DC-8 Aircraft Meteorological and Navigation Data for CPEX-AW Campaign

NASA DC-8 Meteorological and Navigation Data CPEX-AW contains airborne GPS positioning, trajectory, orientation, and atmospheric state measurements. The dataset was collected by NASA and ESA during the CPEX-AW field campaign for ADM-AEOLUS satellite validation. Data covers the period from August 17, 2021, to September 4, 2021.

Use Cases

• Validate ADM-AEOLUS satellite wind Lidar measurements using in-situ horizontal wind data from the aircraft.
• Analyze atmospheric state by correlating temperature, pressure, and water vapor measurements with GPS-derived altitude and location.
• Study aircraft trajectory and orientation data to model flight paths and sensor pointing for campaign analysis.
• Calibrate atmospheric models using high-resolution in-situ measurements of temperature and pressure profiles.
• Investigate convective processes by examining time-series data of water vapor and wind fields over the campaign region.

Strengths

• Data collected during a dedicated joint NASA-ESA satellite validation campaign.
• Includes multiple concurrent measurement types: GPS, trajectory, orientation, and atmospheric state.
• Covers a specific 19-day period from August 17 to September 4, 2021.

Limitations

• Limited temporal coverage to a single 19-day campaign in 2021.
• Spatial coverage is restricted to flight paths during the CPEX-AW campaign, primarily around St. Croix.
• Data format is ASCII, which may require parsing for modern analysis tools.

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Hydrology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center (GHRC DAAC).

Collection Method

Airborne measurements from the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Convective Processes Experiment – Aerosols & Winds (CPEX-AW) field campaign.

Time Range

August 17, 2021, to September 4, 2021.

Freshness

Data collection ended on September 4, 2021; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Primarily the region around St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and surrounding flight paths.