BOREAS AFM-05: Upper Air Atmospheric Profiles

Three field campaigns in 1993, 1994, and 1996 collected radiosonde data over the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study region. The dataset provides basic upper-air parameters interpolated at 0.5 kiloPascal pressure increments to define large-scale atmospheric conditions. It supplements the existing AES aerological network with enhanced temporal and spatial coverage.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds based on the described upper-air parameters.
• Studying temporal and spatial atmospheric variability across the BOREAS study region during the 1990s campaigns.
• Validating and supplementing regional climate or weather models with in-situ upper-air observations.
• Investigating large-scale atmospheric definition and dynamics over boreal forests.

Strengths

• Data is interpolated to a consistent 0.5 kPa pressure level grid, facilitating comparative analysis.
• Covers three distinct field campaigns (1993, 1994, 1996), providing a multi-year perspective.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata signals its importance and curation.

Limitations

• Column names and a precise row count are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of the data structure.
• A conflict exists in 'last updated' metadata between 1996 (nasa_earthdata) and 2026 (datagov), casting doubt on data maintenance.
• The license is ambiguously specified as 'other-license-specified' without further details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) BOREAS AFM-05 team.

Collection Method

Collected and processed from a network of upper-air stations via radiosonde flights.

Time Range

1993, 1994, 1996

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: 1996-10-22 (nasa_earthdata) and 2026-03-13 (datagov).

Geography

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) region.