GRIP HAMSR Atmospheric Sounding Data for Hurricane Research

25 spectral channels across three microwave bands provide measurements of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, and cloud liquid water. This dataset was collected by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory using the HAMSR instrument deployed on DC-8, WB-57, and Global Hawk aircraft during the GRIP campaign. Its primary goal was to observe and characterize the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the 3-D distribution of atmospheric temperature using the 8-channel 53-GHz band.
• Measuring water vapor and cloud liquid water content via the 7-channel 183-GHz band.
• Assessing atmospheric scattering and secondary temperature sounding with the 10-channel 118-GHz band.
• Investigating the relationship between small-scale water vapor features and tropical cyclone intensification.
• Validating and improving numerical weather prediction models for hurricane forecasting.

Strengths

• Instrument noise is reduced to less than 0.1K level for the 183GHz band, enabling precise observation of small-scale water vapor.
• Data was collected from multiple high-altitude platforms (DC-8, WB-57, Global Hawk UAS) providing diverse observational perspectives.
• The dataset's cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals its established importance for the research community.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column list are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date, with Data.gov showing 2026-03 13 and NASA EarthData showing 2010-09-24.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov and is null on NASA EarthData.

Provenance

Source

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), developed under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program.

Collection Method

Airborne remote sensing using the HAMSR microwave atmospheric sounder on NASA aircraft during the GRIP campaign.

Time Range

Campaign period for NASA's GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes) mission.

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:38:01.352748

Geography

Areas where hurricane life cycles were observed, typically over tropical ocean basins.