Vertical Profiles of Tropospheric Cloud Optical Parameters from Antarctic Lidar, 1989-1990

NASA-AMES format data from a scientific cooperation between CNRS (France) and CNR (Italy) measures vertical profiles of cloud optical parameters in Antarctica. The dataset includes squared range-corrected lidar signal, aerosol backscattering, scattering ratio, and auxiliary variables like date, time, latitude, and longitude. Data was last updated on 1990-12 26 23:59:59.999000.

Use Cases

• Modeling cloud optical depth and extinction based on integrated backscattering and provided coefficients.
• Analyzing vertical structure of polar tropospheric clouds based on altitude-normalized profiles with 30 or 75 m resolution.
• Studying aerosol-cloud interactions based on aerosol backscattering and scattering ratio profiles.
• Correlating atmospheric state with cloud properties based on available rawinsonde pressure, temperature, and humidity data.

Strengths

• Profiles are normalized to the same altitudes, facilitating comparison.
• Altitude resolution is specified as 30 or 75 meters.
• Includes auxiliary metadata such as date, time, latitude, longitude, and instrument parameters.

Limitations

• Last updated 1990-12-26 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Scientific cooperation between Service d'Aeronomie of CNRS (France) and IROE of CNR (Italy). Rawin- and Ozone-sonde data from Dumont d'Urville French Antarctic Station.

Collection Method

Measured using a Depolarization Backscattering Lidar part of a DIAL system, with supporting rawinsonde and ozonesonde data.

Time Range

Data from years coded A (1989) and B (1990).

Freshness

1990-12-26 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Antarctica, specifically the Dumont d'Urville station area.