The NAMMA Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment Navigation Data is the DC-8 NAV data (ICATS) extracted into columns with time correction. These data files were generated during support of the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) campaign, a field research investigation sponsored by the Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This mission was based in the Cape Verde Islands, 350 miles off the coast of Senegal in west Africa. Commencing in August 2006, NASA scientists employed surface observation networks and aircraft to characterize the evolution and structure of African Easterly Waves (AEWs) and Mesoscale Convective Systems over continental western Africa, and their associated impacts on regional water and energy budgets. This data was used with the LARGE dataset, but may also be used with other NAMMA datasets. It includes the wind speed and wind direction as well as pressure and air temperature information.

The GRIP DC-8 Meteorological measurement System (MMS) dataset was collected by the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS), which provides high-resolution, accurate meteorological parameters (pressure, temperature, turbulence index, and the 3-dimensional wind vector). The MMS hardware consists of 3 major systems: an air-motion sensing system to measure air velocity with respect to the aircraft, an aircraft-motion sensing system to measure the aircraft velocity with respect to the Earth, and a data acquisition system to sample, process, and record the measured quantities. In addition to making the in flight measurements, a major and necessary step is the post mission systematic calibration and data processing. The primary data set consists of 1 Hz meteorological data (P, T, 3D winds). The secondary data set at 20 Hz includes the meteorological data and additional parameters such as Potential-Temperature; True-Air-Speed; aircraft GPS position, velocities, attitudes, acceleration and air flow data (angle-of-attack, sideslip) from August 10, 2010 through September 25, 2010. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment was a NASA Earth science field experiment. The major goal was to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes. NASA used the DC-8 aircraft, the WB-57 aircraft and the Global Hawk Unmanned Airborne System (UAS), configured with a suite of in situ and remote sensing instruments that were used to observe and characterize the lifecycle of hurricanes.

The CAMEX-4 Aerosonde dataset contains temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure measurements collected to study the boundary layer below levels where traditional hurricane reconnasissance aircaft fly. The Aerosonde is an unmanned aerial vehicle with a wingspan of 2.9 meters (~9 feet) weighing approximately 14 kg (~31 lbs). Carrying a payload of air pressure, temperature and humidity probes, the aircraft can fly at altitudes from near the surface to 21,000 feet at speeds of 50-95 mph for periods of up to 30 hours. Controlled by dual computers and navigated by GPS, the Aerosonde is designed to economically collect meteorological data over a wide area.

The NAMMA Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) dataset used the LASE system using the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system was operated during the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) campaign to gather water vapor mixing ratio and aerosol scattering ratio (815 nm) profiles. Other derived parameters include: relative humidity, equivalent potential temperature, virtual potential temperature, precipitable water vapor profiles, aerosol backscatter, aerosol extinction, and aerosol optical thickness profiles (815 nm). Aerosol data are reported as atmospheric scattering ratios on a logarithmic scale. Water vapor data are reported as mixing ratios (g/kg) on both a linear and logarithmic scale. LASE was operated from the NASA DC-8 aircraft during 14 NAMMA campaign flights between August 15 and September 12, 2006.

The NAMMA DC-8 Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) dataset used the MMS, which consists of three major systems: an air-motion sensing system to measure air velocity with respect to the aircraft, an aircraft-motion sensing system to measure the aircraft velocity with respect to the Earth, and a data acquisition system to sample, process, and record the measured quantities. The air-motion system consists of two airflow-angle probes, three total temperature probes each with a different response time, a pitot-static pressure probe, and a dedicated static pressure system. All probes and sensors are judiciously located at specific positions of the fuselage. The aircraft-motion sensing system consists of an embedded GPS ring laser inertial navigation system, and a multiple-antenna GPS attitude reference system. Customized software was developed to control, sample, and process all sensors and hardware. These data files were generated during support of the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) campaign, a field research investigation sponsored by the Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This mission was based in the Cape Verde Islands, 350 miles off the coast of Senegal in west Africa. Commencing in August 2006, NASA scientists employed surface observation networks and aircraft to characterize the evolution and structure of African Easterly Waves (AEWs) and Mesoscale Convective Systems over continental western Africa, and their associated impacts on regional water and energy budgets.

