NCAR's Multichannel Cloud Radiometer (MCR)
Standard Airborne Scientific Measurements
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| I. TIME | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| Time (ADS3) | sec | Time of measurement [since the start date/time reported in the netCDF data file's Time "units" attribute (UTC)]
Example: Time:units = "seconds since 2006-04-26 12:55:00 +0000" ; |
| HOUR (obsolete *) | hour | Raw ADS Time Component (UTC) |
| MINUTE (obsolete *) | minute | Raw ADS Time Component (UTC) |
| SECOND (obsolete *) | s | Raw ADS Time Component (UTC) | YEAR (obsolete *) | yr | Raw ADS Time Component (UTC) (year at start time) |
| MONTH (obsolete *) | mo | Raw ADS Time Component (UTC) (month at start time) |
| DAY (obsolete *) | day | Raw ADS Time Component (UTC) (day at start time) |
| base_time (obsolete *) | seconds | Reference Start Time (UNIX time format, UTC) [single scalar, not a "record" variable] |
| time_offset (obsolete *) | seconds | Offset from Reference Start Time |
| * obsolete -- time measurments used for RAF's ADS1 and ADS2 data acquisition systems. | ||
| II. INERTIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| LAT | degree_N | Inertial Latitude |
| LON | degree_E | Inertial Longitude |
| THDG | degree_T | Aircraft True Heading Angle |
| PITCH | degree | Aircraft Pitch Angle |
| ROLL | degree | Aircraft Roll Angle |
| ACINS | m/s2 | Aircraft Vertical Acceleration |
| VSPD | m/s | IRS-Computed Aircraft Vertical Velocity |
| ALT | m | IRS-Computed Aircraft Altitude |
| GSF | m/s | Inertial Ground Speed |
| VEW | m/s | Inertial Ground Speed Vector, East Component |
| VNS | m/s | Inertial Ground Speed Vector, North Component |
| III. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| GLAT | degree_N | GPS Latitude |
| GLON | degree_E | GPS Longitude |
| GVEW | m/s | GPS Ground Speed Vector, East Component |
| GVNS | m/s | GPS Ground Speed Vector, North Component |
| GALT | m | GPS Altitude |
| GMODE | none | GPS Mode |
| GSTAT | none | GPS Status |
| IV. ALTITUDE AND POSITION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| HGM232 | m | Geometric (Radar) Altitude (APN-232) |
| PALT | m | NACA Pressure Altitude |
| PALTF | feet | NACA Pressure Altitude |
| ALTC | m | GPS-Corrected Altitude |
| LATC | degree_N | GPS-Corrected Latitude |
| LONC | degree_E | GPS-Corrected Longitude |
| V. AIRCRAFT AND METEOROLOGICAL STATE PARAMETERS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| ATTACK | degree | Attack Angle, Reference |
| SSLIP | degree | Sideslip Angle, Reference |
| PCAB | mbar | Interior Cabin Static Pressure |
| PSX | mbar | Raw Static Pressure, Reference |
| PSXC | mbar | Corrected Static Pressure, Reference |
| QCX | mbar | Raw Dynamic Pressure, Reference |
| QCXC | mbar | Corrected Dynamic Pressure, Reference |
| TTH | deg_C | Total (Recovery) Temperature, Deiced |
| TTX | deg_C | Total (Recovery) Temperature, Reference |
| DPX | deg_C | Dew/Frost Point Temperature, Reference |
| DPXC | deg_C | Dew Point Temperature, Reference |
| VI. THERMODYNAMIC MEASUREMENTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| ATH | deg_C | Ambient Temperature, Deiced |
| ATX | deg_C | Ambient Temperature, Reference |
| TASX | m/s | Aircraft True Airspeed, Reference |
| TASHC | m/s | Aircraft True Airspeed, Humidity Corrected |
| EDPC | mbar | Ambient Water Vapor Pressure, Reference |
| THETA | K | Potential Temperature |
| THETAE | K | Equivalent Potential Temperature (Bolton) |
| TVIR | deg_C | Virtual Temperature |
| RHUM | % | Relative Humidity |
| RHODX | gram/m3 | Absolute Humidity, T-Electric, Reference |
| SPHUM | gram/kg | Specific Humidity |
| MR | gram/kg | Mixing Ratio, T-Electric |
| VII. WINDS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| UI | m/s | Wind Vector, East Component |
| VI | m/s | Wind Vector, North Component |
| WI | m/s | Wind Vector, Vertical Gust Component |
| WS | m/s | Horizontal Wind Speed |
| WD | degree_T | Horizontal Wind Direction |
| UX | m/s | Wind Vector, Longitudinal Component |
| VY | m/s | Wind Vector, Lateral Component |
| UIC | m/s | GPS-Corrected Wind Vector, East Component |
| VIC | m/s | GPS-Corrected Wind Vector, North Component |
| WIC | m/s | GPS-Corrected Wind Vector, Vertical Component |
| WSC | m/s | GPS-Corrected Horizontal Wind Speed |
| WDC | degree_T | GPS-Corrected Horizontal Wind Direction |
| UXC | m/s | GPS-Corrected Wind Vector, Longitudinal Component |
| VYC | m/s | GPS-Corrected Wind Vector, Lateral Component |
