May to June 2012 data collected by the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry field campaign. The dataset provides remotely sensed atmospheric measurements to study storm dynamics, lightning, and upper tropospheric chemistry. It was produced by the LARC_ASDC organization.
Use Cases
- Analyze vertical profiles of atmospheric trace gases from DIAL measurements to study chemical changes in convective anvil clouds.
- Correlate lidar-derived cloud and aerosol properties with in-situ aircraft measurements and ground-based radar data from the DC3 campaign.
- Investigate spatial and temporal patterns of upper tropospheric composition by combining DIAL column data with satellite observations from CALIOP and CPL instruments.
- Model the impact of deep convection on ozone precursors by using DIAL data on nitrogen oxides and other chemical species measured during storm inflow and outflow phases.
Strengths
- Data collection focused on a specific, intensive field campaign from May to June 2012, ensuring temporal consistency.
- Campaign design sampled storms across three distinct geographic regions (Colorado, Texas/Oklahoma, Alabama) to capture varied storm types and boundary layers.
- Measurements are integrated with a multi-platform observing system including another aircraft, ground radar, and satellites for cross-validation.
Limitations
- Dataset is temporally limited to a two-month campaign in 2012, lacking long-term or seasonal continuity.
- Specific data volume, row count, and available file formats are unknown, complicating initial assessment of scope.
- Without known column details, the precise variables, resolutions, and data structure require investigation prior to use.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Earth Data (LARC_ASDC).
- Collection Method
- Remotely sensed data collected by the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) instrument onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft.
- Time Range
- May to June 2012.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Observations in northeastern Colorado, west Texas to central Oklahoma, and northern Alabama, with a base in Salina, Kansas.