CAMEX-4 MIPS Surface Station 2: Mobile Atmospheric Measurements

Data collected at 0.5 Hz from a mobile surface station during the CAMEX-4 campaign includes windspeed and direction, precipitation, temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and atmospheric pressure. The dataset originates from the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS), which integrates a suite of instruments like a Doppler profiler, lidar ceilometer, and microwave radiometer. It provides high-frequency, co-located surface observations for atmospheric research.

Use Cases

• Validating atmospheric model outputs against high-frequency surface observations of wind, temperature, and pressure.
• Analyzing precipitation events and their correlation with other surface parameters like humidity and solar radiation.
• Studying local microclimates and boundary layer dynamics using mobile, co-located sensor data.
• Calibrating or interpreting data from the MIPS's profiling instruments (e.g., Doppler profiler, radiometer) with coincident surface measurements.

Strengths

• Provides high-frequency (0.5 Hz) co-located measurements from multiple instruments, enabling detailed temporal analysis.
• Data originates from a well-documented, integrated mobile profiling system used in a major field campaign (CAMEX-4).
• Cross-platform presence on NASA and government data portals signals its importance and curation for reuse.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: no column names, row counts, or exact temporal coverage are provided in the sources.
• Conflicting last-update dates exist (2001 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about data currency and maintenance.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without further details, complicating reuse.

Provenance

Source

University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS).

Collection Method

Collected from Surface Station 2, containing an anemometer, rain gauge, thermometer, pyranometer, and barometer.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: one source lists 2001-09-12, another lists 2026-03-13.

Geography

Mobile deployment; specific campaign location (CAMEX-4) not detailed.