PACE Satellite Validation Data from Twin Otter Aircraft Campaign

PACE-PAX CIRPAS Twin Otter Facility Instrument Data contains in-situ atmospheric measurements from the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer (CAS), Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), and Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (PCASP). The dataset was collected during the September 2024 PACE-PAX campaign over Southern and Central California for satellite validation. It is provided by the LARC_CLOUD organization from NASA Earthdata.

Use Cases

• Validate PACE satellite aerosol optical depth retrievals using in-situ PCASP aerosol size distribution and concentration measurements.
• Assess cloud microphysical models by correlating CIP cloud particle imagery and size data with satellite cloud property estimates.
• Calibrate spectral signature libraries for different aerosol types by analyzing CAS data on particle scattering across specific size bins.
• Study spatial variability of atmospheric constituents by analyzing the time-series flight path data over coastal and inland regions.
• Identify measurement biases in satellite swaths by comparing co-located in-situ CAS and PCASP profiles with PACE overpass data.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the defined September 2024 campaign period.
• Includes measurements from a coordinated suite of three specialized in-situ instruments (CAS, CIP, PCASP).
• Campaign involved 60 planned flight hours specifically for the Twin Otter aircraft component.
• Designed for direct validation of multiple PACE instrument data products and retrieval parameters.

Limitations

• Dataset size, row count, and specific column schema are not documented.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a single month (September 2024).
• Geographic scope is restricted to flights over Southern/Central California and nearby coastal regions.

Provenance

Source

LARC_CLOUD organization via NASA Earthdata (nasa_earthdata platform).

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected onboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft using facility instruments.

Time Range

September 2024.

Freshness

Data is current, with a last updated date of September 28, 2024.

Geography

Southern and Central California and nearby coastal regions.