The Bowen Ratio Surface Flux Observations (KSU) Data Set contains surface flux measurements made at selected sites within the FIFE area. The sites were equipped with Bowen ratio equipment that was operated by several different groups. Each surface flux station was capable of measuring the fluxes of net radiation, latent heat and sensible heat. The Bowen ratio stations measured the soil heat flux as well. The components of the energy balance were determined with the Bowen Ratio Energy Balance (BREB) method. The BREB is a combination of the transport and the energy balance equations. The surface flux and micrometeorological measurements available in this data set were collected from 23 locations with 27 site identifiers from 1987 through 1989. Thirteen of these locations were instrumented with stationary bowen ratio systems which collected daily measurements for months. These systems were all located in the northwest quadrant of the FIFE study area within the Konza Prairie Natural Research Area. Ten locations were instrumented in 1987 for a few days at a time with a portable Bowen ratio system. This roving system visited all but the southeast quadrant of the FIFE study area.

The Bowen Ratio Surface Flux Observations (GSFC) Data Set contains data collected using the Bowen Ratio Techniques. The major data collection effort was conducted in 1987 when 16 stationary sites were equipped with Bowen ratio equipment by different groups. Surface flux measurements were made at selected sites within the FIFE area. All measurements are from a single upland site that was grazed. This station measured the fluxes of net radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat and several micrometeorological parameters.

The Bowen Ratio Surface Flux Observations (UNL) Data Set contains surface flux and micrometeorolgical measurements collected at one location located in a flat area of uniform surface vegetation approximately in the center of the FIFE study area. The data collection effort was during the four Intensive Field Campaigns in the spring, summer, and fall of 1987 (May 28 - Oct 17). The Bowen ratio system that collected these data was designed to retrieve all major components of the surface energy budget along with a large set of measured and derived parameters describing the dynamical, thermodynamical, hydrological, and radiative properties of the ground surface and atmosphere surface layer.

Surface flux measurements were made at selected sites within the FIFE area. Each surface flux station was capable of measuring the fluxes of net radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat. The Bowen ratio stations measured the soil heat flux as well. The surface flux and micrometeorological measurements available in this data set were collected from 15 locations within the FIFE study area between 1987 and 1989. Six automatic surface energy and radiation balance systems were operated continuously for 144 days from May 16 to October 16, 1987. Variables including net radiation, air temperature, vapor pressure and wind speed, were quite similar for the sites even though the sites were as much as 10 km apart and represented the four cardinal slopes and a top. The Bowen ratio was low during most of the season, increasing sharply toward the end of the season after a long dry spell. The average Bowen ratio was 0.35. About 72% of the available energy was converted into latent heat flux density. Since the data systems and instrumentation used were of similar design, the variability in results can be ascribed to treatment and locations. These results can be used to estimate the number of stations needed to represent a rolling prairie topography.

Surface flux measurements were made at selected sites within the FIFE area. Each surface flux station was capable of measuring the fluxes of net radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat. The data contained in the Eddy Correlation Surface Flux Observations (USGS) Data Set were collected from two sites located in the northwest and southwest quadrants on slight inclines in the FIFE study area. These data are available only during the four Intensive Field Campaigns, held during the growing season of 1987, May 25 - October 17. During this period there are 66 days of data.

The Eddy Correlations Surface Flux Observations (GSFC) Data Set contains surface flux measurements made at selected sites within the FIFE study area. The surface flux and micrometeorological measurements in this data set were collected from a single location located in the southwest quadrant on a upland, grazed area. The data set contains data collected daily from June 26 - October 17, 1987 during the three Intensive Field Campaigns. No data is available between the campaigns. Micrometeorological techniques of eddy correlation and Bowen ratio were used in determining the fluxes of sensible heat, latent heat, and carbon dioxide in FIFE. Eddy correlation is a well-established technique that has the primary advantage of measuring turbulent diffusive fluxes directly across a near-horizontal plane above the surface. It requires a rigid platform unencumbered by significant aerodynamic obstacles. The fluxes of sensible and latent heat are computed as covariances of the fluctuations of vertical wind velocity with fluctuations of temperature and vapor density at the same point and time.

