BARREL 3E Magnetometer: Magnetic Field Data from Radiation Belt Balloon Campaigns

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016 in Antarctica and Sweden. The dataset contains three-axis DC magnetometer measurements at 0.25-second intervals, collected by the NASA BARREL mission to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Data are not gain-corrected or despun.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on three-axis DC magnetometer measurements.
• Studying spatial and temporal patterns of electron precipitation from radiation belts based on balloon constellation data.
• Correlating balloon-based magnetic field data with in-situ satellite and ground-based instrument observations mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns.
• Provides measurements at stratospheric altitudes (~30 km) near polar circles.
• Coordinated 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 BARREL stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:34:07.255034; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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