Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) validation data compares water vapor profile measurements from an airborne lidar system with in-situ and remote sensors. The dataset covers ten high-altitude aircraft missions totaling 60 flight hours during September 1995. It was produced by the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center.
Use Cases
- Validate LASE water vapor profile accuracy by comparing them with in-situ hygrometer measurements from the Lear Jet and C-130 aircraft.
- Assess measurement performance under varied conditions using data from case studies of Hurricane Luis, a cold front, and cirrus clouds.
- Compare remote sensing techniques by analyzing LASE data alongside ground-based NASA Goddard Scanning Raman lidar profiles.
- Calibrate radiosonde data by using measurements from the concurrent World Meteorological Organization intercomparison campaign.
- Study atmospheric phenomena like coastal sea breezes or upper-level fronts using the time-series and geospatial water vapor data.
Strengths
- Multi-platform validation involving ten ER-2 aircraft missions and 60 flight hours of data.
- Comprehensive comparison with three independent measurement types: in-situ aircraft hygrometers, radiosondes, and ground-based lidar.
- Covers diverse atmospheric case studies including a hurricane, frontal systems, and clouds.
Limitations
- Temporal scope is limited to a single month (September 1995), lacking long-term seasonal data.
- Geographic coverage is focused on the Wallops Island, Virginia region and flight paths, limiting global applicability.
- Sample size for specific atmospheric events (e.g., Hurricane Luis) is likely small, given the campaign duration.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).
- Collection Method
- Airborne lidar measurements from an ER-2 aircraft, validated against in-situ aircraft sensors, radiosondes, and ground-based lidar.
- Time Range
- September 1995.
- Freshness
- Data is from 1995, with no indication of ongoing updates.
- Geography
- Primary region around Wallops Island, Virginia, with aircraft flight paths extending over the western Atlantic Ocean and eastern United States.