Cloud Droplet Size and Optical Depth Measurements from NASA ORACLES Campaign

August to September 2016 data product containing cloud droplet size distribution and cloud optical depth parameters derived from AirMSPI instrument measurements. The dataset includes effective radius, effective variance, and optical depth at 470, 660, and 865 nm wavelengths, along with retrieval uncertainties. It was produced by NASA's LARC_ASDC from flights during the ORACLES campaign over the South Atlantic Ocean.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between cloud droplet effective radius (reff) and cloud optical depth (COD) across different wavelengths to study cloud radiative properties.
• Validate regional climate model simulations of cloud microphysics using spatially resolved COD and droplet size distribution (DSD) parameters from the ORACLES flight region.
• Investigate retrieval uncertainty propagation from instrument radiometry and polarimetry to the final L2 products like reff, veff, and COD.
• Map the spatial distribution of cloud properties over the South Atlantic Ocean using the 25 m spatial sampling georegistered data.

Strengths

• Provides three specific cloud optical depth (COD) measurements at 470, 660, and 865 nm wavelengths.
• Includes quantified retrieval uncertainties for each derived parameter, propagated from instrument measurement errors.
• Data acquired with 25 m spatial sampling in continuous sweep mode, offering high spatial resolution.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to approximately two months from August 3 to September 29, 2016.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to targets over the South Atlantic Ocean off Namibia and Angola from the ORACLES campaign.
• Sample size and total row count are unknown from the provided description.

Provenance

Source

NASA LARC_ASDC (Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center).

Collection Method

Derived from AirMSPI Level 1B2 radiometric and polarimetric data acquired in continuous sweep mode during aircraft flights.

Time Range

August 3, 2016 to September 29, 2016.

Freshness

Static dataset from a 2016 flight campaign; no ongoing updates.

Geography

South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Namibia and Angola, based from Walvis Bay, Namibia.