FIRE ASTEX: 203 Rawinsonde Soundings from Atlantic Cloud Experiment, June 1992

203 rawinsonde soundings were obtained during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) from June 1 to June -29, 1992. This Level I data consists of raw atmospheric measurements from radiosondes launched during a marine stratocumulus intensive field observation. The dataset was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE) to improve cloud and radiation models.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and pressure based on rawinsonde measurements.
• Studying wind patterns and their interaction with marine stratocumulus clouds based on the wind data mentioned.
• Improving cloud life cycle models based on coordinated satellite, airborne, and surface observations described.
• Validating higher-resolution cloud data against ISCCP satellite products as referenced in the experiment goals.

Strengths

• Data from 203 individual soundings provides multiple atmospheric profiles.
• Part of a coordinated field experiment combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations for validation.
• Includes both raw Level I data and processed Level II data at 10-meter resolution for thermodynamic variables.

Limitations

• The wind data requires additional filtering before use, as noted in the referenced publication.
• 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

Raw data produced in real time by the Atmospheric Instrumentation Research (AIR) radiosonde system during the ASTEX field campaign.

Time Range

June 1 to June 29, 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:47:16.692790; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean