Back to Explore
Wakasa Bay Experiment
Global Water & Energy Cycle, Weather
- 1
- view all deployment datesDeployment
2003-01-14 2003-02-03 - 4
- Platforms
- 0
- Data Products
The Campaign
The Wakasa Bay Experiment was a collaborative effort between Japan and the United States. Its main goal was to verify precipitation retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), especially at high altitudes. The experiment involved a single deployment during the boreal winter of 2003 across Wakasa Bay, Japan. The NASA P-3 aircraft was equipped with remote sensors such as the Airborne Multi-channel Microwave Radiometer (AMMR), Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer, and Airborne Second Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-2) to collect precipitation data over the Western Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan for satellite validation. The Japanese Gulfstream II aircraft, participating in the Winter Mesoscale Convective Systems Observations over the Sea of Japan in 2003 (WMO-03) field campaign, gathered cloud physics and precipitation measurements. Ground-based observations of precipitation were conducted using radars, radiometers, gauges, and other sensors to validate retrievals over land.
2003-01-14 — 2003-02-03
Wakasa Bay, Japan, Sea of Japan, Western Pacific Ocean
boreal winter, cold
N: 42°N
S: 30°N
W: 134°E
E: 151°E
no campaign DOI available
- Overview of the Wakasa Bay Experiment
Additional Notes
PRECIPITATION
PRECIPITATION RETRIEVALS
FREEZING LEVEL RETRIEVALS
SNOWFALL
RAIN
PRECIPITATION PROPERTIES
CLOUD WATER RETRIEVAL
SATELLITE VALIDATION
AQUA
Slide 1 of 4
P-3 Orion
30 Campaigns · 153 Instruments
The Airborne Second Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-2) is a dual-frequency, cross-track scanning radar used for measuring precipitation from aircraft. It detects radar backscatter from rain to determine reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and linear depolarization ratio (LDR). APR-2 operates at 13.4 GHz and 35.6 GHz and has a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5000 Hz. At an altitude of 11,000 feet, it offers a horizontal resolution of 730 meters at 13.4 GHz and 920 meters at 35.6 GHz. The radar has a vertical resolution of 60 meters and a ground swath width of 10 km.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Doppler Velocity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Reflectivity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Precipitation Rate
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Backscatter
The Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR) is an airborne passive microwave imaging radiometer developed by Georgia Tech and NOAA. It captures polarimetric microwave emission images of Earth to analyze ocean and land surface features, precipitation, ice, and clouds. PSR operates across four microwave channels: 10.7 GHz, 18.7 GHz, 37 GHz, and 89 GHz. The PSR/A version includes an extra dual-polarimetric channel at 21.5 GHz. Operating at an altitude of 22,000 feet above sea level, PSR has a spatial resolution ranging from 0.3 to 2.2 km, depending on the frequency band and scan mode.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Microwave Imagery
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
The Airborne Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (AMMR) was a passive, remote airborne microwave radiometer. It measured thermal microwave emissions in terms of brightness temperature. AMMR consisted of an array of radiometers operating at the following frequencies: 10, 18.7, 21, 37, and 92 GHz. It had a typical sampling rate of 1 second and a spatial resolution of 1-2 km at the surface.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
The Airborne Cloud Radar (ACR) is an airborne W-band millimeter-wave cloud radar developed by the University of Massachusetts and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). ACR measures reflectivity and is used for profiling cloud vertical structures. It operates at a frequency of 95 GHz and has a beam width of 0.8 degrees. ACR has a range resolution of 38 m, 75 m, or 150 m.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Return Power
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Reflectivity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Imagery
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Doppler Velocity
The Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR) was a passive airborne cross-track scanning radiometer developed by NASA. MIR measured brightness temperature across nine channels and was used for studying clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric water vapor. MIR operated near and around the following frequencies: 89, 150, 183, 220, and 325 GHz. It had an angular swath of 100 degrees and a sampling interval of 3 seconds. MIR usually operated on NASA ER-2 aircraft before being retired.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Permanent Land Site
Stationary
62 Campaigns · 101 Instruments
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds
The microwave radiometers (MWRs) are ground-based radiometers manufactured by Radiometrics Corporation and operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Research Facility. MWR measures brightness temperature at 23.8 and 31.4 GHz to determine the column amounts of water vapor and liquid water in the atmosphere. MWR has a field of view (FOV) ranging from about 5.9 to 4.5 degrees depending on the channel and typically has a time resolution of 20 seconds for sky-view observations.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Total Precipitable Water
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Rain gauges are ground-based instruments that measure liquid precipitation amounts directly over a specified period. Different rain gauges, such as tipping buckets and weighing gauges, collect and record data in various ways. Because of their small size and easy setup, rain gauges can be placed in different locations and are often used alongside other precipitation instruments like disdrometers to gather more details, such as precipitation rate and size distribution.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Liquid Precipitation
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Precipitation Amount
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation
Generic-Micophysics Probes (Gen-Microphysics) refer to non-specific cloud probes on a platform used to measure cloud microphysics. These are typically in situ probes that measure the physical properties of clouds. These measurements can include particle size distribution, droplet growth, cloud optical thickness, liquid water content, droplet concentration, and cloud condensation nuclei.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Optical Depth/thickness
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Droplet Concentration/size
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Droplet Growth
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Particle Size Distribution
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Condensation Nuclei
The Micro Rain Radar (MRR) is a ground-based, vertically oriented, continuous wave K-band (24.23 GHz) radar that measures various parameters of precipitation, such as liquid water content and rain rate, from near ground level to the lower troposphere. The backscatter captured by the MRR’s antenna can determine precipitation size distributions ranging from 0.25 mm to 4.53 mm and can also calculate the frequency shift of falling precipitation to determine its velocity. Additional uses of the MRR include identifying bright bands, nowcasting precipitation, and tracking chemical transport during precipitation events. It has a range resolution of 10 to 200 meters and a sampling time of 10 seconds.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Imagery
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Doppler Velocity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Return Power
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Backscatter
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Reflectivity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Particle Size Distribution
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Precipitation Rate
C-band radars operate within the 4-8 GHz frequency range. They provide measurements of radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and other parameters to characterize precipitation and clouds. C-band radars are usually used for short-range weather observations because they are more prone to attenuation.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Doppler Velocity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Reflectivity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Spectrum Width
Balloon Launch Site
86 Campaigns · 23 Instruments
Radiosondes are a balloon-borne instrument package used to collect profile measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds. These sensors are connected to a radio transmitter that sends the measurements to a ground receiver typically operating in the 400-406 MHz range. They typically provide measurements at 1-6 seconds, depending on the type and manufacturer of the radiosonde. Radiosondes are used for weather forecasting, ground truth satellite data, atmospheric research, and input for weather prediction models.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature > Vertical Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds
G-II
Gulfstream II
1 Campaign · 13 Instruments
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds
The Nezorov Probe is an in situ airborne hot-wire probe that measures clouds' liquid water content (LWC) and total water content (TWC). It determines LWC and TWC by detecting heat loss from its two sensors caused by evaporation of cloud water and convective heat losses. Operating at a constant temperature of 90 degrees Celsius, it can measure LWC and TWC in the range of 0.005-3 grams per cubic meter. The Nevzorov Probe provides measurements every second with an accuracy of 10%.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
The King Probe is an in situ airborne cloud instrument developed by Warren King (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and manufactured by Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) and Droplet Measurement Technologies (DMT). The King Probe measures cloud liquid water content (LWC) by detecting the heat released when water droplets vaporize. It operates at a constant temperature of approximately 100°C and has a data output rate of 1 to 10 Hz. The probe is commonly used in studies of cloud microphysics and aircraft icing.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
The microwave radiometers (MWRs) are ground-based radiometers manufactured by Radiometrics Corporation and operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Research Facility. MWR measures brightness temperature at 23.8 and 31.4 GHz to determine the column amounts of water vapor and liquid water in the atmosphere. MWR has a field of view (FOV) ranging from about 5.9 to 4.5 degrees depending on the channel and typically has a time resolution of 20 seconds for sky-view observations.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Total Precipitable Water
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
The Particule Volume Matter (PVM-100A) is an in situ airborne cloud probe manufactured by Gerber Scientific. It measures liquid water content and the effective radius of cloud droplets by measuring the scattering intensity proportional to the droplets' density and particle surface area density. PVM-100A operates at 780 nm and has a measurement rate of up to 5000 Hz. It can measure droplets in the size range of 3-50 μm diameter. The ground-based model of this instrument is PVM-100.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Droplet Concentration/size
