SCAR-B: Atmospheric Measurements from Brazilian Biomass Burning Flights

SCAR-B_UWC131A data contain physical and chemical measurements of the atmosphere collected during 29 research flights over Brazil from August 17 to September 20, 1995. The dataset focuses on the effects of sulfate aerosols and smoke from biomass burning on atmospheric processes, cloud formation, and radiation. It was gathered by the University of Washington's Cloud and Aerosol Research Group using instruments aboard a Convair C-131A aircraft.

Use Cases

• Modeling aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions based on in-situ aerosol and cloud microphysics measurements.
• Assessing the impact of biomass burning on regional air quality using sulfur and nitrogen oxide data.
• Validating remote sensing algorithms for smoke and vegetation with coordinated flight and surface data.
• Studying the chemical composition of smoke plumes from different biomass sources.
• Analyzing temporal and spatial trends in atmospheric constituents during the 1995 Brazilian burning season.

Strengths

• Data collection is based on a focused, intensive field campaign comprising 29 dedicated research flights.
• The dataset provides coordinated in-situ measurements of multiple atmospheric components (aerosols, clouds, chemistry, radiation) from a single platform.
• It has a clearly defined temporal scope (35 days in 1995) and geographic focus (Brazil).

Limitations

• Specific column names and data structure are not provided, limiting immediate usability.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata (1995 vs. 2026) creates uncertainty about data currency or reprocessing.
• The license is specified only as 'other-license-specified', requiring further investigation for reuse.

Provenance

Source

University of Washington Cloud and Aerosol Research Group, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

In-situ measurements and photographs collected from instruments aboard a Convair C-131A research aircraft.

Time Range

1995-08 17 to 1995-09-20

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:59:10.611608

Geography

Brazil