BOREAS AFM-03 NCAR Electra 1994 Aircraft Sounding Data

7.3 Data Characteristics

7.3.1 Parameter/Variable

The parameters contained in the data files are:

         Column Name
----------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE
DATE_OBS
TIME
FLUX_MISSION_DESIGNATOR
LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
BOREAS_X
BOREAS_Y
PRESS_ALT
RADAR_ALT
HEADING
WIND_DIR
WIND_SPEED
U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC
V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC
ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS
DRY_BULB_TEMP
POTENT_TEMP
DEWPOINT_TEMP
MIXING_RATIO_AFM
CO2_CONC
O3_CONC
CRTFCN_CODE
REVISION_DATE

7.3.2 Variable Description/Definition

The descriptions of the parameters contained in the data files are:

         Column Name                             Description
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE               The general term used to denote the spatial area
                               over which the data were collected.
DATE_OBS                       The date on which the data were collected.
TIME                           The Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) when the data were
                               collected.
FLUX_MISSION_DESIGNATOR        The two-letter mission identifier used to 
                            	 identify the type of mission being flown, where
                               GS or GN=grids and stacks, CS=Candle Lake runs,
                               TS or TN=site-specific runs, RT=transects, LS or
                               LN=mini- or meso-transects, PS or PN=Budget Box
                               pattern, HS or HN=stacks and tees, FS or
                               FN=flights of two for intercomparison, ZS=low-
                               level routes, and XX=not standard.
LATITUDE                       The NAD83-based latitude coordinate at the site.
LONGITUDE                      The NAD83-based longitude coordinate at the site.
BOREAS_X                       The x component of the BOREAS grid coordinate at
                               the site.
BOREAS_Y                       The y component of the BOREAS grid coordinate at
                               the site.
PRESS_ALT                      The measured pressure altitude.
RADAR_ALT                      The measured radar altitude.
HEADING                        The aircraft heading.
WIND_DIR                       The direction from which the wind was traveling,
                               increasing in a clockwise direction from north.
WIND_SPEED                     The wind speed.
U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC            The westerly (from the west) vector component of
                               the wind speed and wind direction.
V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC            The southerly (from the south) vector component
                               of the wind speed and wind direction. 
ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS              The atmospheric pressure.
DRY_BULB_TEMP                  The temperature measured from the dry-bulb
                               thermometer.
POTENT_TEMP                    The computed potential temperature.
DEWPOINT_TEMP                  The measured dewpoint temperature.
MIXING_RATIO_AFM               The calculated mixing ratio.
CO2_CONC                       CO2 concentration.
O3_CONC                        The measured ozone concentration.
CRTFCN_CODE                    The BOREAS certification level of the data.  
                               Examples are CPI (Checked by PI), CGR (Certified
                               by Group), PRE (Preliminary), and CPI-??? (CPI
                               but questionable).
REVISION_DATE                  The most recent date when the information in the
                               referenced data base table record was revised.

7.3.3 Unit of Measurement

The measurement units for the parameters contained in the data files are:

         Column Name                                Units
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE               [none]
DATE_OBS                       [DD-MON-YYYY]
TIME                           [HHMMSS GMT]
FLUX_MISSION_DESIGNATOR        [none]
LATITUDE                       [degrees]
LONGITUDE                      [degrees]
BOREAS_X                       [kilometers] 
BOREAS_Y                       [kilometers]
PRESS_ALT                      [meters]
RADAR_ALT                      [meters]
HEADING                        [degrees]
WIND_DIR                       [degrees]
WIND_SPEED                     [meters][second^-1]
U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC            [meters][second^-1]
V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC            [meters][second^-1]
ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS              [kiloPascals]
DRY_BULB_TEMP                  [degrees Celsius]
POTENT_TEMP                    [degrees Kelvin]
DEWPOINT_TEMP                  [degrees Celsius]
MIXING_RATIO_AFM               [grams of water vapor][kilogram dry air^-1]
CO2_CONC                       [parts per million]
O3_CONC                        [parts per billion]
CRTFCN_CODE                    [none]
REVISION_DATE                  [DD-MON-YYYY]


7.3.4 Data Source

The source of the parameter values contained in the data files are:

