FIREX-AQ: Meteorological and Navigational Data from NASA DC-8 Aircraft

North American wildfire plumes were sampled during summer 2019 by the NASA DC-8 aircraft, which completed 23 science flights from Boise, Idaho and Salina, Kansas. The dataset contains in-situ meteorological and navigational information collected onboard, along with data from the MMS, LGR, and DLH instruments. It was produced by NASA as part of the FIREX-AQ campaign, a NOAA/NASA interagency study to understand fire emissions' impact on tropospheric chemistry and air quality.

Use Cases

• Modeling plume rise and transport based on in-situ navigational and meteorological data.
• Analyzing the relationship between fire conditions and trace gas/aerosol emissions mentioned in the campaign goals.
• Validating satellite fire detection and emission estimates using detailed aircraft measurements.
• Studying chemical processing in lofted wildfire plumes downwind of the source.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the summer 2019 campaign.
• Campaign involved 23 dedicated science flights by the DC-8 aircraft.
• Part of a larger interagency effort (NOAA/NASA) with multiple aircraft and ground stations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during prescribed flight paths.

Time Range

Summer 2019

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:48:39.332172; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North America, with flights originating from Boise, Idaho and Salina, Kansas.