ASTEX SOFIA: Microwave Radiometer Data for Ocean-Atmosphere Flux Study

The First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) SOFIA Le Suroit Microwave Data was collected by NASA and French research groups. It contains measurements from a two-channel (23.8 and 36.5 GHz) upward-pointing microwave radiometer deployed during the ASTEX field campaign in June 1992. The data were designed to study energy transfer between the ocean surface and the atmospheric boundary layer to validate satellite integrations of fluxes.

Use Cases

• Calibrating or validating satellite-derived heat and humidity flux estimates based on the nested-box measurement strategy described.
• Studying the spatial inhomogeneity of ocean-atmosphere energy fluxes in the presence of mesoscale structures.
• Improving cloud and radiation parameterizations in General Circulation Models (GCMs) for marine stratocumulus systems.
• Analyzing time-series microwave brightness temperatures at high temporal resolution (0.5-second sampling) for boundary layer studies.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated international field campaign (ASTEX) combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations.
• Instrument calibration was performed before the campaign and verified on specific dates, including June 12, 1995.
• The DRAKKAR radiometer provided high-frequency (0.5-second) sampling at two specific microwave channels (23.8 and 36.5 GHz).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale ML tasks.
• Data files are in specialized formats (BIN, TAR, ISO), which may require specific tools or expertise to process.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Collected using the DRAKKAR upward-pointing two-channel microwave radiometer deployed during the ASTEX field observation period.

Time Range

Primary collection during the ASTEX Intensive Field Observation period, June 1–28, 1992.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:47:00.250370; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean.