DISCOVER-AQ: Cloud Absorption Radiometer Data from Colorado Aircraft Deployment

A 2014 deployment in Denver, Colorado, this dataset contains remotely sensed data collected by the Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) onboard NASA's P-3B aircraft. It was part of the four-year DISCOVER-AQ campaign, a collaboration between NASA research centers and universities, to improve satellite monitoring of near-surface air pollution. The data collection for this Colorado deployment is complete.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite observations of atmospheric composition based on aircraft remote sensing data.
• Study correlations between surface-level pollution and column observations for ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde.
• Analyze diurnal variability in atmospheric conditions using surface-level and aircraft measurements.
• Investigate horizontal scales of variability, such as urban pollution plumes, using targeted airborne observations.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the specified Colorado deployment.
• Part of a multi-year, multi-institution NASA campaign (DISCOVER-AQ) with defined scientific objectives.
• Integrates with other data sources including surface monitors, sun photometers, and model simulations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and data size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is specific to a single 2014 deployment in Denver, Colorado.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Remotely sensed data collected via the Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) onboard NASA's P-3B aircraft.

Time Range

2014

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:14:08.266127; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Denver, Colorado, United States