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

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016 to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. This dataset provides 0.25-second tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer measurements, collected at about 30 km altitude near the Antarctic and Arctic circles. The BARREL mission was a NASA Living with a Star project 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 coordinated balloon and satellite observations.
• Studying magnetospheric dynamics by correlating balloon-based magnetic field data with in-situ Van Allen Probes measurements.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four separate campaigns (2013-2016).
• Provides high-temporal-resolution magnetic field measurements at 0.25 seconds.
• Coordinated with multiple satellite missions and ground-based instruments like EISCAT radar.

Limitations

• Data are neither gain corrected nor despun, which may require additional processing for some analyses.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is 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 14:16:06.573917; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV in Antarctica, and Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden.