CPEXAW-HALO_DC8_1 is the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) image and h5 data files collected during the Convective Processes Experiment - Aerosols & Winds (CPEX-AW) onboard the DC-8 aircraft. Data collection for this product is complete. The Convective Processes Experiment – Aerosols & Winds (CPEX-AW) campaign was a joint effort between the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) with the primary goal of conducting a post-launch calibration and validation activities of the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus (ADM-AEOLUS) Earth observation wind Lidar satellite in St. Croix. CPEX-AW is a follow-on to the Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX) field campaign which took place in the summer of 2017. In addition to joint calibration/validation of ADM-AEOLUS, CPEX-AW studied the dynamics related to the Saharan Air Layer, African Easterly Waves and Jets, Tropical Easterly Jet, and deep convection in the InterTropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). CPEX-AW science goals include: • Better understanding interactions of convective cloud systems and tropospheric winds as part of the joint NASA-ESA Aeolus Cal/Val effort over the tropical Atlantic; • Observing the vertical structure and variability of the marine boundary layer in relation to initiation and lifecycle of the convective cloud systems, convective processes (e.g., cold pools), and environmental conditions within and across the ITCZ; • Investigating how the African easterly waves and dry air and dust associated with Sahara Air Layer control the convectively suppressed and active periods of the ITCZ; • Investigating interactions of wind, aerosol, clouds, and precipitation and effects on long range dust transport and air quality over the western Atlantic. In order to successfully achieve the objectives of the campaign, NASA deployed its DC-8 aircraft equipped with an Airborne Third Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-3), Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN), High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO), High Altitude Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR), and dropsondes. This campaign aims to provide useful material to atmospheric scientists, meteorologists, lidar experts, air quality experts, professors, and students. The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) archives the dropsonde, HALO, and DAWN data products for CPEX-AW. For additional datasets please visit the Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center (GHRC).

Aeolus-CalVal-Dropsondes_DC8_1 is the Aeolus CalVal Dropsonde Profiles data product. Data was collected using Dropsondes from the Douglas (DC-8) Aircraft. Data collection for this product is complete. NASA conducted an airborne campaign from 17 April to 30 April 2019 to: 1) demonstrate the performance of the Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN) and High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) instruments across a range of aerosol, cloud, and weather conditions; 2) compare these measurements with the European Space Agency Aeolus mission to gain an initial perspective of Aeolus performance in preparation for a future international Aeolus Cal/Val airborne campaign; and 3) demonstrate how weather processes can be resolved and better understood through simultaneous airborne wind, water vapor (WV), and aerosol profile observations, coupled with numerical model and other remote sensing observations. Five NASA DC-8 aircraft flights, comprising 46 flight hours, were conducted over the Eastern Pacific and Southwest U.S., based out of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, CA and Kona, HI. Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) eXpendable Digitial Dropsondes (XDD) were used to validate the DAWN and Aeolus wind observations. The LaRC Diode Laser Hygrometer instrument, which was integrated on the DC-8 in preparation for another NASA airborne campaign, provided in-situ WV measurements used during one flight to validate HALO and dropsonde WV profile products.

AEOLUS-CALVAL-DAWN_DC8_1 is the Aeolus CalVal DAWN (Doppler Aerosol WiNd) Lidar Wind Profiles data product. Data was collected using the DAWN instrument on the Douglas (DC-8) Aircraft. Data collection for this product is complete. NASA conducted an airborne campaign from 17 April to 30 April 2019 to: 1) demonstrate the performance of the Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN) and High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) instruments across a range of aerosol, cloud, and weather conditions; 2) compare these measurements with the European Space Agency Aeolus mission to gain an initial perspective of Aeolus performance in preparation for a future international Aeolus Cal/Val airborne campaign; and 3) demonstrate how weather processes can be resolved and better understood through simultaneous airborne wind, water vapor (WV), and aerosol profile observations, coupled with numerical model and other remote sensing observations. Five NASA DC-8 aircraft flights, comprising 46 flight hours, were conducted over the Eastern Pacific and Southwest U.S., based out of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, CA and Kona, HI. Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) eXpendable Digitial Dropsondes (XDD) were used to validate the DAWN and Aeolus wind observations. The LaRC Diode Laser Hygrometer instrument, which was integrated on the DC-8 in preparation for another NASA airborne campaign, provided in-situ WV measurements used during one flight to validate HALO and dropsonde WV profile products.

