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 the 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 (July 1 - July 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 systems.
These data were collected during the FIRE Marine Stratocumulus
experiment on San Nicolas Island, California. They are as follows:
cloud base height data measured with a ceilometer; processed CLASS
sounding (CSD) data up to 2 kilometers (thermodynamic data only), raw
CSD recorded at 3.3 second intervals (thermodynamic data only), and
raw CSD at 10 second intervals (thermodynamic and wind data). 
