BARREL 2B: Tri-axial Magnetometer Data for Radiation Belt Studies

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns from Antarctica and Sweden to measure magnetic field variations. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, provided the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation alongside in-situ satellite data. Data includes three-axis DC magnetometer readings at 0.25-second resolution, not gain-corrected or despun.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer data.
• Studying spatial and temporal patterns of relativistic electron precipitation from the radiation belts based on coordinated balloon and satellite observations.
• Characterizing the spatial scale of electron precipitation at relativistic energies based on balloon array measurements.
• Correlating balloon-based magnetic field data with measurements from the Van Allen Probes and ground-based instruments like EISCAT radar.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns (2013-2016).
• Provides first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation with concurrent in-situ satellite data.
• Coordinated observations with multiple satellite missions and ground-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 is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by DC magnetometers on small stratospheric balloons launched successively.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 13:34:50.195075; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV base in Antarctica, and Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden.