FIRE ASTEX: Airborne Cloud Microphysics Measurements from the Atlantic Ocean, June 1992

The Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) involved intensive airborne measurements from 1-28 June 1992 in the area of the Azores and Madeira Islands. This ASCII data set from the University of Washington's C-131A aircraft includes measurements of liquid water content, droplet radius/diameter, and condensation nuclei, collected to improve cloud and radiation parameterizations for climate models. The data was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Modeling the stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition based on cloud microphysics measurements.
• Studying cloud-top entrainment instability using liquid water content and droplet size data.
• Analyzing the impact of mesoscale variability on cloud thickness from airborne observations.
• Investigating the role of drizzle in cloud decoupling and inhomogeneity based on droplet measurements.

Strengths

• Data collected during a coordinated, month-long intensive field observation period (June 1-28, 1992).
• Measurements target specific physical processes like entrainment instability and diurnal decoupling.
• Includes data from multiple probes for liquid water content, droplet size, and condensation nuclei.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne measurements collected aboard the University of Washington's Corsair 131A airplane using various probes and filter methods.

Time Range

June 1-28, 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:52:58.408169; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, area of the Azores and Madeira Islands.