GPM MC3E: In-Situ Cloud Microphysics from Aircraft Flights

Fifteen research flights totaling 42.6 hours collected this in-situ atmospheric data during the 2011 Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). The University of North Dakota Cessna Citation aircraft carried instruments measuring cloud microphysics, aerosols, three-dimensional winds, turbulence, and atmospheric state parameters. Raw instrument files and processed particle spectra are archived separately, supporting custom analysis.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based precipitation estimates from NASA's GPM mission using direct cloud microphysics measurements.
• Studying the relationship between cloud droplet concentration, size, and atmospheric turbulence in midlatitude convective systems.
• Analyzing profiles of atmospheric state parameters like water vapor and wind dynamics from aircraft flight paths.
• Processing raw instrument data from archived files for custom cloud particle spectral analysis.

Strengths

• Provides detailed in-situ measurements from 15 dedicated research flights during a major collaborative field campaign.
• Includes both processed data and archived raw instrument files, allowing for custom reprocessing and analysis.
• Data collection was part of a coordinated effort between NASA GPM and the DOE ARM Climate Research Facility.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided in the available descriptions.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without clear terms for use.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2011 vs. 2026), casting doubt on maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with data collected by the University of North Dakota (UND) Cessna Citation aircraft.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from aircraft-mounted instruments during the MC3E field campaign.

Time Range

April-June 2011

Freshness

Last updated metadata conflicts between 2011-06-02 and 2026-04-10.

Geography

Central Oklahoma, USA