TCSP ER-2 LIP: Airborne Lightning and Atmospheric Electricity Measurements

From July 2 to July 27, 2005, this dataset captures in-flight measurements of lightning and atmospheric conditions from a NASA ER-2 aircraft. It contains electrical field data from seven field mills, air conductivity from a two-channel probe, and navigation data, collected during the Tropical Cloud Systems and Processes (TCSP) field campaign. The data are provided as ASCII text files with PNG browse images.

Use Cases

• Analyzing lightning electric field signatures based on measurements from seven field mills.
• Studying atmospheric conductivity profiles using data from the two-channel conductivity probe.
• Correlating electrical storm activity with aircraft position and time from the navigation data.
• Validating satellite-based lightning detection algorithms with direct, high-altitude in-situ measurements.

Strengths

• Provides direct, high-altitude in-situ measurements of atmospheric electricity from a dedicated NASA field campaign.
• Contains multi-instrument data, including seven electric field mills and a two-channel conductivity probe, allowing for cross-parameter analysis.
• Covers a focused, 26-day observation period during July 2005, a key month for tropical weather studies.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are unspecified across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2005 vs. 2026) create uncertainty about metadata maintenance versus data collection.
• The dataset's temporal scope is limited to a single month in 2005, restricting analysis of long-term or seasonal trends.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the Lightning Instrument Package (LIP) flown aboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft.

Time Range

July 2, 2005 to July 27, 2005

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:46:05.650363 (from datagov, though this likely reflects a metadata update, not new data).

Geography

Tropical regions covered by the TCSP field campaign (specific flight paths not detailed).