CPEX-CV HALO: Lidar Profiles of Aerosols and Water Vapor

September 2022 data from the NASA CPEX-CV campaign, collected onboard a DC-8 aircraft operating from Sal Island, Cabo Verde. The dataset contains High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) image and h5 data files measuring tropospheric aerosols, winds, temperature, water vapor, and precipitation. It was produced by NASA to investigate atmospheric dynamics, convection, and Saharan dust transport in the tropical East Atlantic.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite remote sensors based on airborne lidar and radar measurements.
• Model Saharan dust transport pathways based on aerosol vertical structure data.
• Analyze convective cloud lifecycle based on kinematic and thermodynamic condition observations.
• Study marine boundary layer properties based on vertical structure and variability data.
• Improve weather system prediction models based on atmospheric wind and thermodynamic observations.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete, indicating a finalized dataset.
• Campaign operated for a defined period from 1-30 September 2022.
• Includes measurements from multiple advanced instruments like APR-3 radar, DAWN lidar, and AVAPS dropsondes.
• Designed to address four specific science objectives, suggesting focused data collection.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• File formats include BIN and ISO, which may require specialized tools for processing.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Remote sensing instruments and dropsondes onboard a DC-8 aircraft.

Time Range

September 2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:31:38.100006; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Tropical East Atlantic region, operating from Sal Island, Cabo Verde.