LASE/TARFOX: Lidar Profiles of Aerosols and Water Vapor Over Atlantic Ocean, July 1996

NASA's Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) collected vertical profiles of aerosols and water vapor over the Western Atlantic Ocean in July 1996. The data supports the Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment (TARFOX) by providing context for in-situ measurements and detecting unsampled atmospheric layers. These profiles aim to reduce uncertainties in aerosol effects on climate.

Use Cases

• Modeling aerosol radiative forcing impacts on climate based on vertical profile data
• Extending in-situ atmospheric measurements vertically based on lidar profiles
• Detecting unsampled atmospheric layers or inhomogeneities based on profile continuity
• Supporting satellite and airborne radiative flux measurements based on aerosol context

Strengths

• Data collected by NASA's airborne autonomous DIAL system, a specialized instrument
• Focuses on a specific geographic region (Western Atlantic Ocean) and time period (July 1996)
• Provides vertical context for in-situ measurements, a key feature mentioned in the description

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/temporal bias inherent to the single-month, regional campaign

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by an airborne autonomous DIAL (LASE) system

Time Range

July 1996

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 01:10:17.287549; freshness should be verified

Geography

Western Atlantic Ocean