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

203 processed radiosonde soundings collected during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) in June 1992. The Level 2 data provides thermodynamic and wind measurements at a uniform 10-meter vertical resolution, designed to improve cloud and radiation models. This dataset was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE).

Use Cases

• Validate and improve cloud/radiation parameterizations in GCMs based on high-resolution thermodynamic and wind profiles.
• Study the physical processes and life cycles of marine stratocumulus cloud systems based on coordinated field observations.
• Investigate relationships between satellite cloud climatology data and higher-resolution in-situ measurements as described in the FIRE goals.

Strengths

• Contains 203 soundings from a focused, month-long intensive field observation period.
• Provides Level 2 data processed to a uniform 10-meter vertical resolution, retaining high detail.
• Produced by a coordinated mission combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations for model validation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes that wind data requires additional filtering before use, as mentioned in Schubert et al. (1992).
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via Atmospheric Instrumentation Research (AIR) radiosonde systems during the ASTEX field campaign.

Time Range

June 1 to June III, 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:54:03.282689; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean