UH Space Physics Data Base

Past Campaigns

1978-79 Siple Rocket Campaign

1980-81 Siple Balloon-Rocket CampaignSiple 1980 Campaign Logo

Several types of rockets and high-altitude balloons were launched during the period December 1, 1980, to January 14, 1981, from Siple Station, Antarctica (60 45' S, 8 9' W geomagnetic; 75 56' S,84 15' W geographic). The purposes of this campaign were to perform simultaneous multiplatform studies of the wave-particle interactions produced by operation of the Siple VLF transmitter, to measure the electric field and bremsstrahlung X ray flux, and to study various aspects of the dynamics of the plasmapause region. There were seven rockets launched during the campaign (3 Nike-Tomahawks and 4 Super-Arcases) and 11 balloon payloads. The ground-based Siple station instruments included a fluxgate magnetometer, a search-coil magnetometer, a VLF transmitter, VLF broadband receiver and a 30 MHz riometer.

3 Nike-Tomahawk (N-T) and 4 SuperAcras rocket flights were launched during this campaign. The N-T payload Project Scientist and Project Scientist for entire campaign was David Matthews from the University of Maryland The objectives of these payloads were to investigate energetic particle preciptation produced by natural and artificial wave particle interactions in the region between 90 and 190 km. The N-T vehicles had two electron detectors, an electrostatic analyzer for the energy range 0.1-16 keV and a solid-state detector for higher energies. The N-T payloads also carried a complement of vector ac and dc electric and magnetic field detectors. All three of the N-T flights were accompanied by SuperArcas rockets. The launches were conducted at on December 12, 1980 at 1720 UT; on December 20, 1980 at 1733 UT; and January 10, 1981 at 1822 UT

The balloon payloads carried several detectors. All of the balloon payloads carried an X ray detector. The balloon X ray detector consisted of an uncollimated 7.6 cm-diameter thallium-activated sodium iodide scintillation counter. An electric field detector was flown on five of the twelve flights. It consisted of two orthogonal pairs of electric field probes in the horizontal plane, one probe suspended vertically below the payload and an electronics unit to measure the potential difference between the probes.The horizontal probes were either square plates measuring 30 cm on a side, or hollow spheres measuring 30 cm in diameter. The vertical probe was a 30 cm x 30 cm square plate. Each probe was mounted on a 2.5 m insulating phenolic boom.The probes were made of aluminum and coated with a colloidal carbon suspension called Aquadag. The balloon payload was connected to the balloon through a rotator by about 50 m of woven ropes. The rotator was used to spin the payload at a nominal rate of 4 rpm. Attached to the payload body were 4 Aquadag-coated aluminum plates used as a reference ground.Three of the five electric field flights (Flights 3, 5 and 7) were successful and obtained 57.5 hour-worth data. An intense magnetic storm occurred during Flight 5. This storm is known to be one of 5 strongest storms measured in the spacecraft era.

Balloon Flight Table

Flight No. Launch Date (Year, DOY) and Time Float Altitude Reached Loss of Signal
3 1980 347 0620 UT 1980 347 0931 UT 1980 348 2131 UT
5 1980 354 0920 UT 1980 354 1115 UT 1980 354 0945 UT
7 1980 366 1600 UT 1980 366 1810 UT 1981 001 1415 UT

Selected References

1985-86 South Pole Balloon Campaign

A balloon campaign occurred during the 1985-86 austral summer comprising the flight of eight stratospheric balloon payloads from Amundsen-Scott Station, South Pole, Antarctica. The campaign was a collaboration between the UH Space Physics Group and the University of Maryland.

The primary experimental tools used in this balloon program were unmanned stratospheric balloon payloads. The balloons used were helium-filled and had a volume of 5100 m. The payloads had a mass of 24.5 kg, giving a nominal float altitude of 32 km. The payloads were instrumented with three-axis, double probe field detectors and X-ray scintillation counters. Secondary instrumentation on-board measured the stratospheric conductivity, the ambient temperature and pressure. Three of the payloads also included tone-ranging transceivers. Equally essential to the program were the ground based data from the South Pole Station Cusp Lab, the Iqaluit conjugate observatory, the Goose Bay HF radar, the Søndrestrøm radar, and satellite data from the DMSP, DE and IMP-8 spacecraft.

In the month starting on 16 December, 1985 and ending 16 January, 1986, 8 successful balloon flights were conducted, ranging in duration from 6 h to 103 h. A total of 468 h 30 min of data were obtained under a wide range of geophysical conditions. Periods of particular interest include 19 December, 1985, 30 December, 1985, 2-3 January, 1986, and 7-8 January, 1986.

Flight Table

Flight No. Launch Date (Yr, DOY) and Time Float Altitude Reached Loss of Signal
1 1985 350, 0704 UT 1985 350, 0900 UT 1985 351, 0900 UT
2 1985 353, 0536 UT 1985 353, 0730 UT 1985 354, 0000 UT
3 1985 355, 2205 UT 1985 356, 0000 UT 1985 356, 0342 UT
4 1985 358, 2112 UT 1985 358, 2300 UT 1985 362, 0424 UT
5 1985 362, 0807 UT 1985 362, 1000 UT 1985 365, 0715 UT
6 1986 002, 0508 UT 1986 002, 0715 UT 1986 006, 0600 UT
7 1986 007, 0945 UT 1986 007, 1200 UT 1986 010, 0521 UT
8 1986 012, 1234 UT 1986 012, 1730 UT 1986 016, 2013 UT

Selected References

There have been more than 100 papers published that have used the data from this campaign. A few are listed below. A more complete list is available in E.A. Bering's curriculum vitae.

  1. The 1985-86 South Pole Balloon Campaign, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, J.M. Howard, D.M. Oró, E.G. Stansbery, J.R. Theall, D.L. Matthews and T.J. Rosenberg, Proceedings of the Nagata Symposium on Geomagnetically Conjugate Studies and the Workshop on Antarctic Middle and Upper Atmosphere Physics Which Were Held at SCAR XIX, Memoirs of the National Institute of Polar Research, Japan, Special Issue No. 48, 313-317 (1987). Dayside energetic electron precipitation over the South Pole ( = 75), D.L. Matthews, T.J. Rosenberg, E.A. Bering, and J.R. Benbrook, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 12941-12945 (1988).
  2. Observations of ionospheric flux ropes above South Pole, Z. M. Lin, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, G.J. Byrne, D. Liang, B. Liao, and J.R. Theall, in Physics of Magnetic Flux Ropes, AGU Geophysical Monograph 58, pp 581-590 (1990).
  3. Solar radiation (190-230 nm) in the stratosphere: Implications for photoelectric emissions from instrumentation at balloon altitudes, G.J. Byrne, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, and D. M. Oró, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 5557-5566 (1990).
  4. Solar wind properties observed during high-latitude impulsive perturbation events," with L. J. Lanzerotti, J. R. Benbrook, Z.-M. Lin, C. G. Maclennan, A. Wolfe, R. E. Lopez, and E. Friis-Christensen, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 583-586 (1990).
  5. Balloon measurements above the South Pole: Study of ionospheric transmission of ULF waves, E.A. Bering, B. Liao, J. R. Benbrook, G.J. Byrne, J. R. Theall, L. J. Lanzerotti, and C. G. Maclennan, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 7807-7820, (1995).
  6. Statistical studies of impulsive events at high latitudes, Z. M. Lin, J. R. Benbrook, E.A.Bering, III, B. Liao, L. J. Lanzerotti, C. G. Maclennan, A. Wolfe, and E. Friis-Christensen, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 7553-7566, (1995).
  7. Intense 2.3 Hz electric field pulsations in the stratosphere at high auroral latitude, E.A. Bering, III, J.R. Benbrook, J. Geophys. Res. , 100, 7791-7806, (1995).

