Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aricraft Measurements for Satellites (CLAMS)		    
		Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) Readme

1.0 Introduction

    This readme file contains information about the CAR data set. 

    The CAR data are available through the Langley Atmospheric
    Sciences Data Center (ASDC) as the following data set:

        CLAMS_CV580_CAR	

    This readme file includes the following five other sections:

        Section 2.0 - Data Set Description
        Section 3.0 - Format and Packaging
        Section 4.0 - Science Parameter and Attribute Information
        Section 5.0 - Description and Implementation of Sample
                      Read Software
        Section 6.0 - Additional Information
 
    If users have questions while using the CAR data, please contact 
    the NASA Langley ASDC Science, Users and Data Services Office at:

        Atmospheric Sciences Data Center
        Science, Users and Data Services Office
        Mail Stop 157D
        2 South Wright Street
        NASA Langley Research Center
        Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199
        U.S.A.

        E-mail:   larc@eos.nasa.gov
        Phone:    (757)864-8656
        FAX:      (757)864-8807
        URL:      http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov

2.0  Data Set Description

     2.1 Data Set Information
   
        Spatial coverage is determined by the flight track of aircraft and 
        to a lesser extent the height of the aircraft.  Flight track 
        patterns did not intend to provide large continuous spatial
        coverage. Field of view for each pixel is 1 degree, pixel footprint 
        on the surface at nadir is 4m for aircraft altitude of 600m, and 43m 
        at 5km altitude.
  
     2.2 Instrument Information
 
        The CAR instrument is an airborne multi-wavelength scanning
        radiometer, designed to operate from a mounted position aboard 
        various aircraft, including the nose cone of the University of
        Washington's Convair CV-580. Developed by Dr. Michael King at 
        NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the CAR instrument measures 
        radiance for 190 degrees, and total view at 1 degree field of 
        view resolution. Instrument functions include:
        
       	* acquiring imagery of Earth surface and Cloud features
   	* single scattering albedo determination of clouds
        * angular distribution measuring of scattered radiation
        * bidirectional reflectance measuring of various surface types

     Car Spectral Characteristics
     CAR     Central     Centroid    Peak        Bandwidth
     Band#   Wvl(um)     Wvl(um)     Wvl(um)     (FWHM)(um) 
 
        1       0.340      0.340       0.339        0.009 
        2       0.381      0.381       0.381        0.006 
        3       0.472      0.472       0.479        0.021 
        4       0.682      0.681       0.677        0.022 
        5       0.870      0.871       0.873        0.022 
        6       1.0358     1.036       1.031        0.022 
        7       1.219      1.219       1.219        0.022 
        8       1.273      1.273       1.270        0.023 
        9       1.562      1.561       1.557        0.032 
       10       1.656      1.654       1.648        0.045
       11       1.737      1.737       1.733        0.040
       12       2.103      2.103       2.093        0.044
       13       2.205      2.205       2.205        0.042
       14       2.301      2.301       2.290        0.043

        For information about the CAR Products see:

             http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 
          
     2.3 File Naming Convention 

        The CLAMS_CV580_CAR data are available in hierarchical 
        data format (hdf).

        The data files are named using the following convention:
        CLAMS_CV580_YYYYMMDD.hdf 
        where YYYY is year, MM is month and DD is day.   

	Inclusive Dates: 10 July 2001 - 2 August 2001
 
        Granule Name                   Flight#
        CLAMS_CV580_20010710.hdf        1870
        CLAMS_CV580_20010712.hdf        1871
        CLAMS_CV580_20010714.hdf        1872
        CLAMS_CV580_20010716.hdf        1873
        CLAMS_CV580_20010717.hdf        1874
        CLAMS_CV580_20010723.hdf        1875
        CLAMS_CV580_20010726.hdf        1878
        CLAMS_CV580_20010730.hdf        1879
        CLAMS_CV580_20010731.hdf        1880
        CLAMS_CV580_20010802.hdf        1882

     2.4 Science Point of Contact

         Dr. Michael D. King
         Voice: 301.614.5636
         Email: michael.d.king@nasa.gov
         Principal Investigator 

         Visit the following link for a complete listing of
         CAR team members:
         http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/staff.html

3.0  Format and Packaging

     The following files are defined for this Sample Read 
     Software distribution:
     
     Filename			Format
     -----------------------	----------------
     clams_car_readme.txt	This readme file
 
     Orderable data consist of 10 data granules listed in Section 2.3

4.0  Science Parameter and Attribute Information

     Paramater: Radiance
 
     The 33 listed attributes are common among each of the granules.
     Only the value field is specific for the following granule:

