NAMMA Aircraft Navigation Data for Atmospheric Research

Aircraft navigation data was collected during the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) field campaign in August 2006. The dataset includes wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and air temperature measurements from the DC-8 aircraft, extracted and time-corrected from ICATS NAV data. This data supports analysis of African Easterly Waves and Mesoscale Convective Systems over western Africa.

Use Cases

• Analyzing wind patterns and atmospheric pressure to characterize the structure of African Easterly Waves (AEWs).
• Correlating air temperature and wind data with other NAMMA datasets to study Mesoscale Convective Systems.
• Using corrected navigation data to validate or supplement aerosol and cloud measurements from the LARGE experiment.
• Investigating regional water and energy budgets over continental western Africa using flight-level meteorological observations.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major NASA field campaign (NAMMA), ensuring a controlled collection methodology.
• Includes specific, core atmospheric variables: wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and air temperature.

Limitations

• No column names or row counts are provided by any source, hindering precise technical assessment.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2006-09-12 vs. 2026-03-13), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Science Mission Directorate.

Collection Method

Measured from the DC-8 aircraft's navigation system (ICATS) during the NAMMA campaign, with subsequent extraction and time correction.

Time Range

August 2006

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:00:13.539505

Geography

Cape Verde Islands and continental western Africa.