203 atmospheric soundings were collected during the 1992 Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) to study marine cloud systems. The Level II data provides processed thermodynamic and wind measurements at a uniform 10-meter vertical resolution. This dataset was produced by the LARC_ASDC organization from the NASA Earthdata platform, with observations concluding on June 28, 1992.
Use Cases
- Analyze vertical profiles of temperature and humidity from thermodynamic data to model cloud formation and dissipation.
- Study wind shear and directional changes with altitude using the wind data fields to understand atmospheric dynamics over the ocean.
- Validate satellite-derived cloud property estimates by comparing them with in-situ atmospheric state measurements from the soundings.
- Investigate the marine atmospheric boundary layer structure by examining pressure, height, and thermodynamic variables across the 203 soundings.
Strengths
- 203 individual soundings provide a detailed snapshot of atmospheric conditions during the experiment.
- Level II data is processed to a uniform 10-meter vertical resolution, retaining high detail from the original measurements.
- Data collection was part of a coordinated field campaign combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations for validation.
Limitations
- The dataset is temporally limited, covering only a single month (June 1992) of observations.
- The documentation notes that the wind data requires additional filtering before use, indicating potential quality issues.
- Sample size is confined to 203 soundings from a specific geographic region, limiting generalizability.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Earthdata platform, from the LARC_ASDC organization.
- Collection Method
- Data gathered via rawinsonde (weather balloon) launches during the ASTEX field campaign, with Level II data processed from raw Level I measurements.
- Time Range
- Observations conducted from June 1 to June 29, 1992.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, specifically the region of the ASTEX marine stratocumulus intensive field observation.