BOREAS AFM-02: Aircraft Flux and Boundary Layer Data

BOREAS AFM-02 data contains pass-by-pass atmospheric flux measurements and other statistics collected by the University of Wyoming King Air aircraft during 1994. The dataset focuses on straight, level flight passes, primarily at 60-70 meters above ground, with additional passes at various heights within the planetary boundary layer. It includes original flux values over specific study areas and moving window calculations over a transect.

Use Cases

• Analyzing surface-atmosphere flux exchanges based on pass-by-pass flux statistics.
• Studying planetary boundary layer structure using measurements from multiple flight altitudes.
• Comparing atmospheric conditions over different BOREAS study areas (NSA, SSA, Transect).
• Validating or calibrating land surface models with in-situ aircraft flux data.

Strengths

• Data collected during a major, well-documented field campaign (BOREAS 1994 IFCs 1-3).
• Includes measurements from multiple altitudes within the planetary boundary layer.
• Available on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), indicating established provenance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1994 vs. 2026) suggest possible metadata errors.
• Documentation is split, with this archive covering only straight/level passes; other data is archived separately.

Provenance

Source

University of Wyoming King Air aircraft, BOREAS AFM-02 team.

Collection Method

Aircraft-based measurements collected during straight and level flight passes.

Time Range

1994 (during BOREAS IFCs 1-3).

Freshness

Last updated date conflicts: 1994-09-17 (nasa_earthdata) and 2026-03-13 (datagov).

Geography

BOREAS study areas: Northern Study Area (NSA), Southern Study Area (SSA), and a Transect.