IPHEx Campaign: In-Situ Aircraft Cloud and Atmospheric Data

The IPHEx campaign collected data via the University of North Dakota Cessna Citation aircraft, which carried a suite of instruments for in-situ measurements. It likely contains parameters for cloud microphysics, atmospheric state, aerosols, three-dimensional winds, and turbulence. Data are stored as separate files for each flight, including primary files with direct and derived parameters, raw instrument data, and flight navigation data.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based precipitation estimates based on in-situ cloud microphysics measurements.
• Analyzing the relationship between aerosol properties and cloud formation based on co-located instrument data.
• Studying three-dimensional wind fields and turbulence within cloud systems.
• Reprocessing cloud microphysical data using raw instrument files with custom algorithms.

Strengths

• Provides in-situ atmospheric data from a dedicated research aircraft, a direct measurement method.
• Includes both processed primary data files and raw instrument data, offering flexibility for analysis.
• Dataset is hosted by NASA and appears on multiple platforms, indicating recognized importance.

Limitations

• Column names and specific parameters are not listed in the provided metadata, limiting discoverability.
• Metadata conflicts exist: one platform lists a last update date of 2026-04-10, while another lists 2014-06-13.
• The dataset size and row count are unknown, making it difficult to assess its scale.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via instrument suite aboard the University of North Dakota Cessna Citation aircraft during the IPHEx campaign.

Freshness

2026-04-10 (conflicting with another source listing 2014-06-13)

Geography

IPHEx campaign region (specific location not stated)