SEAC4RS: ER-2 Aircraft Radiation Measurements from the 2013 Field Campaign

SEAC4RS field study data from August and September 2013, based in Houston, Texas, collected onboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft. The dataset contains in-situ radiation measurements, including radiative fluxes and meteorological parameters, focused on the lower stratospheric regime. It was designed to study pollutant redistribution, aerosol-climate feedbacks, and to serve as a calibration testbed for satellite missions.

Use Cases

• Analyzing radiative flux changes due to biomass burning and anthropogenic pollution aerosols.
• Studying the evolution of gases and aerosols in deep convective outflow to the UT/LS.
• Validating and calibrating remote sensing instruments on future satellite missions.
• Investigating the semi-direct and indirect climate effects of aerosols on meteorology.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major, well-documented NASA field campaign (SEAC4RS) with clear science objectives.
• Provides high-altitude, in-situ measurements from the ER-2 aircraft, a platform specialized for lower stratospheric sampling.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals its importance and curation.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist (2013-09 24 vs. 2026-04-09), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Documentation is incomplete; the description is truncated in multiple entries.

Provenance

Source

NASA/LARC_ASDC, collected during the SEAC4RS airborne field study.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from instruments onboard the NASA ER-2 aircraft.

Time Range

August and September 2013.

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:34:26.706261 (though this future date is likely a metadata error, conflicting with an earlier 2013 date)

Geography

Field operation based in Houston, Texas; flight paths over regions influenced by biomass burning and pollution.