PACE Satellite Airborne Validation Data from Twin Otter Aircraft

September 2024 data collected onboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft during the PACE-PAX campaign for satellite validation. The dataset includes in situ measurements over Southern and Central California and nearby coastal regions. It was produced by the LARC_CLOUD organization to validate and refine data products from the PACE satellite mission.

Use Cases

• Validate PACE satellite aerosol optical depth retrievals using in situ airborne measurements of aerosol concentration and size distribution.
• Assess spatial representativeness of satellite ocean color data by comparing with airborne hyperspectral radiometer measurements over coastal regions.
• Refine cloud property algorithms by analyzing co-located airborne lidar cloud profiles and in-situ cloud microphysics measurements.
• Identify measurement biases by comparing airborne remote sensing reflectance data with concurrent sea surface measurements from coordinated ocean-based platforms.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the defined September 2024 campaign period.
• Campaign involved coordinated flights between two aircraft, satellite overpasses, and ground/ocean observations for comprehensive validation.
• Dataset supports validation across multiple objectives including radiometric properties, specific geometries, and high-aerosol load phenomena.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to approximately sixty flight hours for the Twin Otter aircraft during a single month.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to Southern/Central California and nearby coastal regions, limiting global applicability.
• Specific data volume, row count, and available parameters are unknown from the provided description.

Provenance

Source

LARC_CLOUD organization via NASA's Earthdata platform.

Collection Method

In situ and remote sensing measurements collected onboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft.

Time Range

September 2024.

Freshness

Data last updated on 2024-09-28, representing recent collection.

Geography

Southern and Central California and nearby coastal regions.