FIRE Cirrus 2: Volume Imaging Lidar Scans of Cirrus Clouds in Kansas

November 13 to December 7, 1991, this dataset contains Volume Imaging Lidar (VIL) images of cirrus cloud scans with a 120 km extent, collected during the FIRE Cirrus 2 field experiment in Coffeyville, Kansas. The data was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to improve cloud and radiation models. It is part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiments designed to study cloud life cycles and interactions with satellite data.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cirrus cloud spatial structure based on 120 km lidar scan extents mentioned in the description
• Improving cloud parameterizations for general circulation models based on coordinated field observation data
• Investigating relationships between high-resolution cloud data and satellite observations as described in the FIRE goals

Strengths

• Data is part of a coordinated, multi-instrument field experiment (FIRE) designed for model validation
• Scans provide a 120 km spatial extent for analyzing cloud structure
• Last updated metadata indicates recent platform activity (2026-03 13)

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

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via Volume Imaging Lidar during the FIRE Cirrus 2 intensive field-observation period.

Time Range

November 13 - December 7, 1991

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:52:49.157324; freshness should be verified

Geography

Coffeyville, Kansas, USA