LASE: Lidar Water Vapor and Aerosol Profiles from Hurricane Campaign

Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) data collected during the Convection And Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3) campaign from 6 August to 23 September, 1998. The campaign, based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, studied Hurricanes Bonnie, Danielle, Earl, and Georges. The dataset was produced by NASA to characterize hurricane environments for model input and to fill gaps in sonde data.

Use Cases

• Modeling hurricane structure and dynamics based on high spatial and temporal water vapor profiles.
• Assimilating atmospheric water vapor measurements into weather forecasting models.
• Analyzing aerosol backscatter profiles within hurricane environments.
• Studying the relationship between atmospheric moisture and tropical cyclone intensification.
• Filling data voids between traditional sonde measurements for hurricane research.

Strengths

• Data was collected during a dedicated NASA-funded campaign (CAMEX-3) focusing on four hurricanes.
• Provides high spatial and temporal information on hurricane structure, dynamics, and motion.
• Includes measurements from an autonomous airborne DIAL system (LASE).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific 1998 campaign.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements taken by the airborne Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) instrument.

Time Range

6 August - 23 September, 1998

Geography

Campaign based at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; focused on hurricanes in the Atlantic region.