Abstract:
The First ISCCP Regional Experiments have been designed to improve
data products and cloud/radiation parameterizations used in general
circulation models (GCMS). Specifically, the goals of FIRE are (1) to
improve basic understanding of the interaction of physical processes
in determining life cycles of cirrus and marine stratocumulus systems
and the radiative
... properties of these clouds during their life cycles
and (2) to investigate the interrelationships between the ISCCP data,
GCM parameterizations, and higher space and time resolution cloud
data.
To-date, four intensive field-observation periods were planned and
executed: a cirrus IFO (October 13-November 2, 1986); a marine
stratocumulus IFO off the southwestern coast of California (June
29-July 20, 1987) a second cirrus IFO in southeastern Kansas (November
13-December 7, 1991); and a second marine stratocumulus IFO in the
eastern North Atlantic Ocean (June 1-June 28, 1992). Each mission
combined coordinated satellite, airborne, and surface observations
with modeling studies to investigate the cloud properties and physical
processes of the cloud system.
The University of North Dakota owns and operates a Cessna Citation II
aircraft (N77ND) for the purpose of atmospheric research. This
aircraft type has a number of design and performance characteristics
which make it an ideal platform for a wide range of atmospheric
studies. A series of structural modifications have been made to the
basic airplane. These include the following: pylons under the wing
tips for a variety of probes in the undisturbed air flow away from the
fuselage; a nose boom for wind measurement; a heated radome to prevent
ice accumulation on the nose area; special mounts for upward and
downward looking radiometers; side-facing camera mounts for time-lapse
cameras; optically-flat glass windows for photography; and an air
inlet port for air sampling inside the pressurized cabin. The
research instrumentation available on the Citation for the second
Cirrus IFO is described below.
The data contained in the following file is 1/5 hertz data from the
UND Citation II Weather Research Aircraft. Each record has one value
of one hundred and thirteen variables.
The data order is:
Number Variable Units
1 Date yymmdd
2 True Air Speed meters/sec
3 INS Ground Speed meters/sec
4 INS Wind velocity meters/second
5 Calculated Wind velocity meters/second
6 INS Wind direction degrees
7 Calculated Wind direction degrees
8 INS True heading degrees
9 Magnetic heading degrees
10 Drift angle degrees
11 Pitch angle degrees
12 Roll angle degrees
13 Static pressure millibars
14 INS Altitude meters
15 Pressure Altitude meters
16 Vertical acceleration meters/second/second
17 Air temperature, Rosemount celcius
18 Air temperature, Reverse Flow celcius
19 Dew Point celcius
20 Attack millibars
21 SideSlip millibars
22 J. W. Liquid Water grams/cubic-meter
23 Pitotpressure, Nose millibars
24 Pitotpressure, Wing millibars
25 Ice detector volts
26 Ice detector Liquid WAter grams/cubic-meter
27 Angle of attack degrees
28 INS Latitude degrees
29 INS Longitude degrees
30 Vertical velocity meters/second
31 Vertical wind meters/second
32 Angle of sideslip degrees
33 Vapor Pressure millibars
34 Mixing Ratio grams/kilogram
35 Temperature, Reverse Flow (uncorrected) celcius
36 Equivalent Potential Temperature kelvin
37 Potential Temperature kelvin
38 Virtual Potential Temperature kelvin
39 Total Mixing Ratio grams/kilogram
40 Wet Equivalent Potential Temperature kelvin
41 Vertical Wind Angle degrees
42 VOR degrees
43 DME Nautical Miles
44 Heater Flag Volts
45 Engine RPM Per Cent
46 INS Track Angle degrees
47 Mach Number
48 Time Seconds from midnight
49 Cabin Altitude meters
50 Virtual Temperature kelvin
51 Ozone ppbv
52 Film Speed number
53 Frame Count meters
54 Event Marker Volts
55 NO2 ppbv
56 Condensation Nuclei number/ml
57 Relative Humidity Per Cent
58 Condensation Nuclei Temperature celcius
59 GPS Time Seconds from midnight
60 GPS Latitude degrees
61 GPS Longitude degrees
62 GPS Altitude meters
63 GPS Velocity North meters/second
64 GPS Velocity East meters/second
65 GPS Ground Speed meters/second
66 GPS Track Angle degrees
67 Condensation Nuclei Flow Rate liters/minute
68 FSSP Counts number
69 FSSP Concentration number/ml
70 FSSP Liquid Water grams/cubic-meter
71 FSSP Mean Diameter microns
72 FSSP Mean Volume Diameter microns
73 FSSP Median Diameter microns
74 FSSP Median Volume Diameter microns
75 FSSP Mode microns
76 FSSP Skew microns
77 FSSP Standard Deviation, Mean Diameter microns
78 FSSP Standard Deviation, Mean Vol. Diam.microns
79 OneDC Counts number
80 OneDC Concentration number/liter
81 OneDC Mass grams/cubic-meter
82 OneDC Mean Diameter microns
83 OneDC Mean Volume Diameter microns
84 OneDC Median Diameter microns
85 OneDC Median Volume Diameter microns
86 OneDC Mode microns
87 OneDC Standard Deviation, Mean Diameter microns
88 OneDC Standard Dev., Mean Vol. Diam. microns
89 OneDP Counts number
90 OneDP Concentration number/liter
91 OneDP Mass grams/cubic-meter
92 OneDP Mean Diameter microns
93 OneDP Mean Volume Diameter microns
94 OneDP Median Diameter microns
95 OneDP Median Volume Diameter microns
96 OneDP Mode microns
97 OneDP Standard Deviation, Mean Diameter microns
98 OneDP Standard Dev., Mean Vol. Diam. microns
99 TwoDC Counts number
100 TwoDC Concentration number/liter
101 TwoDC Mass grams/cubic-meter
102 TwoDC Mean Diameter microns
103 TwoDC Mean Volume Diameter microns
104 TwoDC Median Diameter microns
105 TwoDC Median Volume Diameter microns
106 TwoDC Mode microns
107 TwoDC Standard Deviation, Mean Diameter microns
108 TwoDC Standard Dev., Mean Vol. Diam. microns
109 TwoDC Shadow-Or number/liter
110 OneDC Skew microns
111 OneDP Skew microns
112 TwoDC Skew microns
113 Corrected Latitude degrees
114 Corrected Longitude degrees