Ten-minute average surface measurements from a radiometric ground station on San Nicolas Island, California. The dataset contains wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, relative humidity, and shortwave, near IR, and longwave radiation data. It was collected by Colorado State University during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment marine stratocumulus intensive field observation from June 29 to July 20, 1987.
Use Cases
- Validate shortwave and longwave radiation parameterizations in GCMs using the measured .3-2.8 micron and 4-50 micron radiation fields.
- Analyze correlations between wind speed, air temperature, and near IR (.7-2.8 microns) radiation to study local energy budgets.
- Investigate marine stratocumulus cloud life cycles by examining time-series trends in relative humidity and radiation components.
- Calibrate satellite-derived cloud properties by comparing with ground-truth radiation and meteorological observations from the surface station.
Strengths
- Data collected during a coordinated intensive field observation combining satellite, airborne, and surface measurements.
- Includes seven distinct physical variables: three radiation bands and four meteorological parameters.
- Temporal resolution is ten-minute averages, suitable for process studies.
Limitations
- Dataset is from a single field campaign in 1987, limiting temporal representativeness for modern climate studies.
- Geographic coverage is restricted to one island location off the coast of California.
- Sample size and total temporal duration (approximately one month) are constrained.
Provenance
- Source
- Colorado State University, archived by NASA's LARC ASDC.
- Collection Method
- Collected from a radiometric ground station on San Nicolas Island during the FIRE marine stratocumulus IFO.
- Time Range
- June 29, 1987 to July 20, 1987.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- San Nicolas Island, off the southwestern coast of California, United States.