FIRE ACE: Arctic Cloud and Aerosol Measurements from NCAR C-130 Flights

Aerosol data collected by Colorado State University during May 1998 on NCAR C-130 research flights for the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE). The primary measurements include ice nuclei and condensation nuclei counts, designed to improve cloud and radiation models. The dataset is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Validate and improve cloud life cycle models based on in-situ aerosol measurements.
• Study the interaction between physical processes in cirrus and stratocumulus clouds based on the experiment's goals.
• Investigate relationships between satellite cloud data and higher-resolution airborne measurements as described in the FIRE objectives.
• Analyze Arctic-specific aerosol concentrations and their role in cloud formation.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled field campaign (FIRE ACE) using the NCAR C-130 research aircraft.
• Focuses on specific, high-value atmospheric measurements: ice nuclei and condensation nuclei.
• Managed by a authoritative source, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a specific time (May 1998) and may not reflect current atmospheric conditions.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne measurements obtained by Colorado State University during research flights.

Time Range

May 1998

Freshness

Metadata was last updated 2026-03-13 02:57:30.335644; data collection occurred in May 1998.

Geography

Arctic region (specific flight paths not detailed).