In-situ aerosol data was collected from four instruments aboard a Twin Otter aircraft during the PACE-PAX campaign in September 2024. The dataset supports validation of NASA's PACE satellite mission. It was produced by the LARC_CLOUD organization.
Use Cases
- Validate PACE satellite aerosol optical depth retrievals using in-situ particle size distribution data from the APS and UHSAS instruments.
- Assess spatial representativeness of satellite data by analyzing aerosol properties from coordinated flights with PACE overpasses over California.
- Characterize aerosol scattering properties for model refinement using measurements from the TSI-3563 Nephelometer.
- Investigate specific atmospheric phenomena like high-aerosol loads over land and ocean using the multi-instrument suite data.
Strengths
- Data collection is complete, providing a finalized record for analysis.
- Integrates measurements from four specialized aerosol instruments (APS, UHSAS, Nephelometer, POPS).
- Collected during a dedicated 60-flight-hour campaign specifically designed for satellite validation.
Limitations
- Geographic coverage is limited to Southern and Central California and nearby coastal regions.
- Temporal coverage is confined to the campaign period in September 2024.
- Specific sample size, row count, and data resolution are unknown.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Earthdata (nasa_earthdata), organization LARC_CLOUD.
- Collection Method
- In-situ measurements collected onboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft using a suite of aerosol instruments.
- Time Range
- September 2024.
- Freshness
- Data reflects a campaign from September 2024 and was last updated in September 2024.
- Geography
- Southern and Central California and nearby coastal regions.