The GRIP Barbados/Cape Verde radiosonde data set consists of generally two soundings per day (06Z and 12Z) launched from Barbados, and one sounding per day (12Z) launched from Cape Verde during the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) field campaign. The major goal was to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes. These radiosondes measure the profile of atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, from the ground to an altitude of up to 40 km (in general, the sondes reached at least a pressure of 100 milibars). The launch program began on August 14, 2010 and ended September 24, 2010. The sondes used were type DFM-06, built by GRAW Radiosondes, Nuremberg Germany. Most ascents were done with TOTEX 200-g latex balloons using the DMF-06 sondes. A few launches were made using TOTEX 800-g Balloons with the DFM-97 package (connected with ECC ozonesonde). On some days launch times were changed, and multiple launches were made from Barbados on September 9, 10 and 21. The data were retrieved using a GRAWMET GS-E ground station. The sample rate of the data was 4 seconds for the Barbados data and 2 seconds for the Cape Verde data.

The NOAA Radiosonde Observations - 1989 (NCDC) Data Set contains radiosonde data obtained from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). These 396 days of data cover 13 months from October 1988 through October 1989. These data were collected using sondes released in Dodge City and Topeka Kansas, 337 km and 68 km, respectively, from the FIFE study area. Radiosonde observations were made to determine the pressure, temperature, and humidity from the surface to the point where the sounding was terminated. It is assumed that the use of these data is applicable to the FIFE study because these meteorological data are relatively stable in the horizontal domain. These data may be used as input to numerical models, as well as verification data for simulation studies.

TL2ATMTN_8 is the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES)/Aura Level 2 Atmospheric Temperatures Nadir Version 8 data product. TES was an instrument aboard NASA's Aura satellite and was launched from California on July 15, 2004. Data collection for TES is complete. TES Level 2 data contains retrieved species (or temperature) profiles at the observation targets and the estimated errors. The geolocation, quality, and other data (e.g., surface characteristics for nadir observations) were also provided. L2 modeled spectra were evaluated using radiative transfer modeling algorithms. The process, referred to as retrieval, compared observed spectra to the modeled spectra and iteratively updated the atmospheric parameters. L2 standard product files included information for one molecular species (or temperature) for an entire global survey or special observation run. A global survey consisted of a maximum of 16 consecutive orbits. Nadir and limb observations were added to separate L2 files, and a single ancillary file was composed of data that are common to both nadir and limb files. A Nadir sequence within the TES Global Survey was a fixed number of observations within an orbit for a Global Survey. Prior to April 24, 2005, it consisted of two low resolution scans over the same ground locations. After April 24, 2005, Global Survey data consisted of three low resolution scans. The Nadir standard product consists of four files, where each file is composed of the Global Survey Nadir observations from one of four focal planes for a single orbit, i.e. 72 orbit sequences. The Global Survey Nadir observations only used a single set of filter mix. A Limb sequence within the TES Global Survey involved three high-resolution scans over the same limb locations. The Limb standard product consisted of four files, where each file was composed of the Global Survey Limb observations from one of four focal planes for a single orbit, i.e. 72 orbit sequences. The Global Survey Limb observations used a repeating sequence of filter wheel positions. Special Observations could only be scheduled during the 9 or 10 orbit gaps in the Global Surveys, and were conducted in any of three basic modes: stare, transect, step-and-stare. The mode used depended on the science requirement. A Global Survey consisted of observations along 16 consecutive orbits at the start of a two day cycle, over which 4,608 retrievals were performed (1,152 nadir retrievals and 1,152 retrievals in time ordered sequence for each limb observation). Each observation was the input for retrievals of species Volume Mixing Ratios (VMR), temperature profiles, surface temperature, and other data parameters with associated pressure levels, precision, total error, vertical resolution, total column density, and other diagnostic quantities. Each TES Level 2 standard product reported information in a swath format conforming to the HDF-EOS Aura File Format Guidelines. Each Swath object was bounded by the number of observations in a global survey and a predefined set of pressure levels, representing slices through the atmosphere. Each standard product could have had a variable number of observations depending upon the Global Survey configuration and whether averaging was employed. Also, missing or bad retrievals were not reported. Each limb observation Limb 1, Limb 2 and Limb 3, were processed independently. Thus, each limb standard product consisted of three sets where each set consisted of 1,152 observations. For TES, the swath object represented one of these sets. Thus, each limb standard product consisted of three swath objects, one for each observation, Limb 1, Limb 2, and Limb 3. The organization of data within the Swath object was based on a superset of Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) pressure levels used to report concentrations of trace atmospheric gases. The reporting grid was the same pressure grid used for modeling. There were 67 reporting levels from 1211.53 hPa, which allowed for