         Column Name                             Data Source
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE               [Assigned by BORIS.]
DATE_OBS                       [Supplied by NCAR.]
TIME                           [Supplied by NCAR.]
FLUX_MISSION_DESIGNATOR        [Supplied by NCAR.]
LATITUDE                       [Supplied by NCAR.]
LONGITUDE                      [Supplied by NCAR.]
BOREAS_X                       [Supplied by NCAR.] 
BOREAS_Y                       [Supplied by NCAR.]
PRESS_ALT                      [Supplied by NCAR.]
RADAR_ALT                      [Supplied by NCAR.]
HEADING                        [Supplied by NCAR.]
WIND_DIR                       [Supplied by NCAR.]
WIND_SPEED                     [Supplied by NCAR.]
U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC            [Supplied by NCAR.]
V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC            [Supplied by NCAR.]
ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS              [Supplied by NCAR.] 
DRY_BULB_TEMP                  [Supplied by NCAR.]
POTENT_TEMP                    [Supplied by NCAR.]
DEWPOINT_TEMP                  [Supplied by NCAR.]
MIXING_RATIO_AFM               [Supplied by NCAR.]
CO2_CONC                       [Supplied by NCAR.]
O3_CONC                        [Supplied by NCAR.]
CRTFCN_CODE                    [Assigned by BORIS.]
REVISION_DATE                  [Assigned by BORIS.]


7.3.5  Data Range

The following table gives information about the parameter values found in
the data files.

                     Minimum        Maximum        Missng  Unrel  Below   Data
                     Data           Data           Data    Data   Detect  Not
Column Name          Value          Value          Value   Value  Limit   Cllctd
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE     N/A            N/A            None    None   None    None
DATE_OBS             25-MAY-1994    16-SEP-1994    None    None   None    None
TIME                 143130         224900         None    None   None    None
FLUX_MISSION_        SN             SN             None    None   None    None
DESIGNATOR
LATITUDE             52.1391        60.6291        None    None   None    None
LONGITUDE            -106.986       -93.8965       None    None   None    None
BOREAS_X             271.171        985.684        None    None   None    None
BOREAS_Y             135.874        1160.606       None    None   None    None
PRESS_ALT            -59.2          3843.6         None    None   None    None
RADAR_ALT            -31.5          3488.6         None    None   None    None
HEADING              0              360            None    None   None    None
WIND_DIR             0              360            None    None   None    None
WIND_SPEED           0              295            None    None   None    None
U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC  -130.71        220.73         None    None   None    None
V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC  -82.57         264.46         None    None   None    None
ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS    62.89          102.04         None    None   None    None
DRY_BULB_TEMP        -28.21         29.26          None    None   None    None
POTENT_TEMP          243.68         313.95         None    None   None    None
DEWPOINT_TEMP        -39.4          22             None    None   None    None
MIXING_RATIO_AFM     -4.27          17.82          None    None   None    None
CO2_CONC             -35.6          1261.1         None    None   None    None
O3_CONC              -1.87          100.57         None    None   None    None
CRTFCN_CODE          CPI            CPI            None    None   None    None
REVISION_DATE        26-MAR-1997    02-MAR-1999    None    None   None    None

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum Data Value -- The minimum value found in the column.
Maximum Data Value -- The maximum value found in the column.
Missng Data Value  -- The value that indicates missing data. This is used to
                      indicate that an attempt was made to determine the
                      parameter value, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
Unrel Data Value   -- The value that indicates unreliable data.  This is used
                      to indicate an attempt was made to determine the
                      parameter value, but the value was deemed to be
                      unreliable by the analysis personnel.
Below Detect Limit -- The value that indicates parameter values below the
                      instruments detection limits.  This is used to
                      indicate that an attempt was made to determine the
                      parameter value, but the analysis personnel determined
                      that the parameter value was below the detection
                      limit of the instrumentation.
Data Not Cllctd    -- This value indicates that no attempt was made to
                      determine the parameter value.  This usually
                      indicates that BORIS combined several similar but
                      not identical data sets into the same data base table
                      but this particular science team did not
                      measure that parameter.

Blank -- Indicates that blank spaces are used to denote that type of value.
N/A   -- Indicates that the value is not applicable to the respective column.
None  -- Indicates that no values of that sort were found in the column.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.4 Sample Data Record

SPATIAL_COVERAGE,DATE_OBS,TIME,FLUX_MISSION_DESIGNATOR,LATITUDE,LONGITUDE,
BOREAS_X,BOREAS_Y,PRESS_ALT,RADAR_ALT,HEADING,WIND_DIR,WIND_SPEED,
U_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC,V_COMPNT_WIND_VELOC,ATMOSPHERIC_PRESS,DRY_BULB_TEMP,
POTENT_TEMP,DEWPOINT_TEMP,MIXING_RATIO_AFM,CO2_CONC,O3_CONC,CRTFCN_CODE,
REVISION_DATE
'SSA',25-MAY-1994,165950,'SN',54.1235,-104.232,441.346,369.03,457.5,86.9,
66.7,356,4.4,.32,-4.36,95.95,16.17,292.77,.7,4.2,355.4,37.87,'CPI',26-MAR-1997
'SSA',25-MAY-1994,165951,'SN',54.1238,-104.231,441.407,369.07,457.1,85.7,
67.3,6,3.3,-.32,-3.24,95.95,16.29,292.89,.1,4.25,355.4,37.66,'CPI',26-MAR-1997
