BARREL 2X Magnetometer Data: Tri-axial Magnetic Field Measurements from Balloon Campaigns

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns to study electron losses from Earth's radiation belts. This dataset provides tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer measurements at 0.25-second resolution, collected by NASA's BARREL mission from Antarctica and Sweden between 2013 and 2016. The data, which are not gain-corrected or despun, were used to characterize the spatial scale of relativistic electron precipitation.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on tri-axial DC magnetometer data.
• Characterizing spatial scales of relativistic electron precipitation based on balloon array measurements.
• Correlating balloon-based magnetic field data with in-situ satellite measurements from the Van Allen Probes.
• Studying magnetospheric dynamics and electron losses coordinated with ground-based radar systems like EISCAT.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four distinct campaigns (2013-2016).
• Measurements were coordinated with multiple satellite missions and ground-based instruments.
• Provides high-resolution (0.25 s) tri-axial magnetic field data from stratospheric altitudes (~30 km).

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 exact file sizes are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by DC magnetometers on small stratospheric balloons launched from Antarctica and Sweden.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 12:36:05.203722; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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