BOREAS RSS-03 Atmospheric Conditions from a Helicopter-Mounted Sunphotometer

7.3 Data Characteristics

7.3.1 Parameter/Variable

The parameters contained in the data files are:

         Column Name
------------------------------
SITE_NAME
SUB_SITE
DATE_OBS
TIME_OBS
OP_GRID_ID
NUM_OBS
MEAN_PRESSURE_AT_PLATFORM
MEAN_OZONE_AMOUNT
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_440
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_540
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_610
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_670
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_940
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_1030
MEAN_COLUMN_WATER_VAPOR
ELEVATION
PLATFORM_ALTITUDE
CRTFCN_CODE
REVISION_DATE


7.3.2 Variable Description/Definition

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

         Column Name                             Description
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SITE_NAME                      The identifier assigned to the site by BOREAS, 
                               in the format SSS-TTT-CCCCC, where SSS identifies
                               the portion of the study area: NSA, SSA, REG, 
                               TRN, and TTT identifies the cover type for the
                               site, 999 if unknown, and CCCCC is the identifier
                               for site, exactly what it means will vary with 
                               site type.
SUB_SITE                       The identifier assigned to the sub-site by 
                               BOREAS, in the format GGGGG-IIIII, where GGGGG is 
                               the group associated with the sub-site 
                               instrument e.g. HYD06 or STAFF, and IIIII is the 
                               identifier for sub-site, often this will refer to 
                               an instrument.
DATE_OBS                       The date on which the data were collected.
TIME_OBS                       The Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) when the data were
                               collected.
OP_GRID_ID                     The identifier given to the BOREAS auxiliary and
                               tower sites during the execution of field
                               operations.  An example of this is B9B7A.
NUM_OBS                        Number of observations of the given sample used
                               to calculate given values.
MEAN_PRESSURE_AT_PLATFORM      The mean atmospheric pressure measured at the 
                               data collection platform.
MEAN_OZONE_AMOUNT              The mean measured ozone amount.
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_440     The mean aerosol optical thickness measured 
                               between 0.438 and 0.441 micrometers.
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_540     The mean aerosol optical thickness measured at 
                               .540 micrometers.
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_610     The mean aerosol optical thickness measured 
                               between .610 and .613 micrometers.
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_670     The mean aerosol optical thickness measured at
                               .670 micrometers.
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_940     The mean aerosol optical thickness measured at 
                               .940 micrometers.
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_1030    The mean aerosol optical thickness measured at 
                               1.030 micrometers.
MEAN_COLUMN_WATER_VAPOR        The mean amount of precipitable water within a 
                               vertical column of air with a cross-section of
                               1 centimeter squared and a fixed depth (usually 
                               from the ground to the top of the atmosphere).
ELEVATION                      The elevation of the site above mean sea level.
PLATFORM_ALTITUDE              The nominal altitude of the data collection 
                               platform above the target.
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
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SITE_NAME                      [none]
SUB_SITE                       [none]
DATE_OBS                       [DD-MON-YYYY]
TIME_OBS                       [HHMM GMT]
OP_GRID_ID                     [none]
NUM_OBS                        [counts]
MEAN_PRESSURE_AT_PLATFORM      [kiloPascals]
MEAN_OZONE_AMOUNT              [Dobson]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_440     [unitless]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_540     [unitless]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_610     [unitless]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_670     [unitless]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_940     [unitless]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_1030    [unitless]
MEAN_COLUMN_WATER_VAPOR        [millimeters]
ELEVATION                      [meters]
PLATFORM_ALTITUDE              [meters]
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
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SITE_NAME                      [Assigned by BORIS]
SUB_SITE                       [Assigned by BORIS]
DATE_OBS                       [Controller]
TIME_OBS                       [Controller]
OP_GRID_ID                     [Provided by RSS03 team]
NUM_OBS                        [ASTPH]
MEAN_PRESSURE_AT_PLATFORM      [NASA Helicopter]
MEAN_OZONE_AMOUNT              [ASTPH]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_440     [ASTPH]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_540     [ASTPH]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_610     [ASTPH]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_670     [ASTPH]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_940     [ASTPH]
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_1030    [ASTPH]
MEAN_COLUMN_WATER_VAPOR        [ASTPH]
ELEVATION                      [Provided by RSS03 team]
PLATFORM_ALTITUDE              [NASA Helicopter]
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 file.
                     Minimum        Maximum        Missng  Unrel  Below   Data
                     Data           Data           Data    Data   Detect  Not
Column Name          Value          Value          Value   Value  Limit   Cllctd
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SITE_NAME            NSA-9BS-9TETR  SSA-YJP-FLXTR  None    None   None    None
SUB_SITE             RSS03-SPH01    RSS03-SPH01    None    None   None    None
DATE_OBS             31-MAY-1994    16-SEP-1994    None    None   None    None
TIME_OBS             1432           2231           None    None   None    None
OP_GRID_ID           99O9P          W0Y5A          None    None   None    None
NUM_OBS              6              173            None    None   None    None
MEAN_PRESSURE_AT_    9.09           9.76           None    None   None    None
PLATFORM
MEAN_OZONE_AMOUNT    300            370            None    None   None    None
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_    .032           1.459          -999    None   None    None
THICK_440
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_    0              4.215          -999    None   None    None
THICK_540
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_    .016           4.222          -999    None   None    None
THICK_610
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_    .029           4.25           -999    None   None    None
THICK_670
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_    0              3.828          -999    None   None    None
THICK_940
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_    0              4.056          -999    None   None    None
THICK_1030
MEAN_COLUMN_WATER_   5.24           27.88          None    None   None    None
VAPOR
ELEVATION            175.59         650.44         None    None   None    None
PLATFORM_ALTITUDE    100            300            None    None   None    None
CRTFCN_CODE          CPI            CPI            None    None   None    None
REVISION_DATE        21-NOV-1998    21-NOV-1998    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

SITE_NAME,SUB_SITE,DATE_OBS,TIME_OBS,OP_GRID_ID,NUM_OBS,
MEAN_PRESSURE_AT_PLATFORM,MEAN_OZONE_AMOUNT,MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_440,
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_540,MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_610,
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_670,MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_940,
MEAN_AEROSOL_OPT_THICK_1030,MEAN_COLUMN_WATER_VAPOR,ELEVATION,
PLATFORM_ALTITUDE,CRTFCN_CODE,REVISION_DATE
'NSA-9BS-9TETR','RSS03-SPH01',07-JUN-1994,1809,'T6R5S',69,9.52,360.0,.069,.038,
.022,.042,.03,.012,12.25,239.51,300.0,'CPI',21-NOV-1998
'NSA-9BS-9TETR','RSS03-SPH01',28-JUL-1994,1806,'T6R5S',81,9.52,335.0,.082,.055,
.04,.051,.036,0.0,25.0,239.51,300.0,'CPI',21-NOV-1998
