FIRE Cirrus II: Aircraft-Based Atmospheric Measurements at 5-Second Resolution

The First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Cirrus Phase II collected data from a University of North Dakota Citation aircraft during a 1991 field campaign in southeastern Kansas. The dataset contains 113 variables per record, including wind speed, direction, altitude, pressure, and temperature, sampled at a 5-second frequency. It was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to improve cloud and radiation models for climate research.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived cloud properties based on coordinated airborne observations mentioned in the description
• Analyzing wind dynamics and atmospheric stability based on wind velocity, direction, and vertical acceleration data
• Studying cirrus cloud microphysics and lifecycle interactions using the aircraft's instrument suite for cloud and radiation
• Calibrating or improving radiative transfer models based on upward and downward looking radiometer measurements

Strengths

• Data is collected from a specially modified research aircraft with probes for undisturbed air flow and dedicated instrument mounts
• Contains 113 distinct atmospheric variables per 5-second record, including calculated and instrument-derived measurements
• Part of a coordinated field experiment combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations for model validation

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics for all 113 variables must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical analysis

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data gathered by the University of North Dakota Cessna Citation II research aircraft (N77ND) during the second Cirrus Intensive Field Observation (IFO).

Time Range

November 13-December 7, 1991

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:45:01.702768; freshness should be verified

Geography

Southeastern Kansas, United States