Aeolus-CalVal-MetNav_DC8_1 is the Aeolus CalVal Meteorological and Navigational data product. Data was collected using the Global Positioning System (GPS) instrument on the Douglas (DC-8) Aircraft. Data collection for this product is complete. NASA conducted an airborne campaign from 17 April to 30 April 2019 to: 1) demonstrate the performance of the Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN) and High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) instruments across a range of aerosol, cloud, and weather conditions; 2) compare these measurements with the European Space Agency Aeolus mission to gain an initial perspective of Aeolus performance in preparation for a future international Aeolus Cal/Val airborne campaign; and 3) demonstrate how weather processes can be resolved and better understood through simultaneous airborne wind, water vapor (WV), and aerosol profile observations, coupled with numerical model and other remote sensing observations. Five NASA DC-8 aircraft flights, comprising 46 flight hours, were conducted over the Eastern Pacific and Southwest U.S., based out of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, CA and Kona, HI. Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) eXpendable Digitial Dropsondes (XDD) were used to validate the DAWN and Aeolus wind observations. The LaRC Diode Laser Hygrometer instrument, which was integrated on the DC-8 in preparation for another NASA airborne campaign, provided in-situ WV measurements used during one flight to validate HALO and dropsonde WV profile products.

CPEXCV-HALO_DC8_1 is the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) image and h5 data files collected during the Convective Processes Experiment - Cabo Verde (CPEX-CV) onboard the DC-8 aircraft. Data collection for this product is complete. Seeking to better understand atmospheric processes in regions with little data, the Convective Processes Experiment – Cabo Verde (CPEX-CV) campaign conducted by NASA is a continuation of the CPEX – Aerosols & Winds (CPEX-AW) campaign that took place between August to September 2021. The campaign will take place between 1-30 September 2022 and will operate out of Sal Island, Cabo Verde with the primary goal of investigating atmospheric dynamics, marine boundary layer properties, convection, the dust-laden Saharan Air Layer, and their interactions across various spatial scales to improve understanding and predictability of process-level lifecycles in the data-sparse tropical East Atlantic region. CPEX-CV will work towards its goal by addressing four main science objectives. The first goal is to improve understanding of the interaction between large-scale environmental forcings such as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), Saharan Air Layer, African easterly waves, and mid-level African easterly jet, and the lifecycle and properties of convective cloud systems, including tropical cyclone precursors, in the tropical East Atlantic region. Next, observations will be made about how local kinematic and thermodynamic conditions, including the vertical structure and variability of the marine boundary layer, relate to the initiation and lifecycle of convective cloud systems and their processes. Third, CPEX-CV will investigate how dynamical and convective processes affect size dependent Saharan dust vertical structure, long-range Saharan dust transport, and boundary layer exchange pathways. The last objective will be to assess the impact of CPEX-CV observations of atmospheric winds, thermodynamics, clouds, and aerosols on the prediction of tropical Atlantic weather systems and validate and interpret spaceborne remote sensors that provide similar measurements. To achieve these objectives, the NASA DC-8 aircraft will be deployed with remote sensing instruments and dropsondes that will allow for the measurement of tropospheric aerosols, winds, temperature, water vapor, and precipitation. Instruments onboard the aircraft include the Airborne Third Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-3), lidars such as the Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN), High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO), High Altitude Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR), Advanced Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) dropsonde system, Cloud Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS), and the Airborne In-situ and Radio Occultation (AIRO) instrument. Measurements taken by CPEX-CV will assist in moving science forward from previous CPEX and CPEX-AW missions, the calibration and validation of satellite measurements, and the development of airborne sensors, especially those with potential for satellite deployment.

Aeolus-CalVal-HALO_DC8_1 is the Aeolus CalVal HALO Aerosol and Water Vapor Profiles and Images data product. Data was collected using the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) instrument on the Douglas (DC-8) Aircraft. Data collection for this product is complete. NASA conducted an airborne campaign from 17 April to 30 April 2019 to: 1) demonstrate the performance of the Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN) and High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) instruments across a range of aerosol, cloud, and weather conditions; 2) compare these measurements with the European Space Agency Aeolus mission to gain an initial perspective of Aeolus performance in preparation for a future international Aeolus Cal/Val airborne campaign; and 3) demonstrate how weather processes can be resolved and better understood through simultaneous airborne wind, water vapor (WV), and aerosol profile observations, coupled with numerical model and other remote sensing observations. Five NASA DC-8 aircraft flights, comprising 46 flight hours, were conducted over the Eastern Pacific and Southwest U.S., based out of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, CA and Kona, HI. Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) eXpendable Digitial Dropsondes (XDD) were used to validate the DAWN and Aeolus wind observations. The LaRC Diode Laser Hygrometer instrument, which was integrated on the DC-8 in preparation for another NASA airborne campaign, provided in-situ WV measurements used during one flight to validate HALO and dropsonde WV profile products.