     Filename: CLAMS_CV580_20010726.hdf

     attribute no.   1	   attribute name: Title
			   byte	count:	   45	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Cloud Absorption Radiometer Level-1B HDF data

     attribute no.   2	   attribute name: FlightNumber
			   byte	count:	    2	  data type: int16
			   value   1:		1878

     attribute no.   3	   attribute name: ExperimentName
			   byte	count:	    5	  data type: char8
			   value   1: CLAMS

     attribute no.   4	   attribute name: FlightDate
			   byte	count:	   13	  data type: char8
			   value   1: July 26, 2001

     attribute no.   5	   attribute name: CarOperator
			   byte	count:	   14	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Charles Gatebe

     attribute no.   6	   attribute name: FlightSummary
			   byte	count:	   82	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Flight over Atlantic Ocean, final	calibration 
                                      data, sunglint BRDF, roll corrected

     attribute no.   7	   attribute name: CreationDate
			   byte	count:	   20	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Dec  4 2001 13:28:34

     attribute no.   8	   attribute name: CreateBy
			   byte	count:	   41	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Tom Arnold (arnold@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov)

     attribute no.   9	   attribute name: SoftwareVersion
			   byte	count:	   30	  data type: char8
			   value   1: 5.0 (C++ programming language)

     attribute no.  10	   attribute name: CalibrationVersion
			   byte	count:	    4	  data type: float32
			   value   1:  3.0000000E+00

     attribute no.  11	   attribute name: CarViewingConfiguration
			   byte	count:	   24	  data type: char8
			   value   1: starboard/BRDF, downward

     attribute no.  12	   attribute name: JulianDay
			   byte	count:	    2	  data type: int16
			   value   1:		 207

     attribute no.  13	   attribute name: LocalTimeZone
			   byte	count:	    2	  data type: int16
			   value   1:		   4

     attribute no.  14	   attribute name: Credits
			   byte	count:	   55	  data type: char8
			   value   1: NASA Goddard Space Flight	Center:	Code 900, 913 and 553

     attribute no.  15	   attribute name: data_set
			   byte	count:	   45	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Cloud Absorption Radiometer Level-1B HDF Data

     attribute no.  16	   attribute name: data_product
			   byte	count:	   12	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Flight Track

     attribute no.  17	   attribute name: science_project
			   byte	count:	   31	  data type: char8
			   value   1: NASA/GSFC	Cloud Retrieval	Group

     attribute no.  18	   attribute name: sensor
			   byte	count:	   27	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Cloud Absorption Radiometer

     attribute no.  19	   attribute name: platform
			   byte	count:	   51	  data type: char8
			   value   1: University of Washington Convair-580 Twin-Turboprop

     attribute no.  20	   attribute name: platform_type
			   byte	count:	   17	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Research Aircraft

     attribute no.  21	   attribute name: primary_navigation_system
			   byte	count:	   23	  data type: char8
			   value   1: GPS Trimble TANS-Vector

     attribute no.  22	   attribute name: parameter_general
			   byte	count:	   39	  data type: char8
			   value   1: Calibrated Radiance and Navigation Data

     attribute no.  23	   attribute name: parameter_specific
			   byte	count:	   33	  data type: char8
			   value   1: CAR Angular Distributed Radiances

     attribute no.  24	   attribute name: geog_flag
			   byte	count:	    1	  data type: char8
			   value   1: c

     attribute no.  25	   attribute name: day_night_flag
			   byte	count:	    1	  data type: char8
			   value   1: d

     attribute no.  26	   attribute name: DataSystemVersion
			   byte	count:	    2	  data type: int16
			   value   1:		   0

     attribute no.  27	   attribute name: begin_dateTime
			   byte	count:	   17	  data type: char8
			   value   1: 20010727 154416.7

     attribute no.  28	   attribute name: end_dateTime
			   byte	count:	   17	  data type: char8
			   value   1: 20010727 181711.0

     attribute no.  29	   attribute name: lon_min
			   byte	count:	    4	  data type: float32
			   value   1: -7.5684380E+01

     attribute no.  30	   attribute name: lon_max
			   byte	count:	    4	  data type: float32
			   value   1: -7.4235046E+01

     attribute no.  31	   attribute name: lat_min
			   byte	count:	    4	  data type: float32
			   value   1:  3.6370861E+01

     attribute no.  32	   attribute name: lat_max
			   byte	count:	    4	  data type: float32
			   value   1:  3.7519169E+01

     attribute no.  33	   attribute name: World Wide Web site
			   byte	count:	   24	  data type: char8
			   value   1: http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov

5.0  Description and Implementation of Sample Read Software 

     Software for data manipulation may be obtained directly from the data provider at:
     http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/software.html

6.0  Additional Information

     6.1  Contributors to the CAR Project:

       *  Principal Investigator  *
          Dr. Michael King

          Research Scientist 
          Dr. Charles K. Gatebe
          Dr. Steve Platnick 
          Dr. Si-Chee Tsay
 
          Data Processing, Analysis and Web Maintenance
          Mr. Tom Arnold
          Dr. Charles K. Gatebe
           
          Engineers and Support
          Mr. Vincent Bly
          Mr. Hollis (Rusty) Jones 
          Ms. Trang Nguyen
          Ms. Trinh Nguyen
          Mr. Peter Shu 
   
          Visit the following link for contact information.
          http://car.gsfc.nasa.gov/staff.html
 
     6.2  Last Updated Dec 13 , 2004