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
The Cloud Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS) is an in situ airborne spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It combines the Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer (CAS), and the Hotwire Liquid Water Content (LWC) Sensor into a single instrument. CAPS measures the size distribution of aerosol, cloud, and liquid droplets for particles between 50-1600 μm in size, with a time resolution of 1 Hz. It can also capture images of cloud particles and provide measurements of temperature, pressure, and LWC.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Particle Properties
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Particle Size Distribution
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Droplet Size
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Droplet Concentration/size
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Liquid Water/ice
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
W-band radars are highly sensitive radars used for atmospheric research. They operate around the 94-95 GHz frequency band, allowing for the detection of small water droplets. W-band radars are used for cloud and precipitation studies since they can provide more detailed observations than typical weather radars. They can be deployed on research vessels, aircraft, and mobile ground-based platforms.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Doppler Velocity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Reflectivity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Spectrum Width
Dropsondes, also known as dropwindsondes, are in situ instruments designed to be released from aircraft. They are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and sensors to collect profile measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. Dropsondes are important during field investigations because they enable researchers to collect vertical profiles in remote locations and during severe weather conditions. Typically, dropsondes have a vertical resolution of 5 meters and provide wind speed and direction measurements every 0.25 seconds, while temperature, pressure, and humidity are recorded every 0.5 seconds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles > Wind Velocity/speed Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles > Wind Direction Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Rosemount Temperature Probes are in situ airborne temperature sensors manufactured by Rosemount, Inc. They provide atmospheric temperature measurements and are typically used to collect flight-level meteorological observations. Rosemount Temperature Probes consist of temperature transmitters, thermocouple sensors, resistance temperature detectors, and other temperature sensors.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
The Lyman-alpha Hygrometer is an in situ hygrometer designed for deployment on airborne or ground-based platforms. It measures water vapor absorption at the Lyman-alpha wavelength (121.6 nm) of atomic hydrogen to determine the total water content in the atmosphere. It has a detection limit of 0.1 ppmv and a typical data acquisition rate of 1 second. The Lyman-alpha hygrometer provides water vapor measurements with an accuracy of 6% and a precision of 5%.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles > Water Vapor Mixing Ratio Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Total Precipitable Water
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
The Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP) is an in situ airborne optical particle counter initially developed by Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. It determines particle size distribution by measuring the light intensity scattered by individual particles within the cloud. FSSP can detect particles ranging from 0.5 to 47 μm in diameter. It functions at a wavelength of 633 nm and typically samples at a rate of 1 Hz.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Particle Size Distribution
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
The 2D-C/P Hydrometeor Imaging Probe (2D-C/P) is an in situ, airborne instrument that captures images of hydrometeors. It records these images by detecting the illuminated or shadowed states of the photodiode array as the shadow of the hydrometeors passes over. 2D-C/P also offers measurements of particle size distribution, cloud droplet concentration, and hydrometeor shape. Typically, 2D-C/P probes have an image resolution of 25 micrometers and can image hydrometeors with diameters up to 1600 micrometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Particle Size Distribution
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics > Cloud Droplet Concentration/size
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds > Cloud Microphysics
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation > Hydrometeors
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Precipitation
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Clouds
Video cameras capture video recordings of various phenomena for research purposes. They are used on aircraft to provide continuous views of weather and terrain below the flight path. Video cameras are also employed to verify the aircraft's flight track. Additionally, they are deployed at field sites to monitor changes in vegetation, land cover, clouds, air quality, glaciers, and other Earth science phenomena.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Visible Wavelengths > Visible Imagery
Events
1 Deployment
1 IOP
1 Significant Event
NASA
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
Elena Lobl
Currently unavailable
JAXA