Polar Patrol Balloon Campaigns

Since 1984, the National Institute of Polar Research and the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan have studied the feasibility of a long-term circumpolar balloon experiment, called the Polar Patrol Balloon (PPB) project. This project aimed at establishing a PPB system to bring scientific payloads into the stratosphere over the Antarctic region. Three test flights in 1987 and 1990 at Syowa Station convinced the project team that the PPB would have a good chance of coming back to the launching area, provided that we utilize the advantage of having no sunset during the summer over Antarctica. Six PPB experiments were carried out in 1990 to 1993 as an Antarctic STEP project. PPB #1 accomplished a complete circumpolar flight over Antarctica. The second flight (#2) was launched on January 5, 1991 to make measurements of auroral X-rays, magnetic and electric fields. The electric field experiment was provided by the University of Houston Space Physics Group. The third flight (#3) was carried out on September 23-28, 1991 when the Antarctic ozone hole was well developed, in order to investigate the chemical source and sink of ozone. PPB#4 and #5, with payloads of vector magnetic and electric fields and auroral X-rays, were launched on December 26 and 30, 1992, respectively. PPB #6 aimed at studying the elemental and isotopic composition of galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles and cosmic gamma ray bursts, and was launched on January 5, 1993.

The Polar Patrol Balloon Project performed long duration circumpolar balloon experiments over Antarctica using zero pressure balloons with an auto-ballast control. With the advantage of no sunset during the summer in Antarctica, a long duration flight over a few weeks is possible using a long duration balloon. Two PPB experiments with scientific instruments: a proton magnetometer, a dc electric field double probe and an X-ray detector were subsequently carried out during the austral summer of 1990 to 1991, as one of the STEP projects in Japanese Antarctic research work. The PPB #2 flight, was launched on January 5, 1991 with scientific payloads for auroral X-rays, magnetic and electric fields. Though this balloon did not complete a circumpolar trajectory, it also floated for a long period, approximately one month.

In the second series of STEP PPB experiments, three flights (PPB #4, #5, and #6) were carried out in 1992 to 1993. PPB #4 and #5 were launched a few days apart (see Table), with a tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer, proton magnetometer, 3-axis double probes and X-rays in the region of the auroral zone, the polar cap, the polar cleft/cusp and the geomagnetic south pole. We obtained different patterns of ionospheric convection velocity vectors deduced by the electric field detectors aboard PPB #2, #4, and #5, over the entire magnetic local time at high latitude. The data are being used to study the dependence on the interplanetary conditions and balloon location.

Flight Table

Flight No. Launch Date and Time Float Altitude Reached Loss of Scientific Data Signal (LOS)
2 January 5, 1991, 1855 UT January 5, 1991, 2130 UT January 14, 1991, 0000 UT
4 December 26, 1992, 1324 UT December 26, 1992, 1520 UT January 4, 1992, 0854 UT
5 December 30, 1992, 1433 UT December 30, 1992, 1640 UT January 13, 1993, 0120 UT

Selected References

Publication of the results from this campaign is just beginning.

