FIRE ASTEX SOFIA: Atlantic Ocean Sea Surface Temperature and Flux Data

The First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) SOFIA dataset provides calibrated sea surface temperature measurements from a trailing thermistor and bucket system. Data were collected during the second marine stratocumulus intensive field observation in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean from June 1 to June 28, 1992. The program was conducted by French research groups in cooperation with NASA to study energy transfers between the ocean and atmosphere.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-derived heat and humidity flux estimates based on in-situ sea surface temperature measurements.
• Study the interaction between physical processes in marine stratocumulus cloud life cycles based on coordinated surface observations.
• Investigate mesoscale spatial inhomogeneity of ocean-atmosphere energy transfers based on nested measurement strategy concepts.
• Improve parameterizations for cloud and radiation interactions in climate models based on field experiment data.

Strengths

• Data are calibrated, as explicitly stated in the description.
• Part of a coordinated international experiment combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations.
• Collected during a defined intensive field observation period from June 1 to June 28, 1992.

Limitations

• The thermistor data have not been quality controlled, as noted in the description.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with data collection by French research groups including CRPE, LA, CMM, IFREMER, Service d'Aeronomie, and LMD.

Collection Method

Collected via a trailing thermistor with bucket measurements from the ocean surface.

Time Range

June 1 to June 28, 1992.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:53:59.041536; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean.