurements were made using filter methods.

DOI

10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0068

Citation Styles for this Dataset
Keywords

From GCMD Science Keywords:
  • CLOUD CONDENSATION NUCLEI > CLOUD MICROPHYSICS
  • ATMOSPHERIC CARBON MONOXIDE > CARBON AND HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS
  • AIR TEMPERATURE > SURFACE TEMPERATURE
  • CLOUD DROPLET CONCENTRATION/SIZE > CLOUD MICROPHYSICS
  • CARBON MONOXIDE
  • POTENTIAL TEMPERATURE > SURFACE TEMPERATURE
  • SULFATE > SULFUR COMPOUNDS
  • PARTICULATE MATTER
  • TRACE GASES/TRACE SPECIES
  • CLOUD TYPES
  • ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE > CARBON AND HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS
  • DROPLET SIZE
  • DIMETHYL SULFIDE > SULFUR COMPOUNDS
  • WATER VAPOR > WATER VAPOR INDICATORS
  • HUMIDITY > WATER VAPOR INDICATORS
  • SULFUR DIOXIDE > SULFUR COMPOUNDS
  • SULFATE PARTICLES
  • AEROSOL PARTICLE PROPERTIES
  • CLOUD LIQUID WATER/ICE > CLOUD MICROPHYSICS
  • ATMOSPHERIC OZONE > OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
  • CLOUD CONDENSATION NUCLEI
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO)
  • Cloud Chamber
  • Condensation Nuclei
  • Convair
  • Dimethyl Sulfide ((CH3)2S)
  • Droplet Concentration
  • Effective Droplet Diameter
  • Effective Droplet Radius
  • Ethylene (C2H4) Chemiluminescence
  • Filter/Fluorescence
  • Filter/IC
  • Gas Chromatography
  • Hot-Wire Probe
  • Infrared (IR) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Analyzer
  • Infrared (IR) Carbon Monoxide (CO) Analyzer
  • Ion Chromatography
  • Liquid Water Content
  • Optical Counter
  • Ozone (O3)
  • Particle Diameter
  • Particle Number Concentration
  • Platinum Wire Resistance
  • Potential Temperature
  • Sulfate
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Data Distribution

File Format(s):

Native

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Spatial Information

spatial-coverage-map
Spatial Coverage: (S: 32.34, N: 38.05), (W: -26.75, E: -21.23)
Spatial Coverage Type: Horizontal
Coordinate System: Geodetic
Granule Spatial Representation: Geodetic
Locations

CONTINENT NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WASHINGTON MID-LATITUDE ATLANTIC OCEAN BOUNDARY LAYER STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE
Temporal Information

Temporal Coverage: 1992-06-02 - 1992-06-27
Temporal Resolution: 15 Seconds
Platforms

Aircraft
C-131A
Convair C-131 Samaritan
Spectrometers
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS
ION CHROMATOGRAPHS
THERMOMETERS
Metadata Dates

Created on 1999-11-09
Last updated on 2019-10-25