SEAC4RS: DC-8 Aircraft Differential Absorption Lidar Data

SEAC4RS airborne field study data were collected from a NASA DC-8 aircraft based in Houston, Texas, during August and September 2013. The dataset contains Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) measurements focused on trace gases, aerosols, and cloud properties in the troposphere. It was designed to study pollutant redistribution from deep convection, aerosol-climate feedbacks, and to serve as a calibration test bed for satellite missions.

Use Cases

• Tracking the vertical and horizontal distribution of tropospheric ozone based on DIAL measurements.
• Analyzing aerosol backscatter and extinction profiles to study the influence of biomass burning and pollution.
• Investigating cloud properties and their microphysical changes (indirect effects) using lidar depolarization data.
• Calibrating and validating future satellite instrument retrievals for atmospheric chemistry.
• Modeling the evolution of gases and aerosols in deep convective outflow to understand UT/LS chemistry.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major, multi-aircraft NASA field campaign (SEAC4RS) with defined science objectives.
• Provides vertically resolved remote sensing measurements from a dedicated aircraft platform (DC-8) for tropospheric sampling.
• Campaign was conducted over a focused two-month period (August-September 2013) with a defined operational base (Houston, Texas).

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided on any platform.
• License information is conflicting or unclear ('other-license-specified' on Data.gov vs. null on NASA Earthdata).
• The dataset's last update date shows a significant conflict (2026 vs. 2013), indicating potential metadata errors.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Airborne remote sensing via Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) instrument onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft.

Time Range

August 2013 to September 2013

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:27:47.810014

Geography

Operational base was Houston, Texas; specific flight paths are not detailed.