Project # 2006-145 MIRAGE Megacities Impact on Regional And Global Environment Principal Investigator(s):  Sasha Madronich, et al. NSF/NCAR C-130Q Hercules (N130AR)

Documentation Summary

This site has the final documentation for the airborne measurements obtained from the NSF/NCAR Research Aviation Facility (RAF) C-130Q Hercules aircraft (Tail Number N130AR) during the MIRAGE project which took place from 28 February to 29 March 2006.

Both the Low-Rate (LRT, 1 sample per second) and High-Rate (HRT, 25 sps, mixed) production data sets are available on-line at the URLs:

• LRT    http://www.eol.ucar.edu/raf/Catalog/taplog.lrt.145.html
• HRT    http://www.eol.ucar.edu/raf/Catalog/taplog.hrt.145.html
• (See Note in "Data Download" section below.)

Both the raw and production output data have been archived to the NCAR/CISL Mass Store System (MSS) which has proven to be extremely reliable.   However, we strongly urge data recipients to make their own archival copies to protect against damage or loss.

Software for viewing the Low-Rate data is available from the RAF.   Please consult the RAF Software Product Guide for more information on available RAF data-perusal programs.

As you proceed with analysis of your data, you may have questions, encounter problems, or uncover discrepancies or other aspects of the data set that may be of interest to the RAF and to other users.   We ask that you bring these issues to the attention of the Project Manager or the RAF Manager.

Allen Schanot, (303)497-1063
MIRAGE Project Manager
FAX phone number:  (303)497-1092
Mail address:

National Center for Atmospheric Research
EOL/Research Aviation Facility
P. O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
U. S. A.

We also solicit your more general comments on the quality, usefulness, and/or new applications of the data.

We hope the support of this project provided by the Research Aviation Facility has been satisfactory.   It has been our pleasure to serve you.

We are pleased to serve as major providers of information to the MIRAGE program and look forward to assisting you and the other investigators as the analysis of those data proceeds.   If we can be of further help, please do not hesitate to call.

Sincerely,

Allen Schanot
Project Manager/Associate Scientist

Jeffrey L. Stith, Ph.D.
Manager, Research Aviation Facility

• Updated Pages on this web site
  This page has a summary of updates to this project's web site since its official release on 28 June 2006.   Next to each link in the page is the date of its most recent change.


• Flight Summary Information Matrix


• Data Download
  • CISL Mass Store System Production Output netCDF Files (Low Rate)
  • CISL Mass Store System Production Output netCDF Files (High Rate)

    Note:	(updated 18 September 2007)
    The production netCDF data file headers for this project have an error in the "long_name" attribute for the variable "CS200_RPO." It should be:  SPP-200 (PCASP) Concentration (per cell) - DMT. (The probe's name was incorrectly identified as "SPP-100.")

  • Digital Camera jpg Files
  • Digital Camera Movie Files


• Data Logs
  • Output Data File Measurement Lists
    • Categorized RAF Variable List
    • Low-Rate Variable List from Production netCDF File
  • CISL Mass Store System Bitfile List (RAF path)
  • CISL Mass Store System Bitfile List (ATD path)
  • Raw Aircraft (ADS) Data Summary


• Output Data Format
  • Example Production Output netCDF File Header (Low Rate)
  • Example Production Output netCDF File Header (High Rate)
  • netCDF Information


• Reports
  • Project Manager's Data Quality Report
    • Section I: General Discussion
    • Section II: Flight-by-Flight Summary
  • Research Flight Reports
  • Digital Image and MPEG Movie Information


• Research Instrumentation
  • Aircraft Instrumentation List
  • Summary of Instrument Calibration Factors
  • Inertial Reference Unit Performance Summary
  • Aircraft Configuration (Click on an image below to see larger, detailed view)


• RAF Bulletins
  • RAF Bulletin No. 9 Standard Output Data Products
  • RAF Bulletin No. 23 Measurement Techniques:  Air Motion Sensing
  • RAF Bulletin No. 24 Airborne Measurements for Cloud Microphysics
  • RAF Bulletin No. 25 Passive Broadband and Spectral Radiometric Measurements Available on NCAR/NSF Research Aircraft


• Project Support Information
  • RAF Software Product Guide


• Project-Related Links
  • MIRAGE-Mexico Home Page
  • MILAGRO Home Page
  • Chemical and Aerosol Measurements on the C-130Q