Introduction
The FAAM
(Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements)
puts at the scientists' disposal a large atmospheric research aircraft (the
BAE-146-301
aircraft) through a scheme of project selection and combined funding.
It is run jointly by NERC and by the UK
Met Office,
and is one of the NERC Centres for Atmospheric Science
(NCAS).
The BADC is the FAAM designated data centre.
The AUTEX / WINTEX (Autumn and Winter Experiments) project was a Met Office campaign on board the FAAM aircraft, that collected cloud physics and radiation data over the UK, from October 2004 to February 2007. The experiments included: stratocumulus studies, ice nucleation studies, measurement of water vapour distribution in both the horizontal and the vertical, mixed phase cloud structure and ice initiation in cumulus clouds. They also included studies into sea surface reflectance at low solar zenith angles, cirrus cloud radiative properties (TAFTS to be fitted if available), microwave signature of 'bright band', clear air spectroscopy at night (SWS not needed but TAFTS needed), clear air spectroscopy in the infrared and far infrared, land surface emissivity studies and the effect of inhomogeneity in clouds at low solar zenith angles.
Data availability and file format
Data collected onboard the FAAM Bae-146 aircraft is stored in the
AUTEX-WINTEX archive at the BADC.
These data include both core and non-core data (for a definition of core data, see the document on
FAAM Instruments).
FAAM processed core data are stored in
NetCDF.
Processed non-core data are stored in
NetCDF or NASA Ames. Raw core data are stored in zipped VMS files.
Some software to read, manipulate and convert these formats into each other are
provided by the BADC (software directory in the FAAM archive) or other agencies.
AUTEX-WINTEX data are stored in either NetCDF or NASA Ames format.
File names follow the
BADC file name convention
and (for FAAM data) the
FAAM file name convention.
Access Restrictions
Access to and use of the data are ruled by the
AUTEX-WINTEX Data Protocol.
- Access to the FAAM Bae-146 non-core data is now public, in agreement with the AUTEX-WINTEX data Protocol. All users are requested to acknowledge the data providers in any publication based on AUTEX-WINTEX data.
- Authorised users of the Processed Bae-146 core data now include everyone. If you would like to access these data , please follow the access to FAAM Processed core data instructions online. Access is granted automatically once you have agreed online with the FAAM Conditions of Use.
- Access to raw Bae-146 core data is restricted to the FAAM staff. If you are a FAAM instrument operator and would like to access these data, please follow the access to raw FAAM core data instructions online.
Note that AUTEX-WINTEX data users are still requested to contact the principal investigators prior to any use of the data. FAAM scientists may request acknowledgement (or joint authorship) in any publications based, using or quoting their data.
For more details on FAAM data restrictions, please see the FAAM Data Access Rules.
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