MMR Helicopter Data: Surface Reflectance from FIFE Campaign

NASA's Surface Reflectance Measured with a Helicopter-borne MMR Data Set contains spectral measurements in Landsat Thematic Mapper bands. The helicopter operated during all Intensive Field Campaigns (IFCs) of the FIFE project, covering an average of 11 sites plus a special target per 2-hour flight to bridge ground and satellite observations. Off-nadir measurements were made to support bi-directional reflectance models and hemispherical reflectance estimation.

Use Cases

• Calibrating satellite sensor data (e.g., Landsat TM) using intermediate-scale airborne reflectance measurements.
• Modeling bi-directional reflectance distribution functions (BRDF) based on off-nadir measurements.
• Characterizing spectral properties of specific FIFE study sites for ecological or hydrological research.
• Bridging spatial scales between ground-based radiometer readings and higher-altitude aircraft or spacecraft imagery.

Strengths

• Provides direct compatibility with both surface-based radiometers and Landsat TM spacecraft sensors.
• Offers systematic coverage during all FIFE Intensive Field Campaigns (IFCs) and satellite overpasses.
• Designed to sample at an intermediate spatial scale, filling a gap between ground and satellite observations.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts: last updated date is listed as both 1989-08-08 and 2026-04 10, indicating potential platform errors.
• Column names and precise data structure are unknown, hindering immediate analysis.
• Dataset size and row counts are not provided across any platform.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measurements gathered via helicopter-borne Modular Multiband Radiometer (MMR) during the FIFE project.

Time Range

Coverage spans all FIFE Intensive Field Campaigns (IFCs); specific years not provided.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: 1989-08-08 (nasa_earthdata) and 2026-04-10 (datagov).

Geography

FIFE study area; specific sites and special targets were covered.