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 (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 systems.SOFIA (Surface of the Ocean, Fluxes and Interaction with the Atmosphere) is a research program carried out by French groups from the Centre de Recherches en Physique de l'Environnement (CRPE), Laboratoire l'Aerologie (LA)-Toulouse, Centre de Meteorologie Marine (CMM)-Brest, Institut Francais de Rechercher sur la Mer (IFREMER)-Brest, Service d'Aeronomie-Paris, and Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (LMD)-Palaiseau with cooperation from Centre National de Recherche Meteorologique (CNRM)-Toulouse. The scientific objective of SOFIA during ASTEX was the study of energy transfer (heat, humidity and momentum fluxes) between the sea surface and the atmospheric boundary layer at scales ranging from the local scale to the mesoscale (50 km). The general concept of the program was to develop a measurement strategy based on nested boxes in which instrumentation would be used to estimate and quantify fluxes. These instruments, from which flux estimates at different scales would be measured, were used in connection with satellite measurements to understand and, hence, to validate the satellite integration of fluxes, particularly in the presence of mesoscale oceanic and atmospheric structures responsible for spatial inhomogeneity of fluxes. The FOKKER F27 aircraft with flux measurement package and the airborne Lidar Leandre was used during ASTEX. The FOKKER 27 ARAT capabilities were as follows: * Turbulence measurements of wind, temperature and moisture. Fast response sensors located on a nose boom 5m long, which measured - attack and sideslip angles by mobile vanes and by a five hole probe (Rosemound 858). - true airspeed by a Pitot probe - temperature by a fast response INSU probe - humidity by a Lyman-alpha humidity meter * Mean state sensors - Rosemount temperature probe - Reverse-flow temperature probe - General Eastern dew point sensor * Aerosols and cloud microphysics - 1-D drop size measurements from 0-6000 microns by four Knollenberg sensors - 2-D sensor OAP 2DC for drop sizes between 25 and 800 microns * Liquid water content - Johnson-Williams sensors * Radiative measurements, up- and downward - Longwave (14-40 microns) Eppley radiometers - Shortwave (0.2-2.8 microns) Eppley radiometers - Radiances (7.8-14 microns) Barnes PRT5 radiometers * Chemical measurements(isokinetic veins) * Pointint backscatter lidar (Leandre) * Directional reflectances meausrements (POLDER- Polarized Direct Reflectance)

The BOREAS AFM-02 team used the University of Wyoming King Air aircraft during IFCs 1, 2, and 3 in 1994 to collected pass-by-pass fluxes (and many other statistics) for the large number of level (constant altitude), straight line passes used in a variety of flight patterns. The data described here form a second set, namely soundings that were incorporated into nearly every research flight by the King Air in 1994. These soundings generally went from near the surface to above the inversion layer. Most were flown immediately after takeoff or immediately after finishing the last flux pattern of that particular day's flights. The parameters that were measured include wind direction, wind speed, west wind component (u), south wind component (v), static pressure, air dry bulb temperature, potential temperature, dewpoint, temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and CO2 concentration. Data on the aircraft's location, attitude, and altitude during data collection are also provided.

The TCSP Aerosonde dataset consists of measurements of air temperature, pressure, and relative humidity were made on each flight using two Vaisalla RS902 sondes located under the wings of the aerosonde aircraft. A Heiltronics KT11.k6 infrared pyrometer was used to measure sea surface temperatures (SST). The TCSP Field Experiment was held during the month of July, 2005, in Costa Rica. The mission was to study the processes associated with tropical waves passing over Central America to the Pacific ocean, where they would eventually form tropical cyclones.