MACPEX Balloonsondes and Ozonesondes Data

Description

MACPEX_Sondes_Data is the balloonsonde and ozonesonde data collected during the Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX). Data were collected by the balloon borne frost point hygrometer (balloon FPH) and ozonesondes. Data collection for this product is complete. The Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX) was an airborne field campaign that deployed from March 18th to April 26th, 2011. MACPEX sought to investigate cirrus cloud properties and the processes that affect their impact on radiation. The campaign conducted science flights using the NASA WB-57 aircraft based out of Ellington Airfield, Texas. Science flights were focused on the central North America vicinity, with an emphasis over the Southern Great Plains atmospheric observatory (established by the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility) site in Oklahoma. MACPEX was a joint effort between NASA, the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and several U.S. universities. The WB-57 contained a comprehensive instrument payload for detailed in-situ measurements that were targeted to answer MACPEX’s four major science questions. The first science question that MACPEX explored was how prevalent the smaller crystals are in cirrus clouds, and how important they are for extinction, radiative forcing, and radiative heating. MACPEX also sought to understand how cirrus microphysical properties (particle size distribution, ice crystal habit, extinction, ice water content) are related to the dynamical forcing driving cloud formation. Researchers also investigated how cirrus microphysical properties are related to aerosol loading and composition, including the abundance of heterogeneous ice nuclei. Lastly, this campaign examined how cirrus microphysical properties evolve through the lifecycles of the clouds, and the role radiatively driven dynamical motions play. In addition to the in-situ measurements, four flights were coordinated to validate the NASA EOS/A-Train satellite observations. NOAA also launched balloon sondes and ozonesondes, which were used to acquire data about the frost point and water vapor in the atmosphere. The balloon sondes and ozonesondes also acquired pressure, temperature, and humidity data, as well as measurements regarding the ozone in the atmosphere.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
21 ASDC Direct Data Download for MACPEX_Sondes_Data_1 https://asdc.larc.nasa.gov/data/MACPEX/Sondes_Data_1/
21 Search results for publications that cite this dataset by its DOI. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=10.5067%2FASDC%2FSUBORBITAL%2FMACPEX_Sondes_Data_1
21 MACPEX Project Home Page https://espo.nasa.gov/macpex
21 Earthdata Search Client for MACPEX_Sondes_Data_1 https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/granules?p=C2218601382-LARC_ASDC
21 BAMS Article, The Microphysical Properties of Small Ice Particles Measured by the Small Ice Detector-3 Probe during the MACPEX Field Campaign https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/atsc/73/12/jas-d-16-0126.1.xml?tab_body=pdf
21 How to Cite ASDC Data https://asdc.larc.nasa.gov/citing-data
21 MACPEX Science Flight Information https://espo.nasa.gov/macpex/content/MACPEX_Science_-_Flight_Information
21 BAMS Article, Ice Particle Mass–Dimensional Relationship Retrieval and Uncertainty Evaluation Using the Optimal Estimation Methodology Applied to the MACPEX Data https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/apme/56/3/jamc-d-16-0222.1.xml
21 MACPEX Q&A on nasa.gov https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/MACPEX_QandA.html
21 DOI Data Set Landing Page for MACPEX_Sondes_Data_1 https://doi.org/10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/MACPEX_Sondes_Data_1
21 AGU Article, Evaluation of UT/LS hygrometer accuracy by intercomparison during the NASA MACPEX mission https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2013JD020817

Tags

  • altitude
  • atmospheric-water-vapor
  • atmosphere
  • atmospheric-temperature
  • atmospheric-chemistry
  • atmospheric-pressure
  • atmospheric-winds
  • earth-science

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