  1. Experimental results of Polar Patrol Balloon project in Antarctica, M. Ejiri, H. Akiyama, R. Fujii, M. Hayashi, Y. Hirasima, A. Kadokura, H. Kanzawa, M. Kodama, H. Miyaoka, H. Murakami, M. Nakagawa, M. Namiki, J. Nishimura, S. Ohta, H. Suzuki, F. Tohyama, Y. Tonegawa, N. Yajima, T. Yamagami, H. Yamagishi, M.D. Yamanaka, and E.A. Bering, III, Proc. NIPR Symp. Upper Atmos Phys., 8, 60-64, (1995).
  2. Ionospheric response to the IMF variation,Y. Ebihara, F. Tohyama, Y. Tonegawa, A. Kadokura, N. Sato, M. Ejiri, Y. Hirashima, M. Namiki, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, and PPB WG, Mem. Nat. Inst. Polar Res., Jpn., (1995). (in press)
  3. Studies of ionospheric convection in the southern hemisphere using long duration balloons, E.A. Bering, III, J.R. Benbrook, C. Clarady, R. Fujii, and A. Kadokura, Antarct. J. U. S., 28(5), 329-332, (1993).
  4. ``Global coherence and cross-scale coupling of the ionospheric and atmospheric electric field,'' with J. R. Benbrook, R. Chadwick, K. Lee, A. A. Few, E. N. Cleary, G. A. Morris, G.J. Byrne, R. Fujii, A. Kadokura, R. H. Holzworth, H. Hu, K. Norville, S. J. Malachowski, K. D. Cole, G. B. Burns, M. H. Hesse, S. K. Parcell, and L. Symmons, presented to XXIII Meeting of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Working Group on Solar Terrestrial and Astrophysical Research, Rome, Italy, August, 1994.
  5. ``Polar patrol balloons (PPB) launched from Syowa during austral summer in 1992-93,'' N. Sato, M. Ejiri, Y. Tonegawa, A. Kadokura, Y. Hirasima, N. Yajima, T. Yamagami, T. Hirasawa, and E.A. Bering, presented to XXIII Meeting of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Working Group on Solar Terrestrial and Astrophysical Research, Rome, Italy, August, 1994.
  6. Multi-site observations of the ionospheric response to an IMF variation, Y. Ebihara, Y. Tonegawa, F. Tohyama, A. Kadokura, M. Ejiri, PPB WG, E.A. Bering, III, J.R. Benbrook, R.H. Holzworth, ELBBO WG, A.A. Few, and E.N. Cleary, XXI General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, Abstracts, B, 100, Boulder, Colorado, July 2-15, (1995).
  7. Observations of ionospheric convection in the Southern Hemisphere, E.A. Bering, III, J.R. Benbrook, Y. Ebihara, Y. Tonegawa, F. Tohyama, A. Kadokura, M. Ejiri, PPB WG, R.H. Holzworth, and ELBBO WG, EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 76(46 Fall Meeting Supplement), F511, 1995.

Atmospheric Electricity at South Pole Station

We have constructed instruments to measure the atmospheric conduction current and the atmospheric electric field: two fundamental parameters of the global-electric circuit. The instruments were deployed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in January 1991 and are designed to operate continuously for up to one year without operator intervention. The atmospheric current is measured by a sensor that uses a split-hemispheric conducting shell of 17.8-cm radius, separated by a thin Teflon insulating disk. The detection electronics are inside the sphere. In principle, the atmospheric current flows into one hemisphere, through the electronics where it is measured, and out the other hemisphere. The electric field is measured by a field mill of the rotating dipole type. The electric field sensing elements are two 30-cm-long antennas, driven to rotate in the vertical plane at 1800 rotations per minute. Two arrays of identical instruments have been deployed, separated by 600 m, in order to distinguish between atmospheric electrical signals of local and global origin. The separation distance of the arrays was determined by the climatology of the Antarctic plateau. Sample data from the first days of operation at the South Pole indicate variations in the global circuit over time scales from minutes, to hours, to days.

Data presently available in the archive comprises most of 1991 and 1993, along with December, 1992.

Selected References

  1. Ground based instrumentation for measurements of atmospheric conduction current and electric field at the South Pole, G.J. Byrne, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, A.A. Few, G.J. Morris, W.J. Trabucco, and E.W. Paschal, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 2611-2617 (1993).
  2. The global circuit: Passive load, proxy variable or active element?, E. A. Bering, iII, Rev. Geophys., 33(Supplement), 845-862 (1995) (U.S. National Report to International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics 1991-1994).
  3. The global circuit, E.A. Bering, III, A. A. Few and J. R. Benbrook, Physics Today, (1996). (in press)
  4. Statistics and trends of global atmospheric electricity measurements, E.N.Cleary, A.A. Few, and E. A. Bering III, J. Geophys. Res. 101,, 1996. (submitted to)

Ozone Studies Aire-Sur-l'Adour Logo

In recent years, the group has conducted a variety of in situ ozone observations using mostly balloons (and one rocket). Much of this work has been conducted in collaboration with Dr. Aimedieu and the CNES in the South of France. Contrary to rumor, the objectives of the work have not included monitoring the depths of the ozone hole above the beaches of the Riviera.The projects have involved flight of a dual beam absorbtion photometer in conjection with a number of other comparison instruments. This package has also been flown in winter from an Arctic launch site in an effort to probe the possible development of an Arctic ozone hole. A related instrument has been developed in recent years for use on a sounding rocket.

Rocket Campaigns Poker Flat Research Range Logo

INDEX Program

The INdependently DEployed X ray package was a mainstay of our program for many years. Launched by a Super-Arcas rocket, these small parachute deployed payloads provided up to 45 minutes of auroral X ray precipitation data from an essentially fixed location. More than 25 of these rockets were launched during the period from 1970 to 1983. The payload measured X-r ay counting rate in 4 integral and 16 differential energy channels from 5 keV to 150 keV photon energy. It was deployed on a parachute at ~82km altitude and returned about 40 minutes of useful data per flight.

Selected References
  1. Investigation of the electric field below 80 km from a parachute deployed payload, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 82, 1925-1932 (1977).
  2. Correlative effects of VLF chorus activity and electron precipitation near the plasmapause, H. Leverenz, J.L. Roeder, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, and J. Lavergnat, J. Geomag. Geoelec., 30, 357-358 (1978).
  3. Longitudinal variation in the high-altitude X-ray flux during quiet geomagnetic conditions, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, H. Leverenz and J.L. Roeder, Space Research, XIX, 347-350 (1979).
  4. Artificial stimulation of auroral electron acceleration by intense field aligned currents, G. Holmgren, R. Boström, M.C. Kelley, P.M. Kintner, R. Lundin, U.V. Fahleson, E.A. Bering, and W.R. Sheldon, Geophysical Research Letters, 6, 789-792 (1979).
  5. Problems with mesospheric electric field measurements, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook and W.R. Sheldon, Nature, 283, 695 (1980).
  6. Trigger, an active release experiment that stimulated auroral particle precipitation and wave emissions, G. Holmgren, R. Boström, M.C. Kelley, P.M. Kintner, R. Lundin, U.V. Fahleson and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 5043-5053 (1980).
  7. The results from the X-ray bremsstrahlung experiment of project Trigger, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, E.G. Stansbery, W.R. Sheldon and J.L. Roeder, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 5079-5095 (1980).
  8. X-ray measurements during project ARAKS, J.L. Roeder, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering and H. Leverenz, Annales de Géophysique, 36, 401-409 (1980).
  9. Evidence for beam stimulated precipitation of high energy electrons, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, J.L. Roeder and W.R. Sheldon, in Artificial Particle Beams in Space Plasma Studies, edited by B. Grandal, pp 147-157, Plenum Press, New York, N.Y., (1981).
  10. Quiet-time electron precipitation at L=4 in the South Atlantic Anomaly, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, H. Leverenz, J.L. Roeder and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 88, 189-200 (1983).
  11. Diurnal modulation of the quiet-time penetrating electron flux, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook and C.G. Gelpi, J. Geophys. Res, 90., 548-552 (1985).
  12. Waterhole auroral arc modification experiments: electrodynamic response, B.A. Whalen, A.W. Yau, F. Creutzberg, D.D. Wallis, A.G. McNamara, F.R. Harris, M.B. Pongratz, P.M. Kintner, J. Labelle, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, P.A. Forsyth, and R A. Kochler, J. Geophys. Res., 90, 8387-8396 (1985).
  13. X-ray microbursts and VLF chorus, J.L. Roeder, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 90, 10975-10982 (1985).
  14. Electron precipitation near L=4 : Longitudinal variation, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, H. Leverenz, J.L. Roeder, and E.G. Stansbery, Adv. Space Res., 7(8), 49-52 (1987).
  15. Longitudinal differences in electron precipitation near L=4, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, H. Leverenz, J.L. Roeder, E.G. Stansbery, and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 11385-11404 (1988).
  16. Rocket investigations of electron precipitation and VLF waves in the Antarctic upper atmosphere, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, and E.A. Bering, Rev. Geophys., 26, 519-534 (1988).
  17. Comment on "Highly relativistic magnetospheric electrons: A role in coupling to the middle atmosphere?", W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, and E.A. Bering, Geophys. Res. Lett., 15, 1449-1450 (1988).
  18. The effect of mid-latitude electron precipitation on the geoelectric field, W.R. Sheldon, J.R. Benbrook, and G.J. Byrne, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 50(10/11), 1019-1023 (1988).
  19. Perturbations of the Antarctic upper atmosphere by energetic electron precipitation, W.R. Sheldon, Proceedings, Antarctic Research Symposium, 484-492, China Ocean Press (1989). Copies available from the author by request.
  20. On the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the outer belt, W.R.Sheldon, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 53(1/2), 17-23 (1991).

