Atlantic Stratocumulus Cloud Lidar Altitude Profiles from NASA ER-2

NASA ER-2 aircraft lidar data from the 1992 ASTEX campaign measured cloud altitudes and layer structure over the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. The Cloud Lidar System instrument recorded geophysical location, time, and heights for up to five cloud layers across four spectral channels. This dataset was collected by NASA's LARC_ASDC organization during the intensive field observation period from June 1 to June 28, 1992.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-based cloud top height retrievals by comparing with direct lidar altitude measurements.
• Analyze cloud layer vertical structure using recorded heights for up to five distinct cloud boundaries.
• Study diurnal cloud evolution by correlating cloud altitude time series with solar absorption effects mentioned in the campaign goals.
• Investigate mesoscale cloud variability by mapping cloud thickness from lidar profiles against geophysical location coordinates.
• Assess cloud-top entrainment instability by examining lidar backscatter signals at 532nm and 1064nm wavelengths across cloud boundaries.

Strengths

• Data from a coordinated, intensive field campaign combining airborne, satellite, and surface observations.
• Includes multi-wavelength lidar measurements (532nm parallel/perpendicular, 1064nm) for detailed cloud analysis.
• Covers a focused 28-day observation period in June 1992 designed to study a specific atmospheric transition.

Limitations

• Dataset is over 30 years old, limiting its utility for studying contemporary climate conditions.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and complete column definitions are not provided.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the eastern North Atlantic near the Azores and Madeira Islands.

Provenance

Source

NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).

Collection Method

Airborne measurements from the Cloud Lidar System instrument aboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft.

Time Range

June 1 to June 28, 1992.

Freshness

Last updated in June 1992; static historical dataset.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, specifically the area around the Azores and Madeira Islands.