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.First ISCCP Regional Experiment - Arctic Cloud Experiment Utrecht University Tethered Balloon.

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.FIRE ACE Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer flown aboard the ER2.

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 systems.Rawinsonde data for the 1986 FIRE Cirrus IFO. Includes data from seven (7) National Weather Service stations at Green Bay, WI (72645); St. Cloud (72655) and International Falls (72747), MN; Peoria, IL (72532); Omaha, NE (72553); and Flint (72637) and Sault Ste. Marie (72734), MI and three special stations located at Plattville (100), Fort McCoy (200) and Wausau (300), WI.

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 seek 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 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.Lidar returned signal in arbitrary units, raw data, background subtracted, Minimum value = 0, Maximum value = 25600, Scaling Factor = 100 A description of the lidar is given in the following paper: Sassen, K., 1994: Advances in polarization diversity lidar for cloud remote sensing, Proc. IEEE, 82, 1907-1914

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.First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Artic Cloud Experiment (ACE) Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) in NetCDF format.

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 systems.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.For more information about the UND Citation see http://cumulus.atmos.und.edu/The data contained in the following file is 24 hertz data from the UND Citation II Weather Research Aircraft. Each record has 24 values of sixteen variables.The data order is:Number Variable Units24 values Date yymmdd24 values Time seconds from midnight24 values Pitotpressure, Nose millibars24 values Pitotpressure, Wing millibars24 values Vertical acceleration meters/second/second24 values Vertical wind meters/second24 values Static pressure millibars24 values Air temperature, Rosemount Celcius24 values True heading degrees24 values Wind direction degrees24 values Wind velocity meters/second24 values Angle of attack degrees24 values Angle of sideslip degrees24 values Replicator film speed24 values Replicator frame count24 values Replicator event mark

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 seek 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 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.Lidar returned signal in arbitrary units, raw data, background subtracted, Minimum value = 0, Maximum value = 25600, Scaling Factor = 100 A description of the lidar is given in the following paper: Sassen, K., 1994: Advances in polarization diversity lidar for cloud remote sensing, Proc. IEEE, 82, 1907-1914

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. Operations Plan (1992). The Cloud Lidar System (CLS) instrument was flown aboard the NASA ER-2 airplane. This instrument was used to determine cloud altitudes. Information pertaining to the number of cloud layers detected; the heights of the boundaries for up to 5 cloud layers; geo-physical location information; and time were recorded. Four channels of data were recorded. The first channel recorded wavelengths at 532 nanometers in the parallel plane. The second channel recorded wavelengths of 532 nanometers in the perpendicular plane. The third channel recorded wavelengths of 1064 nanometers total. The forth channel was a linear amplifier which received the digitized signal from one of the three previously mentioned CLS detectors. The data are organized so that there is a single header record for the file. This header record is followed by a series of pairs of records.The first record of each pair contains the CLS calibrated data and the second record of the pair contains the CLS analyzed data.

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. Aerosol data obtained by Colorado State University during May 1998 on the NCAR C-130 research flights as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE3) Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) flown onboard the NCAR C-130 aircraft during the FIRE ACE field campaign. The data are in ASCII format. The primary measurements were of ice nuclei and condensation nuclei.

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 seek 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 system.The CSU wind profiler is a five beam wind profiler with high and low modes of operation. The wind profiler is a clear air doppler radar and operates at a frequency of 404.37 MHz. It operated with a height resolution of 250m and measured radial velocities up to about 15km.