Terrier-Malemute 13.007

This rocket was launched at 0813 UT on March 8, 1978. It carried a variety of particle and field experiments. It has been termed the first sounding rocket to traverse an entire "inverted-V"

Selected References

  1. Simultaneous rocket and radar measurements of currents in an auroral arc, R.M. Robinson, R.R. Vondrak, H.R. Anderson, P. Cloutier and E.A. Bering, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 7703-7717 (1981).
  2. A sounding rocket observation of an apparent wake generated parallel electric field, E.A. Bering, J. Geophys. Res., 88, 961-979 (1983).
  3. Apparent electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in the diffuse aurora, E.A. Bering, Geophys. Res. Lett., 10, 647-650 (1983).
  4. The plasma wave environment of an auroral arc, 1., Electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in the diffuse aurora, E.A. Bering, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 1635-1649 (1984).
  5. The plasma wave environment of an auroral arc, 2, ULF waves on an auroral arc boundary, C. Gelpi and E.A.Bering, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 10847-10851 (1984).
  6. The plasma wave environment of an auroral arc, 3. VLF hiss, E.A. Bering, J.E. Maggs, and H.R. Anderson, J. Geophys. Res., 92, 7581-7605 (1987).

Balloon Campaigns

Roberval

We have conducted several balloon campaigns during the 1970'saimed at understanding wave-paricle precipitation on the Siple- Roberval field line.

Selected References

  1. Some aspects of the interrelationship of magnetospheric substorm-associated particle precipitation and thunderstorm electric fields, E.A. Bering, T.J. Rosenberg, D. Detrick, J.R. Benbrook, D.L. Matthews and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geomag. Geoelec., 30, 359-360 (1978).
  2. On the relationship of ~3 mHz (Pc5) electric, magnetic, and particle variations, C. G. Maclennan, L.J. Lanzerotti, A. Hasegawa, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, W.R. Sheldon, T.J. Rosenberg and D.L. Matthews, Geophysical Research Letters, 5, 403-406 (1978).
  3. Electric fields, electron precipitation, and VLF radiation during a simultaneous magnetospheric substorm and atmospheric thunderstorm, E.A.Bering, T.J. Rosenberg, J.R. Benbrook, D. Detrick, D.L. Matthews, M.J. Rycroft, M.A. Saunders and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 55-72 (1980).
  4. Conjugate ionospheric electric field measurements, E.A. Bering and J.R. Benbrook, Annales Geophysicæ, (Series A), 5A, 485-502 (1987).
  5. Observations of the stratospheric conductivity and its variation at three latitudes, G.J. Byrne, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, D.M. Oró, C.O. Seubert and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 3879-3892 (1988).

Palestine

We have a number of balloon flights from the NSBF in Palestine, Texas for the purposes of prototype payload testing and investigating the electrodynamic coupling between thunderstorms and the magnetosphere.

Selected References

  1. Measured electric field in the vicinity of a thunderstorm system at an altitude of 37 km, J.R. Benbrook, J.W. Kern, and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 79(34), 5289-5295, (1973).
  2. Investigation of the electric field below 80 km from a parachute deployed payload, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook, and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 82, 1925-1932 (1977).
  3. Problems with mesospheric electric field measurements, E.A. Bering, J.R. Benbrook and W.R. Sheldon, Nature, 283, 695 (1980).
  4. Observations of the stratospheric conductivity and its variation at three latitudes, G.J. Byrne, J.R. Benbrook, E.A. Bering, D.M. Oró, C.O. Seubert and W.R. Sheldon, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 3879-3892 (1988).

