Atlantic Stratocumulus Radiosonde Soundings from FIRE ASTEX

Radiosonde data were collected from the Oceanus ship during the FIRE Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) from June 3 to June 23, 1992. The dataset contains three sets of interpolated sounding data at 5-second, 20-meter, and 2-millibar resolutions, with each file including launch location, time, and atmospheric profile measurements. It was produced by the LARC_ASDC organization as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments to improve cloud and radiation models.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between temperature, relative humidity, and dewpoint to study marine stratocumulus cloud life cycles.
• Model atmospheric profiles using height, pressure, and ascent rate data to validate cloud parameterizations in GCMs.
• Investigate wind speed and direction patterns during the ASTEX time period to understand their influence on cloud transitions.
• Correlate launch site latitude and longitude with observed mixing ratio and other variables for spatial analysis of the experiment region.

Strengths

• Data covers a focused 21-day field campaign with temporally dense soundings.
• Each profile contains up to 1500 data lines with 10+ measured variables including wind, temperature, and humidity.
• Three interpolation levels (5-second, 20-meter, 2-millibar) provide flexibility for analysis at different resolutions.

Limitations

• Dataset is temporally limited to a single month in 1992, offering a snapshot rather than long-term trends.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to the ship track of the Oceanus during the ASTEX campaign.
• Unknown total row count and potential data gaps limit assessment of completeness.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Collected via radiosonde launches from the research vessel Oceanus.

Time Range

June 3, 1992 to June 23, 1992.

Freshness

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Geography

Atlantic Ocean region covered by the Oceanus ship track during the ASTEX experiment.