FIRE Phase II: Infrared Radiometer Measurements of Cirrus Clouds, Kansas 1991

Infrared radiometer data collected by Colorado State University during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Phase II Cirrus Intensive Field Observations. Measurements were taken from November 18 to December 7, 1991, at a power plant in Parsons, Kansas, using a PRT-6 bolometer with a 2-degree field of view pointing vertically upward. The dataset was produced by NASA to improve understanding of cirrus cloud properties and their representation in general circulation models.

Use Cases

• Validate and improve cloud parameterizations in General Circulation Models (GCMs) based on the description of the experiment's goals.
• Study the temporal evolution and radiative properties of cirrus clouds based on the high-resolution (5-second) infrared window region measurements.
• Investigate relationships between satellite data and higher-resolution ground/airborne observations as mentioned in the FIRE program objectives.

Strengths

• Data collected during a coordinated, intensive field observation period from November 18 to December 7, 1991.
• Measurements were taken in the infrared window region (885-945 inverse centimeters) with a 5-second sampling rate when operating.
• Dataset is part of a major NASA-led experiment (FIRE) designed to improve climate models.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes there are temporal gaps in the data, as the instrument was not run in continuous mode.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by a Colorado State University PRT-6 radiometer during the FIRE Phase II Cirrus IFO.

Time Range

November 18, 1991 (day 322) to December -7, 1991 (day 341)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:52:27.489692; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Parsons KG&E Power Plant, Parsons, Kansas (37° 18' N, 95° 07' W)