CLAMS Chesapeake Lighthouse Vaisala RS-80 Radiosonde

CLAMS_CERES_CHESLIGHT_SONDE data were collected during the Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites (CLAMS) experiment.The CLAMS_CERES_CHESLIGHT_SONDE data set was collected by Vaisala RS-80 Radiosonde at the Chesapeake Lighthouse, which is a Coast Guard platform located 25 km East of Virginia (near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay). It is located outside of the surf zone and far enough away from shore to make it an excellent validation site for space-borne retrievals of cloud and aerosol microphysics. The platform itself is small enough (25x25 meters) that the usual island effect associated with oceanic sites is negligible. Aerosol climatology at this location indicates optical depths and Angstrom exponents that are consistent with polluted urban aerosols, which is not surprising given its close proximity to Virginia Beach and Norfolk, VA. These urban aerosols will also have an impact on the marine clouds at the site. Not all air masses at Chesapeake Lighthouse are polluted, however, as Easterly winds from occasional synoptic systems and frequent sea breezes provide a marine aerosol source. Hence, the Chesapeake Lighthouse is an excellent location to study the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on cloud microphysical properties (i.e., the indirect effect).