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.The data are organized on a single flight basis, for both the King Air and the Sabreliner. Relevant portions of the header from the raw binary files are included. Each data file contains processed concentration data based on habit type and area ratio.

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.The basic instrumentation package measured temperature, dew point temperature, pressure, wind and cloud microphysical characteristic along with aircraft position, altitude and performance parameters. The three-dimensional wind field is derived from measurements of acceleration, pitch, roll and yaw combined with angles of attack and sideslip and indicated airspeed. The aircraft parameters were supplied by an LTN-76 inertial navigation system and a Global Positioning System (GPS). Turbulence intensity can be derived from differential pressure transducers and INS accelerometer outputs. Cloud microphysical measurements were made with an array of Particle Measuring Systems probes (FSSP, 1D-C,2D-C,1D-P) mounted on the wing-tip pylons. These probes measure concentrations and sizes of particles from one micrometer to several millimeters in diameter. In addition there were probes to measure both liquid water content and icing rate. Several gas and aerosol sampling instruments were available. These include fast response O3 and NO2 monitors, and a condensation nuclei counter. A forward or side-looking video camera was also used to provide a visual record of flight conditions. The data were sampled at various rate from 1 to 24 sec-1. The sampling is controlled by the on-board computer system which also displayed the data in real time in graphic and alphanumeric formats while recording them on magnetic tape.

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.The GSFC Raman Lidar water vapor mixing ratio (wvmr) data with altitudes and times were collected for the period from 13 Nov 1991 to07 Dec 1991. Data were collected at night and consists of a series of one minute profiles. Data are summed for one minute in the detectors and saved to a file. For the 10 minute averaged data, the data are summed for 10 minutes before the calculations are performed. Each profile has a 75 meter resolution from 0.4135 to 10.299 kilometers. Zero (0) km means sea level. The site altitude is 0.229 km and thefirst data point is at 0.1845 km above ground level.

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. This data set contains cloud top height and ground height calculations from the NASA ER-2 Cloud LIDAR System (CLS) during the Wisconsin FIRE experiment in October, 1986.

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 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.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL) Doppler radar was used during the Fire Cirrus II experiment in Coffeyville, Kansas to document the structural, kinematic, microphysical and turbulent properties of climatically important cirrus cloud systems. Data were collected from November 13, 1991 through November 29, 1991.

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 Langley Research Center (LARC) Cloud Lidar is a dual-channel polarization sensitive lidar using a frequency doubled Nd: YAG laser as a linearly polarized transmitter and an eight inch Cassegrainian telescope as a receiver. Backscattered laser light collected by the receiver is collimated, directed through a half wave plate, and then passed through polarizing optics which decompose the signal into two components, one parallel and the other perpendicular to the polarization plane of the transmitted beam. Separate amplification and digitization paths are employed for each component, resulting in two arrays of back scatter data for each measured laser pulse. The LARC Cloud Lidar is designed for optimum cloud monitoring operations at altitudes between 3 km and 18 km. To prevent saturation of the detectors at lower altitudes, a gating circuit is used to delay the activation of the first dynode in the Photomultiplier (PMT). The PMT is brought to full sensitivity only after this delay time has elapsed.

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. This data set contains cloud top height and ground height calculations from the NASA ER-2 Cloud Lidar System (CLS). These data were collected during the FIRE Marine Stratocumulus experiment in July 1987; the parameters collected included time, position, and plane height. Undetected cloud tops and ground heights are signified by values of -9.9 after decoding.

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. This data set contains cloud top height and ground height calculations from the NASA ER-2 Cloud LIDAR System (CLS) during the Wisconsin FIRE experiment in October, 1986.

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.SPECTRE/SIRIS high spectral resolution observations were obtained at Coffeyville, Kansas in November - December 1991. The SIRIS instrument has been previously flown for balloon-borne studies of stratospheric chemistry relevant to the ozone cycles. It is a modified version of a Bomem continuously scanning Fourier transform spectrometer, operating in emission mode. The following instrument parameters were applicable for the Coffeyville SPECTRE campaign. The field-of-view, 0.5 degrees full width at half-maximum, was directed towards the zenith, except for a day when limb were recorded. The highest emission-mode spectral resolution recorded during SPECTRE was taken by SIRIS 0.06 cm-1, apodized. Scan times varied from one to a few minutes, depending onthe resolution. The instrument was run at ambient temperature, withthe Si:Ga detectors at liquid helium (LHe) temperature. Data are limited by photon noise from the emission from the instrument and from the atmosphere itself. Therefore data were recorded with two different width bandpasses: 1) narrow bandpass cooled filters in channels 1-4, which reduces the background noise, yielding higher signal-to-noise; and 2) wide band in channel 5 for more complete spectral coverage.It was the goal of SPECTRE to acquire clear-sky radiance spectra under a variety of temperature and water vapor conditions.