SAFARI 2000: Aircraft Measurements of Aerosols, Gases, and Clouds

SAFARI 2000 CV-580 Aerosol and Cloud Data contains in-situ measurements from 31 research flights over five southern African countries between 10 August and 18 September 2000. The dataset was collected by the University of Washington's Cloud and Aerosol Research Group to study the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric constituents from biomass burning and other sources. Its primary purpose was to enable comparisons with satellite (Terra), other aircraft (NASA ER-2), and ground-based measurements for atmospheric closure studies.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite aerosol retrievals (e.g., from Terra) based on coincident in-situ measurements of aerosol properties.
• Calculating emission factors for biomass burning based on measured concentrations of aerosols and trace gases in smoke plumes.
• Studying aerosol-cloud interactions by analyzing concurrent measurements of cloud microstructures and aerosol particle properties.
• Performing atmospheric closure studies by comparing in-situ and remote sensing measurements made from the same aircraft platform.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution and evolution of trace gases and aerosols aloft across different locations in Southern Africa.

Strengths

• Data collection is anchored to a specific, well-documented international campaign (SAFARI-2000) with 31 research flights.
• Designed for multi-platform validation, with explicit goals to compare measurements with satellites, other aircraft, and ground stations.
• Covers a focused temporal range (August-September 2000) during the dry biomass burning season in southern Africa.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset structure are not provided in the available metadata, making initial assessment difficult.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2000 vs. 2026) across platforms create uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Documentation appears to be primarily contained in an external technical report (PDF), which may not be immediately accessible.

Provenance

Source

Cloud and Aerosol Research Group (CARG), University of Washington

Collection Method

In-situ and remote sensing measurements aboard a Convair-580 research aircraft.

Time Range

10 August 2000 to 18 September 2000

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:50:26.516380

Geography

Five countries in southern Africa