Data Base Description

The format used to store all of the electric field and most of the other types of data that we have made available to the community is the Stanford/Michigan version of the UCLA flatfile system. These files are therefore in native VAX binary with a descriptive ASCII header. The units should all be SI physical units. If not, they will be so noted in the header file. These files were created using the FLATDBMS data base managment utility package described by FLATDBMS, A Flexible, Source Independent Data Management System, Anne Q. Smith and C. Robert Clauer, STAR Lab Report D106-1984-1, Stanford University [1984]. I have asked Bob Clauer if he has posted a description of this package on the web. The answer was no. Hopefully, if enough people send him e-mail, he may do so. Despite its relative obscurity, this format is a version of one of the six formats mentioned as possible "standards" for data posting at the 1993 NASA Space Physics Data System workshop, so we hope that users will be able to cope.

File Naming Convention

The file naming convention that we use is one that was developed by Bob Innes and Grace Adams at the SSL, UC, Berkeley back in the late '60's. It's preservation is a classic example of the triumph of inertia over common sense. All files are named

ABCnnXZY... . *

where

A stands for file type
R: Raw data
I: Intermediate processing stage
A: Analyzed data
F: Flatfiles (usually analyzed data)
P: Plotting files or Power Spectra
S: Spectral Matrices
B stands for data source
G: Ground based (may include tracking data)
B: Balloon payload
R: sounding Rocket payload
S: Satellite
C stands for Project ID
P: 1980-81 Siple Station Balloon-Rocket Campaign
R: 1985-86 South Pole Balloon Campaign
T: South Pole Atmospheric Electricity Data
U: Polar Patrol Balloons
nn stands for flight number
if nn has more than two digits, it usually corresponds to DOY and year.
XYZ is a freeform field that usually describes what type of analysis has been done, e.g.
2MAV means 2 minute averages
HAV means half-hour averages, etc
* is, as usual, the filetype extension
.HED, .HDR: Header files containing data descriptions
.DAT: the data, usually in VAX binary
.PLT: plot files, usually in either pre-GKRN NCAR Metacode or Tek 4014 commands

Rules of the Road

I have, of course, posted our data to the Web in the hope and expectation that people will use them. I am not, therefore, going to impose impossible conditions for their use. We have three basic requirements that are common to all data bases. First, please show us what you have done with our data prior to journal submission. We ask this in order to avoid the proliferation of papers about bad data intervals. Second, please acknowledge your source. Third, we have a nice list of Grant numbers for your acknowledgements section. Please ask.

Data from the PPB projects and from the 1991-1993 South Pole project are still in the early stages of publication by our group. You are still welcome to use these data. However, we do still regard these data as proprietary. Thus, we require that you offer us and the other team members co-authorship of any paper that uses these data.

List of Data File FTP Links

I have not yet had time to enter the several hundred file names in the form of links. I probably will have to write a FORTRAN routine to do it automatically. The place to start is via anonymous ftp from the node space.phys.uh.edu. The main directory is [anonymous]. All of the useful data is in sub-directories with fairly obvious descriptive names such as [.ppb] for the Polar Patrol Balloon Campaign data, [.south_pole.85-86_balloon] for the 85-86 South Pole Balloon campaign data, etc. A windows-type ftp client with a visual directory display will probably get you where you need to go pretty fast.

Main Directory

The parent directory of our database can be found at ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/.

Polar Patrol Balloon Program

The data from the Polar Patrol Balloon Program can be found at ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/ppb/.

Siple Balloon-Rocket Campaign

There is an empty directory in which these data can be put if requested at ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/siple/.

South Pole Programs

There is a parent sub-directory for all of our South Pole based programs at ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/south_pole/.

1985-86 South Pole Balloon Campaign.
The data from the 1985-86 South Pole Balloon Campaign are in ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/south_pole/85-86_balloon/.

Ground Based Atmospheric Electricity Data
The data from the 1991-1993 atmospheric electricity project at South Pole are in sub-directories of ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/south_pole/ground/.

Ozone Measurements

RISO
The data from recent RISO flights can be found in ftp://space.phys.uh.edu/ozone/. They are not in FLATDBMS form. Please ask Prof. J. R. Benbrook for a roadmap.

At this point, you can go to the UH Space Physics Group Web Site, my personal Home Page, or the middle of my vita page just after the link to this page. Questions about the data or possible collaborative papers may be addressed to me at <eabering@uh.edu>.

Edgar A. Bering, III , <eabering@uh.edu>