FIFE Atmospheric Optical Thickness Data from NIP and Sunphotometers

Aerosol optical depth measurements were collected during the FIFE (First ISLSCP Field Experiment) campaign to characterize atmospheric absorption and scattering. Data from Normal Incident Pyrheliometers and Reagan sunphotometers show daily averages ranging from 0.05 to 0.28 in the mid-visible wavelength, with diurnal variations up to 0.07. The dataset, produced by NASA, originates from the late 1980s and is used to correct remote sensing imagery for atmospheric effects.

Use Cases

• Correcting atmospheric absorption and scattering in remote sensing scenes to retrieve surface parameters.
• Evaluating the impact of uncorrected atmospheric effects on vegetation indices and biophysical parameter estimation.
• Deriving aerosol size distribution and estimating the phase function using the Langley analysis technique.
• Studying diurnal and spatial variations in aerosol optical depth within the FIFE experimental site.

Strengths

• Provides quantitative aerosol optical depth measurements with a reported daily range of 0.05 to 0.28.
• Includes diurnal variation data, showing afternoon optical depths can exceed morning values by up to 0.07.
• Applies the Langley technique for analysis, allowing simultaneous measurement of aerosol, ozone, and water vapor abundances.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source platform.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between sources (2026-03-12 on Data.gov and 1989-08-08 on NASA Earthdata).
• The analysis approach is noted to be limited by the accuracy of the ancillary ozone data used.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Data collected using Normal Incident Pyrheliometers (NIP) and Reagan sunphotometers at various locations within the FIFE site.

Time Range

1980s (specifically during the FIFE campaign IFCs)

Freshness

2026-03-12

Geography

FIFE (First ISLSCP Field Experiment) site