FIRE ACE: Arctic Cloud Microwave Radiometer Data from ER-2 Aircraft

The First ISCCP Regional Experiment Arctic Cloud Experiment (FIRE ACE) collected data using the ER-2 aircraft's Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR). The dataset was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was last updated on the platform in March 2026. Its primary goals are to improve understanding of cloud life cycles and radiative properties to enhance general circulation model parameterizations.

Use Cases

• Validate and improve cloud parameterizations in general circulation models based on high-resolution microwave radiometer data.
• Study the life cycles and radiative interactions of cirrus and marine stratocumulus cloud systems.
• Investigate relationships between satellite cloud data (ISCCP) and higher-resolution aircraft observations.

Strengths

• Data originates from a NASA airborne experiment, suggesting authoritative collection methods.
• Platform metadata indicates a recent update date of 2026-03-13.
• The description specifies a clear scientific purpose for improving climate model parameterizations.

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.
• File formats include BIN, TAR, and ISO, which may require specialized tools for access and processing.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via the Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR) instrument flown aboard the ER-2 aircraft.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:48:49.546165; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Arctic region (inferred from experiment name 'Arctic Cloud Experiment').