Atlantic Stratocumulus Cloud Observations from NASA ER-2 Aircraft

NASA ER-2 MODIS Airborne Simulator data was collected during the 1992 ASTEX experiment to study marine stratocumulus cloud systems. The dataset contains high-resolution spectral imagery from 12 channels across 0.55 to 14.3 microns, captured from an altitude of 20,000 meters. Principal investigators Dr. Michael King and Dr. Paul Menzel led the collection for the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE) program.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-derived cloud optical properties using 12-channel MAS spectrometer data from the ER-2 aircraft. Analyze the life cycle of marine stratocumulus systems using time-series imagery from the June 1992 ASTEX field campaign. Correlate cloud radiative properties with physical processes using spectral bands in the 0.55 to 14.3 micron range. Improve general circulation model parameterizations by comparing MAS data with coordinated surface and satellite observations from the FIRE program.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution imagery with a ground resolution of 50 meters from the ER-2's flight altitude. Spectral data collected across 12 configurable channels within a 0.55 to 14.3 micron wavelength range. Data collection was part of a coordinated intensive field observation (IFO) combining airborne, satellite, and surface measurements.

Limitations

• Limited to 12 recorded spectral channels from an instrument capable of 50 bands due to 1992 data system constraints. Temporal coverage is restricted to a single intensive field period in June 1992. The dataset's age may limit direct comparison with modern satellite instruments without calibration adjustments.

Provenance

Source

NASA/LARC_ASDC, from the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus & Transition Experiment (ASTEX).

Collection Method

Airborne remote sensing via the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) spectrometer mounted on a NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft.

Time Range

June 1992 (specifically during the ASTEX IFO from June 1-28, 1992).

Freshness

Data collection concluded on 1992-06-23; it is a historical archive.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, specifically the region of the Azores.