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 CAESAR project aims to investigate the radiative properties of cirrus cloud over a wide range of wavelengths in combination with airborne in situ measurements of cirrus microphysical properties. Flights using the FAAM BAE-146 observed frontal and anvil cirrus co-incident with the CloudSat Aqua-train and AATSR satellites over the
Chilbolton cloud radars and lidars as well as ocean/sea surrounding the UK. Aircraft measurements were used to obtain vertical and horizontal distribution of ice crystal size, shape and IWC during summer and winter periods. The winter FAAM campaign ran from 14 November 2005 17 December 2005 and the summer FAAM campaign ran from 3-17 May 2006.
Data availability and file format
Data collected onboard the FAAM Bae-146 aircraft is stored in the
CAESAR 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.
CAESAR 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
CAESAR Data Protocol.
- Access to the FAAM Bae-146 non-core data is now public, after having been restricted to the CAESAR participants during a period of time of 24 months following the last CAESAR flight, in agreement with the CAESAR data Protocol. All users are requested to acknowledge the data providers in any publication based on CAESAR 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 CAESAR 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.
Chilbolton data have their own access conditions and must be applied for separately.
AATSR can be accessed through the NEODC.
Services and Links to further information
Services to CAESAR Campaign participants
Documentation
Links to further information
Citation
FAAM, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Meteorological Office, [Keil, A.]. FAAM - NEON Infra-Red Camera, [Internet]. NCAS British Atmospheric Data Centre, 2006-, Date of citation. Available from http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/view/badc.nerc.ac.uk__ATOM__dataent_neon