Cloud Lidar Measurements from the 1986 FIRE Cirrus Experiment

October 1986 data from the NASA ER-2 Cloud Lidar System during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Cirrus campaign. It contains calculated cloud top height and ground height measurements. The data was collected by NASA's Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).

Use Cases

• Analyze cloud top height variability during the October 1986 cirrus field campaign.
• Validate satellite-derived cloud property retrievals using the high-resolution lidar ground height data.
• Study the vertical structure of cirrus clouds for input into general circulation model (GCM) parameterizations.

Strengths

• Data from a coordinated, multi-platform field experiment designed for model validation.
• Provides direct, active remote sensing measurements of cloud vertical structure.

Limitations

• Limited temporal coverage to a single field campaign in October 1986.
• Specific row count, geographic extent, and data completeness metrics are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).

Collection Method

Airborne measurements from the NASA ER-2 aircraft using the Cloud Lidar System (CLS).

Time Range

October 1986.

Freshness

null

Geography

Flight paths during the Wisconsin FIRE experiment, specific coordinates unknown.