FIRE ASTEX: Infrared Radiometer Measurements of Marine Stratocumulus Clouds

PRT-6 radiometer data from the 1992 Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment, part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments. The instrument, configured with a 2-degree field of view and a specific spectral filter, recorded voltage signals every 10 seconds to measure infrared radiant power. NASA collected this data to improve cloud and radiation parameterizations in general circulation models.

Use Cases

• Calibrating satellite cloud retrievals based on coordinated airborne and surface observations mentioned in the description
• Modeling cloud radiative properties based on infrared spectral measurements between 885 and 945 inverse centimeters
• Analyzing cloud lifecycle processes based on data from a dedicated marine stratocumulus intensive field observation
• Investigating zenith angle effects on infrared sensing based on measurements taken at angles up to 75 degrees

Strengths

• Data is part of a coordinated, multi-platform field experiment designed for model validation.
• Instrument specifications are detailed, including a 2 to 20 micron spectral range and a 10-second sampling interval.
• The dataset is hosted by NASA, an authoritative source for Earth science data.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the specific June 1992 observation period.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via a PRT-6 chopped bolometer radiometer during the FIRE ASTEX intensive field observation.

Time Range

Primary observation period June 1 - June 28, 1992.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:47:52.472307; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean.