BARREL 3G Tri-axial Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAGN) Magnetic Field Data, no Gain Correction,

The BARREL mission launched over 50 stratospheric balloons between 2013 and 2016 from Antarctica and Sweden. It collected three-axis DC magnetometer data at 0.25-second intervals to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. The data, provided by NASA, are not gain-corrected or despun.

Use Cases

• Analyze ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer measurements
• Study spatial and temporal patterns of electron precipitation based on balloon constellation data collected across magnetic local time
• Characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on balloon-borne X-ray spectrometer correlations
• Coordinate multi-instrument studies based on data collected alongside Van Allen Probes and ground-based radar systems

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns
• High temporal resolution measurements at 0.25 seconds
• Coordinated with multiple satellite missions and ground-based instruments

Limitations

• Data are neither gain corrected nor despun, requiring additional processing for certain 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 carried on stratospheric balloons

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:33:36.145248; freshness should be verified

Geography

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