This dataset provides measurements from the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) instrument, an airborne multi-function Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL), operating at 532 nm and 1064 nm wavelengths onboard a C-130 aircraft during the June and July 2019 ACT-America campaign. The flights took place over eastern and central North America based from Shreveport, Louisiana; Lincoln, Nebraska; and NASA Wallops Flight Facility located on the eastern shore of Virginia. HALO data were sampled at 0.5 s temporal and 1.25 m vertical resolutions. The data include profiles of aerosol optical properties (AOP), distributions of mixed layer heights (MLH), columns of tropospheric methane, and navigation parameters. The data are provided in HDF5 format along with PNG images and a companion files in Portable Document (*.pdf) format.

CAL_LID_L1-Standard-V4-11 is the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Lidar Level 1B profile data, Version 4-10 data product. This data product was collected using the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument. The version of this product was changed from 4-10 to 4-11 to account for a change in the operating system of the CALIPSO production cluster. Data collection for this product version is ongoing. The highest quality data products, generated by the Data Management System (DMS), are referred to as Standard data products. These products have a 2-4 day latency to incorporate the global meteorological and other reference products. Night and Day orbit segments are written to separate data files. A full set of browse images, including orbit track maps, are generated and posted to the science data web site. Standard data products are recommended for research studies and journal publications. The lidar Level 1B data product contains a half orbit (day or night) of calibrated and geolocated lidar profiles. The product contains data from all non-diagnostic instrument modes including nominal science, depolarization gain ratio calibration, and boresight alignment. The lidar Level 1B product contains additional data not found in the Level 0 lidar input file, including post processed ephemeris data, celestial data, and converted payload status data. CALIPSO was launched on April 28, 2006 and continues to collect data necessary to study the impact of clouds and aerosols on the Earth's radiation budget and climate . It flies in the international A-Train constellation for coincident Earth observations. The CALIPSO satellite comprises three instruments, CALIOP, Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR), and Wide Field Camera (WFC). CALIPSO is a joint satellite mission between NASA and the French Agency, CNES.

CAL_LID_L3_Tropospheric_APro_CloudySkyOpaque-Standard-V4-21 is the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Lidar Level 3 Tropospheric Aerosol Profiles, Cloudy Sky Opaque Data, Standard Version 4-21 data product. This data product was collected using the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument. Data collection for this product is ongoing. The CALIPSO lidar level 3 aerosol data product reports monthly mean profiles of aerosol optical properties on a uniform spatial grid. It is intended to be a tropospheric product and so data are only reported below altitudes of 12km. All level 3 parameters are derived from the version 4.21 CALIOP level 2 aerosol profile product and have been quality screened prior to averaging. The primary quantities reported are vertical profiles of aerosol extinction coefficient at 532 nm and its vertical integral, the aerosol optical depth (AOD). Aerosol type and spatial distribution information are also included. Averaged profile data is reported for all aerosols, regardless of type, and for mineral dust aerosol only. Classification of dust is based on the aerosol type flags in the level 2 profile product. To keep level 3 file sizes manageable, there are four different types of level 3 files produced, depending on the sky condition and the temporal coverage of the data prior to averaging. Description of the Four Sky Conditions (Day, Night): 1) All Sky: All level 2 columns are averaged, regardless of cloud occurrence 2) Cloud-Free: Only cloud-free level 2 columns are averaged 3) Cloudy-Sky, Transparent: Only level 2 columns containing transparent clouds are averaged 4) Cloud-Sky, Opaque: Only level 2 columns containing opaque clouds are averaged CALIPSO was launched on April 28, 2006 and continues to collect data necessary to study the impact of clouds and aerosols on the Earth's radiation budget and climate . It flies in the international A-Train constellation for coincident Earth observations. The CALIPSO satellite comprises three instruments, CALIOP, Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR), and Wide Field Camera (WFC). CALIPSO is a joint satellite mission between NASA and the French Agency, CNES.

CAL_LID_L1-Standard-V4-10 is the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Lidar Level 1B profile data, Version 4-10 data product. This data product was collected using the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument. Data collection for this product is ongoing. The highest quality data products, generated by the Data Management System (DMS), are referred to as Standard data products. These products have a 2-4 day latency to incorporate the global meteorological and other reference products. Night and Day orbit segments are written to separate data files. A full set of browse images, including orbit track maps, are generated and posted to the science data web site. Standard data products are recommended for research studies and journal publications. The lidar Level 1B data product contains a half orbit (day or night) of calibrated and geolocated lidar profiles. The product contains data from all non-diagnostic instrument modes including nominal science, depolarization gain ratio calibration, and boresight alignment. The lidar Level 1B product contains additional data not found in the Level 0 lidar input file, including post processed ephemeris data, celestial data, and converted payload status data. CALIPSO was launched on April 28, 2006 and continues to collect data necessary to study the impact of clouds and aerosols on the Earth's radiation budget and climate . It flies in the international A-Train constellation for coincident Earth observations. The CALIPSO satellite comprises three instruments, CALIOP, Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR), and Wide Field Camera (WFC). CALIPSO is a joint satellite mission between NASA and the French Agency, CNES.