BOREAS AFM-13: Aircraft Flux Analyses for Boreal Climate

AFM-13 data from the 1994 and 1996 BOREAS campaigns map fluxes of sensible heat, latent heat, momentum, and CO2 over 16-km by 16-km grid sites using a Canadian Twin Otter aircraft. The analysis combines airborne flux observations with tower data to define footprint functions and relate atmospheric measurements to specific ground surface characteristics. These maps support the development of regional-scale flux models for global climate change monitoring.

Use Cases

• Mapping spatial variations in CO2 fluxes based on airborne and tower flux data.
• Defining footprint functions to link airborne observations to specific ground surface ecology.
• Comparing flux maps with remote sensing observations over BOREAS study areas.
• Developing regional-scale models for sensible and latent heat fluxes.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major, well-documented international study (BOREAS).
• Combines multiple measurement platforms (aircraft and tower) for cross-validation.
• Focuses on a specific, consequential ecosystem (boreal forest) for climate science.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts: one source lists a 2026 update date, while another indicates data collection ended in 1996.
• Column names and data structure are unspecified across all sources.
• Exact dataset size (rows, file size) is unknown.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne measurements collected using a Canadian Twin Otter aircraft during intensive field campaigns.

Time Range

1994 to 1996

Freshness

1996-12-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

BOREAS study areas in the boreal forest, specifically 16-km by 16-km grid sites.