NASA ARCSIX: Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface Interaction Experiment Data

Greenland-based airborne and field campaign data from NASA's ARCSIX project in 2024. The dataset includes analysis and dropsonde data collected onboard the LaRC G-III aircraft, alongside measurements from P-3B and SPEC-Learjet aircraft and a ground observatory. The campaign aimed to quantify contributions to the Arctic summer surface radiation budget and sea ice melt.

Use Cases

• Validate and improve remote sensing algorithms for Arctic clouds and aerosols based on the campaign's in-situ and remote sensing payloads.
• Study the impact of summer Arctic cloud types on the surface radiation budget based on the described science questions.
• Model two-way interactions between surface properties and atmospheric forcings affecting sea ice evolution based on the campaign's primary objective.
• Analyze vertical atmospheric profiles using dropsonde data from the AVAPS system.

Strengths

• Data collection is explicitly stated as complete for the described products.
• Campaign utilized multiple aircraft platforms (P-3B, LaRC G-III, SPEC-Learjet) with specialized instrumentation.
• Includes data from a ground-based observatory (Thule High Arctic Atmospheric Observatory) for complementary measurements.
• Has a clear, focused scientific objective to quantify contributions to the Arctic radiation budget and sea ice melt.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

NASA airborne and field campaigns.

Collection Method

Collected via instrumented aircraft (LaRC G-III, P-3B, SPEC-Learjet) and a ground observatory during the ARCSIX campaign.

Time Range

May to August 2024

Freshness

Data was collected during two deployments in May–June 2024 and July–August 2024.

Geography

Arctic region, based out of Greenland.