OWLETS-2: Ozonesonde Vertical Profiles Over Chesapeake Bay

From June 6 to July 6, 2018, this dataset contains vertical atmospheric profiles of ozone and related meteorological variables collected via ozonesondes launched synchronously from over-land and over-water sites in the upper Chesapeake Bay region. It was part of the NASA-supported Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study (OWLETS-2) field campaign, which aimed to characterize pollutant gradients across the land-water interface. The data likely contains measurements of ozone concentration, atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed/direction at various altitudes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical ozone gradients to study atmospheric mixing processes over coastal regions.
• Comparing synchronous over-water and over-land measurements to quantify the land-water ozone difference.
• Validating and calibrating atmospheric models and satellite retrievals of tropospheric ozone.
• Investigating the relationship between ozone concentrations and co-measured meteorological variables like wind and humidity.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated NASA field campaign (OWLETS-2) with a defined methodology.
• Provides synchronous vertical measurements from multiple sites, enabling gradient analysis.
• Campaign utilized a unique multi-instrument approach, suggesting high-quality, cross-validated observations.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: exact column names, row count, and file size are unknown across all platforms.
• The dataset title references 'OWLETS-1' while the description details the 'OWLETS-2' campaign, creating potential confusion.
• Documentation appears sparse, with no direct sample data or detailed data dictionary provided in the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), OWLETS-2 field campaign.

Collection Method

Collected via ozonesonde launches from fixed sites (UMBC, Hart Miller Island, Howard University Beltsville).

Time Range

June 6, 2018 – July 6, 2018 (OWLETS-2). Descriptions also reference a prior campaign from July 5, 2017 – August 3, 2017 (OWLETS-1).

Freshness

Last updated metadata dates vary: 2026-04-09 on Data.gov and 2018-07-11 on NASA Earthdata, indicating a potential conflict or placeholder date.

Geography

Upper Chesapeake Bay region, Maryland, USA, with specific sites at UMBC, Hart Miller Island (HMI), and Howard University Beltsville (HUBV).