Abstract:
The First ISCCP Regional Experiments have been designed to improve
data products and cloud/radiation parameterizations used in general
circulation models (GCMS). Specifically, the goals of FIRE are (1) to
improve the basic understanding of the interaction of physical processes
in determining life cycles of cirrus and marine stratocumulus systems
and the radiative properties of these clouds during
... their life cycles
and (2) to investigate the interrelationships between the ISCCP data,
GCM parameterizations, and higher space and time resolution cloud
data.
To-date, four intensive field-observation periods were planned and
executed: a cirrus IFO (October 13 - November 2, 1986); a marine
stratocumulus IFO off the southwestern coast of California (June
29-July 20, 1987) a second cirrus IFO in southeastern Kansas (November
13 - December 7, 1991); and a second marine stratocumulus IFO in the
eastern North Atlantic Ocean (June 1 - June 28, 1992). Each mission
combined coordinated satellite, airborne, and surface observations
with modeling studies to investigate the cloud properties and physical
processes of the cloud system.
The Colorado State radiometer data set was produced by the Department
of Atmospheric Sciences of CSU as part of the FIRE Phase II Cirrus
Intensive Field Observations (IFO) conducted in Coffeyville, Kansas.
The CSU PRT-6 data were collected during the period from Nov. 18, 1991
(day 322) to Dec. 7, 1991 (day 341) at the Parsons KG&E Power Plant,
Parsons, Kansas (37 deg. 18 min. N and 95 deg. 07 min.W). The PRT-6
is an all-purpose chopped bolometer. It was operated with a 2 degree
field of view pointing vertically upward. The filter employed
narrowed the spectral band to ranges from about 885 to 945 inverse
centimeters (the infrared window region). The PRT-6 was not run in
continuous mode. When operating, data were sampled every 5 seconds.
Please note that there are temporal gaps in the data. 
