FIRE Cirrus 2: Lidar Altitude vs. Time Images of Kansas Cirrus Clouds

Altitude vs. time images of cirrus clouds collected during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Cirrus 2 field campaign in Coffeyville, Kansas. The data were gathered by the Volume Imaging Lidar (VIL) and sampled at 5 km intervals in cross-wind scans. NASA produced this dataset as part of a series of intensive field observations designed to improve cloud and radiation models.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cirrus cloud altitude and structure over time based on the lidar imagery.
• Validating and improving cloud parameterizations in General Circulation Models (GCMs) based on the high-resolution observational data.
• Investigating the interaction of physical processes in cirrus cloud life cycles based on the coordinated field campaign data.
• Correlating satellite-derived cloud data with higher-resolution airborne lidar observations based on the FIRE program goals.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated NASA field campaign (FIRE) designed for model validation.
• Images were sampled at a specific 5 km interval in cross-wind scans, providing structured spatial sampling.
• Part of a series of four planned intensive field observation periods, suggesting a methodological framework.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a specific campaign in 1991; temporal and geographic scope is limited to that period and location.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by Volume Imaging Lidar (VIL) during the FIRE Cirrus 2 intensive field observation.

Time Range

November 13 - December 7, 1991

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:46:18.613980; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coffeyville, Kansas, USA