SCAR-B Biomass Burning Atmospheric and Remote Sensing Data

NASA's SCAR-B experiment collected meteorological data, reanalysis data, remote sensing images, and atmospheric composition measurements during 1995 biomass burning events. The dataset, originally published on three CD-ROMs, integrates processed and quality-controlled observations from Brazil's cerrado and Amazon rainforest. Its cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates its established role in atmospheric science research.

Use Cases

• Analyzing trace gas and particle emission rates from fires using atmospheric composition data.
• Studying the influence of land cover type (cerrado vs. rainforest) on smoke properties and radiation.
• Validating and improving satellite remote sensing algorithms for biomass burning with ground and airborne measurements.
• Investigating the physical and radiative properties of smoke aerosols to model climate impacts.
• Correlating meteorological conditions like atmospheric pressure, temperature, and winds with fire emission transport.

Strengths

• Data underwent processing, quality control, and integration before archival.
• Covers two distinct Brazilian biomes (cerrado and Amazon rainforest) for comparative analysis.
• Supports four specific research goals related to remote sensing, emissions, atmospheric processes, and aerosol properties.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column names, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03 12, while NASA EarthData lists 1995-09-22.
• The dataset is a collection of archived files in multiple formats (HTML, PDF, PNG, BIN, ISO, ZIP), not a single unified table.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected during the field-based Smoke, Clouds, and Radiation - Brazil (SCAR-B) experiment.

Time Range

1995

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:33:00.588386

Geography

Brazil, specifically the cerrado (dry savannah) and Amazonia rainforest regions.