BARREL 1A: Tri-axial Magnetometer Data for Radiation Belt Studies

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns from Antarctica and Sweden to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The BARREL 1A dataset provides tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer measurements at 0.25-second resolution, collected at altitudes around 30 km. This NASA Living with a Star mission data, neither gain-corrected nor despun, was designed to augment the Van Allen Probes mission.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on the tri-axial DC magnetometer measurements.
• Characterizing the spatial scale of relativistic electron precipitation based on multi-balloon array observations.
• Correlating balloon-based magnetic field data with in-situ satellite measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission.
• Studying magnetospheric dynamics mapped to stratospheric altitudes near the Antarctic and Arctic circles.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns (2013-2016).
• Measurements taken at stratospheric altitudes (~30 km) near polar regions.
• Coordinated observations with the Van Allen Probes mission and other ground/space-based instruments.

Limitations

• Data are neither gain-corrected nor despun, requiring additional processing for some analyses.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file sizes are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements from tri-axial DC magnetometers carried on small stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:26:15.617908; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Launch sites in Antarctica (Halley Bay, SANAE IV) and Sweden (Esrange Space Center, Kiruna).