FIRE ASTEX: Aircraft Turbulence and Flux Measurements for Cloud Studies

SOFIA research program data from the Fokker F27 ARAT aircraft during the 1992 Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment. The dataset includes turbulence measurements of wind, temperature, and moisture from fast-response sensors on a 5-meter nose boom, alongside mean state sensors. It was collected by French research groups in cooperation with NASA to study energy transfer between the ocean surface and the atmospheric boundary layer.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-derived heat and momentum fluxes based on nested-box measurement strategy described.
• Study marine stratocumulus cloud life cycles and radiative properties based on the FIRE program goals.
• Analyze mesoscale atmospheric structures and flux inhomogeneity using coordinated airborne and surface observations.
• Improve turbulence parameterizations in climate models based on fast-response wind and temperature sensor data.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated, multi-instrument field campaign (ASTEX) designed for model validation.
• Includes measurements from specialized fast-response sensors for turbulence (wind, temperature, humidity).
• Part of the broader FIRE program with four intensive field-observation periods between 1986 and 1992.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files include legacy formats (BIN, TAR, ISO) which may require specific tools to process.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne measurements from a Fokker F27 ARAT aircraft equipped with a flux measurement package and Lidar Leandre.

Time Range

Primary data collection during the ASTEX intensive field-observation period (June 1 - June 28, 1992).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:53:11.877673; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean.