FIRE Cirrus 2: High Spectral Resolution Lidar Images of Cirrus Clouds, 1991

Four intensive field-observation periods were conducted between 1986 and 1992 as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments (FIRE). This data set contains images of cirrus clouds from the second cirrus IFO in southeastern Kansas in November and December 1991. The images consist of lidar backscatter and depolarization ratio data collected by a High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cirrus cloud life cycles and physical processes based on coordinated airborne and surface observations.
• Investigating cloud radiative properties based on lidar backscatter and depolarization ratio imagery.
• Improving cloud parameterizations in general circulation models (GCMs) based on high-resolution cloud data.
• Studying the interaction between satellite data and cloud system processes based on the FIRE mission design.

Strengths

• Data is part of a coordinated multi-instrument mission combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations.
• Focuses on a specific, well-documented field campaign (FIRE Cirrus 2) from November 13 to December 7, 1991.
• Contains two specific derived products: lidar backscatter images and depolarization ratio images.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in specialized formats (BIN, TAR, ISO), which may require specific tools for processing.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) during the FIRE Cirrus 2 intensive field-observation period.

Time Range

November 13 - December 7, 1991

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:46:45.468111; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coffeyville, Kansas, USA