FIFE: Atmospheric Optical Depth from C-130 Aircraft

June, July, and August 1987 and August 1989 saw the collection of atmospheric optical depth data from a sunphotometer mounted on a C-130 aircraft over the FIFE study area. These measurements are necessary for the atmospheric correction of visible and near-infrared remote sensing data from airborne and satellite sensors. The dataset demonstrates significant spatial and temporal variability in atmospheric optical properties.

Use Cases

• Correcting satellite imagery for atmospheric effects based on measured optical depth.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal trends in aerosol loading over a grassland study area.
• Validating atmospheric models using in-situ optical thickness measurements.
• Calibrating other remote sensing instruments with ground-truth atmospheric data.

Strengths

• Data collected during four distinct months across two years (1987, 1989), capturing seasonal and interannual variability.
• Provides direct, quantitative measurements critical for atmospheric correction of satellite data.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA and government portals indicates established scientific use.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and file sizes are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1989 vs. 2026) suggest possible metadata errors or stale records.
• Data is over 30 years old, limiting applicability to contemporary atmospheric studies without complementary modern data.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements from an airborne suntracking sunphotometer on a C-130 aircraft.

Time Range

June-August 1987 and August 1989

Freshness

1989-08-11 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Selected locations within the FIFE (First ISLSCP Field Experiment) study area.