FIRE ASTEX: NASA ER-2 Airborne Spectral Imagery of Atlantic Stratocumulus Clouds

June 1992 data from the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) instrument flown on a NASA ER-2 aircraft during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX). The instrument collected high spatial resolution imagery across 12 spectral bands in the 0.55 to 14.3 micron range over the Atlantic Ocean near the Azores. This data was gathered as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE) to improve understanding of marine stratocumulus cloud systems and their representation in climate models.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-derived cloud properties based on the airborne spectral measurements mentioned in the description.
• Study the life cycles and radiative properties of marine stratocumulus clouds based on the experiment's stated goals.
• Develop algorithms for future satellite instruments like MODIS based on the simulator's spectral data.
• Investigate cloud physical processes using coordinated airborne and surface observations described in the experiment.

Strengths

• Data was collected from a high-altitude NASA ER-2 aircraft, providing a controlled observation platform.
• Imagery has a high ground resolution of 50 meters from 20,000 meters altitude.
• Spectral information covers a wide range from visible to thermal infrared (0.55 to 14.3 microns).

Limitations

• The data system recorded only 12 of the instrument's 50 available spectral bands during this experiment.
• 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

Airborne remote sensing via the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) instrument on a NASA ER-2 aircraft.

Time Range

June 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:48:06.518597; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, region of the Azores.