Aircraft Flux Measurements from FIFE Boundary Layer Experiments

NCAR King Air aircraft collected detailed atmospheric boundary layer data during the FIFE experiments in 1987 and 1989. Measurements include vertical and horizontal wind gusts, humidity, potential temperature, and radiation parameters to study convective boundary layer processes. The dataset is managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing turbulence dissipation rates using vertical wind data sampled at 5 Hz.
• Estimating surface-atmosphere fluxes of sensible heat, moisture, and momentum from detrended wind, temperature, and humidity measurements.
• Studying the relationship between surface properties and boundary layer structure using geographical position data from an inertial navigation system.
• Investigating radiation budgets with parameters like global shortwave, longwave, upwelling, and downwelling radiation.
• Validating or complementing surface and remote sensing measurements from the coordinated FIFE boundary layer component.

Strengths

• Data quality is described as 'excellent overall' with very little loss of data.
• Measurements include fast-response sensors for wind gusts, temperature, and humidity enabling flux estimation.
• Data collection was part of a coordinated campaign including other aircraft, surface stations, balloon profiles, SODAR, and lidar.

Limitations

• Vertical wind sampling at 5 Hz instead of 10 Hz may compromise estimates of turbulence dissipation.
• Radar altitude measurement, while more accurate, was only valid below approximately 930 meters.
• Conflicting metadata exists: one platform lists a last updated date of 2026-03-13, while another lists 1989-10 31.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne measurements from the NCAR King Air aircraft using fast-response sensors and an inertial navigation system.

Time Range

1987, 1989

Freshness

2026-03-13 18:36:25.578579

Geography

FIFE study area