NASA's CAR instrument captured bidirectional reflectance data of smoke plumes during the 1991 Kuwait Oil Fire Smoke Experiment. The mission also measured desert dust over Saudi Arabia and aerosols over Persian Gulf waters. Data was collected and archived by the GES DISC in 1991.
Use Cases
- Modeling aerosol radiative forcing using bidirectional reflectance function (BRF) data over smoke plumes.
- Analyzing spectral reflectance signatures to differentiate between smoke, desert dust, and marine aerosols.
- Studying the temporal evolution of smoke plumes from the Kuwait oil fires using time-series measurements.
- Calibrating satellite aerosol retrieval algorithms with in-situ spectral reflectance data from a major fire event.
Strengths
- Unique measurements from a major, well-documented atmospheric event (1991 Kuwait oil fires).
- Includes comparative data over three distinct surfaces: smoke, desert, and water.
Limitations
- Data is over 30 years old, limiting analysis of contemporary atmospheric conditions.
- Specific row counts, column details, and spatial resolution are unknown.
- Geographic coverage is limited to the specific experiment area in the Persian Gulf region.
Provenance
- Source
- GES DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center), NASA.
- Collection Method
- Airborne measurements from the CAR (Cloud Absorption Radiometer) instrument during the Kuwait Oil Fire Smoke Experiment.
- Time Range
- 1991
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Persian Gulf region, specifically over Kuwait oil fires, Saudi Arabian desert, and Persian Gulf waters.