FIRE Cirrus Phase I: LARC Eight Inch Lidar Cloud Backscatter Data

Lidar backscatter data from the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Cirrus Phase I field campaign. The dataset was collected by NASA's Langley Research Center using a dual-channel polarization sensitive lidar system during the intensive field observation period from October 13 to November 2, 1986. It is designed to improve understanding of cirrus cloud life cycles and their radiative properties for climate modeling.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cirrus cloud physical properties based on dual-channel polarization backscatter data.
• Validating and improving cloud parameterizations in General Circulation Models (GCMs) based on coordinated satellite and surface observations.
• Studying cloud life cycles and radiative interactions based on high-resolution lidar measurements.
• Investigating cloud system processes during the 1986 intensive field observation period.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated NASA field experiment designed to improve climate models.
• Lidar system specifications are detailed, including dual-channel polarization and sensitivity from 3 km to 18 km.
• The dataset is part of a series of four planned intensive field-observation periods.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a specific campaign in 1986; temporal coverage is limited.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the Langley Research Center (LARC) Cloud Lidar system during the FIRE Cirrus Phase I intensive field observation.

Time Range

October 13 to November 2, 1986

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:52:36.057432; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Location of the cirrus IFO is not specified; likely regional coverage from the campaign.