| VIII. RADIATION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| RSTB | deg_C | Radiometric Surface Temperature |
| IRB | W/m2 | Raw Infrared Irradiance, Bottom |
| IRT | W/m2 | Raw Infrared Irradiance, Top |
| IRBC | W/m2 | Corrected Infrared Irradiance, Bottom |
| IRTC | W/m2 | Corrected Infrared Irradiance, Top |
| SWB | W/m2 | Shortwave Irradiance, Bottom |
| SWT | W/m2 | Shortwave Irradiance, Top |
| SWTC | W/m2 | Shortwave Irradiance, Top (Attitude-Corrected) |
| UVB | W/m2 | Ultraviolet Irradiance, Bottom |
| UVT | W/m2 | Ultraviolet Irradiance, Top |
| IX. CLOUD PHYSICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| PLWCC | gram/m3 | Corrected PMS-King Liquid Water Content |
| RICE | Vdc | Raw Icing-Rate Indicator |
| XI. PARTICLES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| FCNC | vlpm | Corrected CN Counter Sample Flow Rate |
| CONCN | N/cm3 | Condensation Nuclei (CN) Concentration |
| XII. CHEMISTRY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Units | Description |
| TEO3C | ppmv | TECO Ozone Concentration |
| Instruments Available by Request | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Special Considerations | Data Rate(s) | Name |
| Radiometric Ambient Air Temperature (Ophir III) (in cloud) | Low | OAT | |
| Radiometric Sky Temperature | Low | RSTT | |
| Water Vapor Mixing Ratio, Lyman-alpha | High | MRLA | |
| Gerber Probe (Liquid Water Content) | High | PVM-100 | |
| Laser Hygrometer | B, D | Low | TDL |
| Cloud Particle Size Distribution (0.5 to 47 µm) | Low, High | SPP FSSP-100 |
|
| Cloud Particle Size Distribution (40 to 640 µm) | Low, High | 260X | |
| Aerosol Particle Size Distribution (0.1 to 3.0 µm) | Low, High | PCASP | |
| Aerosol Particle Size Distribution (0.3 to 20 µm) | Low, High | SPP FSSP-300 |
|
| PMS Cloud Particle Images (2-dimensional) | B | Auto | 2D-C |
| PMS Hydrometeor Images (2-dimensional) | B | Auto | 2D-P |
| Fast-Response Chemiluminescence Ozone Concentration | A, D | High | O3FSM |
| Carbon Dioxide Concentration | A, D | Low, High | CO2C |
| Carbon Monoxide Concentration | A, D | Low,High | COCAL |
| Spectral Vegetation Radiometer | Low | WV650, WV862 |
|
| Radial Differential Mobility Analyzer (8 to 130 nm) | B, D | Low | RDMA |
| Weather Avoidance Radar Data System | B, C, D | High | WARDS |
| GPS Dropsonde System | A, B, C, D, E | GDS | |
| Air Sample Inlet(s)(See also the LTI in section .3.) | |||
| Video recording (fwd) with optional date/time stamp | |||
| Video recording (side) with optional date/time stamp | |||
| Video recording (down) with optional date/time stamp | |||
| Audio recording (on video tape) | |||
|
Special Considerations: A Instrument requires a dedicated operator on board the aircraft. B Special software tools are required for routine processing, display and analysis of the data acquired by this instrument. C Data recorded on a separate data acquisition system, not on RAF's ADS. D Data acquired by this instrument requires unique post-processing. E This instrument requires a separate request form |
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| Instruments Available by Special Arrangement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The following instruments are not covered by NSF Deployment Pool Funds and require a separate funding source. They also require considerably more resources, often need special data handling and may require a dedicated on-board operator. The number and/or combination of instruments may exceed RAF's personnel and/or hardware resource limits. | |||
| Description | Special Considerations | Data Rate(s) | Name |
| Multi-channel Cloud Radiometer | B, D | High | MCR |
| Counterflow Virtual Impactor | A, B, D | Low, High | CVI |
| Airborne Imaging Microwave Radiometer | A, B, C, D | High | AIMR |
| Low-turbulence Inlet | B | Low, High | LTI |
| Cloud Particle Imager | A, B, C, D | High | CPI |
| Wyoming Cloud Radar | A, B, C, D, E | High | WCR |
| Scanning Aerosol Backscatter Lidar | A, B, C, D, E | High | SABL |
Special Considerations: A Instrument requires a dedicated operator on board the aircraft. B Special software tools are required for routine processing, display and analysis of the data acquired by this instrument. C Data recorded on a separate data acquisition system, not on RAF's ADS. D Data acquired by this instrument requires unique post-processing. E This instrument requires filling out a separate request form (available in this document). |