Airborne Lidar Data for Satellite Ocean and Aerosol Validation

September 2024 data from the High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 instrument flown on NASA's ER-2 aircraft during the PACE-PAX campaign. The dataset supports validation and refinement of data products from the PACE satellite mission. It was collected by the LARC_CLOUD organization and published in October 2024.

Use Cases

• Validate PACE satellite aerosol optical depth retrievals using HSRL-2 backscatter and extinction profiles.
• Assess spatial representativeness of satellite data by comparing HSRL-2 swath measurements with ground-based observations.
• Refine ocean color algorithms by correlating HSRL-2 measurements of atmospheric correction parameters with in-situ ocean samples.
• Study aerosol layer structures and cloud properties over coastal regions using the instrument's high spectral resolution data.
• Identify measurement biases for specific geometries or phenomena like high-aerosol loads targeted during the campaign.

Strengths

• Data collected during a dedicated 60-flight-hour campaign specifically designed for satellite validation.
• Measurements coordinated with satellite overpasses, a second aircraft, and ground/ocean observations for comprehensive comparison.
• Campaign focused on specific validation objectives including new retrieval parameters and radiometric properties.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a single month (September 2024), restricting analysis of seasonal variability.
• Geographic coverage is focused on Southern and Central California, which may not be representative of global conditions.
• Specific data volume, resolution, and completeness metrics for the HSRL-2 product are not provided.

Provenance

Source

LARC_CLOUD organization via NASA's Earthdata platform.

Collection Method

Collected by the High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 instrument onboard NASA's ER-2 high-altitude aircraft.

Time Range

September 2024.

Freshness

Data collection is complete as of September 2024, with metadata last updated in October 2024.

Geography

Southern and Central California and nearby coastal regions.