FIFE: Helicopter-Borne Infrared Land Surface Temperature (1989)

Six days of helicopter-hover measurements in July and August 1989 provide average and standard deviation radiant temperature data for the FIFE study area. The Everest Series 4000 Infrared Thermometer was mounted on a NASA Bell UH-1B helicopter alongside other radiometers. This dataset was collected to validate the thermal band of the Barnes Multiband Modular Radiometer (MMR).

Use Cases

• Validating satellite or airborne thermal infrared sensor readings based on in-situ helicopter measurements.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal variability of land surface temperature within a controlled study area.
• Calibrating or checking the thermal band performance of the Barnes Multiband Modular Radiometer (MMR).
• Studying surface radiant temperature for energy flux modeling in ecological or hydrological research.

Strengths

• Data collection involved a controlled, instrument-specific methodology using a NASA helicopter and an Everest Series 4000 IRT.
• Provides both average and standard deviation of radiant temperature, offering a measure of variability.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata) signals its importance and archival stability.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1989 vs. 2026) create uncertainty about metadata maintenance versus data vintage.
• The temporal coverage is limited to six specific days in a single year (1989), restricting longitudinal analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measurements taken with a helicopter-borne Everest Series 4000 Infrared Thermometer (IRT) while hovering over sites.

Time Range

July-August 1989

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:59:27.291807

Geography

FIFE study area