COMEX: AJAX Airborne Greenhouse Gas Measurements, 2014-2015
Updated 3mo ago
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Available on 2 platforms
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Description
COMEX flight information provides metadata for accessing in-situ atmospheric data collected by the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) between 2014 and 2015. The dataset catalogs airborne measurements of CO2, CH4, H2O, O3, and formaldehyde taken over California, Nevada, and the coastal Pacific Ocean. It serves as an index, offering filenames, spatiotemporal bounds, and download URLs for the underlying high-frequency sensor data archived by NASA.
Use Cases
Validating satellite-based greenhouse gas retrievals based on in-situ airborne measurements.
Analyzing vertical profiles of atmospheric structure over ocean and land based on flight data to at least 5000 m.
Studying spatiotemporal patterns of CO2 and CH4 concentrations in California and Nevada based on repeat measurements.
Correlating ancillary data like ozone and formaldehyde with primary greenhouse gas readings based on collected profiles.
Strengths
Data collection was conducted using a Picarro GHG sensor mounted on a high-performance aircraft, enabling precise in-situ measurements.
Measurements were taken at high frequency (2 Hz for CO2/CH4/H2O; 10 Hz for CH4/H2O), capturing detailed atmospheric variability.
The dataset has a cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata, indicating established curation and accessibility.
Limitations
Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2015 on NASA Earthdata vs. 2026 on Data.gov), casting doubt on data maintenance.
The dataset itself is a metadata index pointing to other files; the actual sensor data is not directly contained within it.
Provenance
Source
NASA's Ames Research Center in partnership with H211, L.L.C., as part of the AJAX and COMEX projects.
Collection Method
In-situ measurements collected via Picarro greenhouse gas sensor mounted on an Alpha Jet aircraft.
Time Range
2014-2015
Freshness
2026-04-10 04:07:09.037713 (from Data.gov, but conflicts with NASA Earthdata date)
Geography
California, Nevada, and the coastal Pacific Ocean, USA.
License is listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is 'None' on NASA Earthdata; users must verify terms. The dataset provides access URLs and metadata but does not replicate the actual AJAX data files.