First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) ERS-1 Wind Scatterometer Data

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 systems.The wind scatterometer aboard ERS-1 scans a 300km wide zone, situated 300km right of the satellite track. Orbital data are given for each orbit (number 1 to 501), starting from the orbit node (10:30 solar time for the descending orbit at the equator). The complete cycle duration is 35 days. Data from the ASTEX domain have been extracted for June, 1992 from the fast delivery product tapes provided by ESA. The raw data have been processed by ESA, using an algorithm (CMOD2) which has has revealed to fail in a number of cases. Itresults in particular in erroneous wind direction (180deg ambiguit\ y). These data thus cannot be used without a careful examination of their coherence.

首届国际卫星云气候学计划（International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project，ISCCP）区域试验（FIRE）旨在优化通用环流模型（General Circulation Models，GCM）中所用的数据产品与云/辐射参数化方案。该试验的核心目标有二：其一，深化对物理过程相互作用的基础认知，以厘清卷云与海洋层积云系统的生命周期，以及此类云体在生命周期内的辐射特性；其二，探究ISCCP数据、GCM参数化方案与更高时空分辨率云数据之间的内在关联。截至目前，该试验共规划并实施了四次密集野外观测（Intensive Field Observation，IFO）周期：分别为1986年10月13日至11月2日的卷云密集野外观测、1987年6月29日至7月20日在美国加利福尼亚州西南沿海开展的海洋层积云密集野外观测、1991年11月13日至12月7日在堪萨斯州东南部实施的第二次卷云密集野外观测，以及1992年6月1日至6月28日在北大西洋东部开展的第二次海洋层积云密集野外观测。每次观测任务均整合了协同卫星、机载与地面观测及模拟研究，以解析云系统的云特性与物理过程。搭载于欧洲遥感卫星1号（European Remote-Sensing Satellite 1，ERS-1）的风散射计可扫描宽度达300千米的带状区域，该区域位于卫星轨道右侧300千米处。数据集提供了第1至501号轨道的轨道数据，起始点为轨道交点（赤道处降轨的太阳时为10:30）。完整循环周期为35天。1992年6月的ASTEX区域数据源自欧洲空间局（European Space Agency，ESA）提供的快速交付产品磁带。原始数据已由ESA采用CMOD2算法进行处理，但该算法在诸多场景中存在失效问题，尤其会导致风向数据出错（存在180度方位模糊问题）。因此，此类数据在未经仔细核查其一致性前，不可直接使用。