KWAJEX DC8 Microphysics Product Definition (For SLC FC Workshop Products) Formats and Definitions The common microphysical product variables are given in ASCII format, with all lines ending in a carriage return. The format consists of several header lines followed by lines containing data for each 1-km leg segment. Header The 1st header line contains an integer indicating the total number of header lines (greater than or equal to 3). The 2nd header line contains the filename with blanks substituted for the "_" underscores. The 3rd header line contains the bin center in ?m of each size category in the spectra data. These bin centers are needed to properly plot the drop spectra. Additional header comment lines contain additional information such as which probes were used to characterize certain sets of bins, the characteristics of probes used in the calculations (e.g., resolution, size range, response time), and how size spectra were computed. The comment lines also contain specific "user beware" information regarding the uncertainties of various fields. Time series The time series data are presented as columns delimited by a blank space and with a carriage return at the end of each line. Each line contains the variable values associated with each 1-km segment along a flight track. The value of -999.99 is used for missing values. Each line (1-km segment) contains the following thirteen parameter sectors in order, containing 145 fields as follows: time tag (6 fields), position coordinate (4 fields), ambient temperature (1 field), true air speed (1 field), ground speed (1 field) pressure (1 field), dewpoint (1 field), vertical air velocity (1 field), total concentrations and counts (8 fields), habit (20 fields), water/ice masses (7 fields), and size spectra (94 fields). 1. Time Tag: 6 fields containing UTC time at center of 1-km flight track segment (e.g., first time tag indicates time where A/C is 500 m from start point) -- format is 4-digit year, 2-digit month, 2-digit day, hour, minute, seconds to 1-decimal place accuracy. Example: 1999 08 05 22 15 2.3 2. Position Coordinate: 4 fields total, first two fields contain lat-lon coordinates at center of 1-km flight track segment (e.g., first position coordinate indicates position where A/C is 500 m from start point) -- format in decimal degrees to 4-decimal place accuracy with north (south) latitudes given as positive (negative) and east (west) longitudes given as positive (negative). Third field contains best measurement of average altitude in meters MSL at center of 1-km flight track segment to nearest meter. Fourth field is a flag indicating source of lat-lon position data (I for INS, G for GPS). Example: 8.8555 168.1000 5056 G 3. Ambient Temperature: 1 field containing best measurement of average temperature along 1-km flight track segment -- format in deg C to 1 decimal place accuracy. Example: -2.1 4. True Air Speed: 1 field containing best measurement of average true air speed along 1-km flight track segment -- format in m/s to 1 decimal place accuracy. Example: 150.3 5. Ground Speed: 1 field containing best measurement of average ground speed along 1-km flight track segment - format in m/s to 1 decimal place accuracy. Example: 150.3 6. Pressure: 1 field containing best measurement of average pressure along 1-km flight track segment -- format in mb to nearest mb. Example: 772 7. Dewpoint: 1 field containing best measurement of average dewpoint along 1-km flight track segment -- format in deg C to 1 decimal place accuracy. If data is considered unreliable set to missing. Example: 5.3 8. Vertical air velocity: 1 field containing best measurement of average vertical air velocity along 1-km flight track segment -- format in m/s to 1 decimal place accuracy. If data is considered unreliable or is unavailable set to missing. Example: 2.5 9. Total Concentrations (L-1) displayed in exponential notation with 3 decimal place accuracy (e.g., 1.234e-56) and Counts displayed as whole integers: 2 fields computed for 4 different probes. All 2D concentrations and counts based on the Heymsfield and Parrish (1978) entire-in method. a. Total Concentration calculated from the FSSP over the size range specified for the FSSP in the spectra below in (12). b. Total Counts calculated from the FSSP over the size range specified for the FSSP in the spectra below in (12). c. Total Concentration calculated from the CPI over the size range specified for the CPI in the spectra below in (12). d. Total Counts calculated from the CPI over the size range specified for the CPI in the spectra below in (12). e. Total Concentration calculated from the 2DC using a reconstructed sample volume over the size range specified for the 2DC in the spectra below in (12). f. Total Counts calculated from the 2DC over the size range specified for the 2DC in the spectra below in (12). g. Total Concentration calculated from the 2DP using a reconstructed sample volume over the size range specified for the 2DP in the spectra below in (12). h. Total Counts calculated from the 2DP over the size range specified for the 2DP in the spectra below in (12). 10. Habit recognition: 20 fields containing -999.99. This information is not yet available for this product. 11. Water/Ice Masses: 7 fields containing -999.99. This information is not yet available for this product. 12. Size Spectra: Two types of particle spectra are specified. All 2D images have been processed by the Heymsfield and Parrish (1978) entire-in technique and sized along the direction orthogonal to the diode array. Data for each spectra is contained in 2 spectra type fields and 45 size bin fields for a total of 47 fields per spectra. The spectra type flags are placed in 2 fields prior to the 45 size fields. The first flag indicates the subset of particles: A=all. The second flag indicates the type of output: N=counts, C=concentration. Flags are separated by blank space. The full list of spectra types to be included in CMPD is as follows: a. (A N) counts for all particles b. (A C) concentration for all particles Each size spectra consists of 45 fields corresponding to 45 size bins. Concentrations per bin per bin width (L-1 ?m-1) are displayed in exponential notation with 3 decimal place accuracy (e.g., 1.234e-56). Counts per bin (non-dimensional) are displayed as whole integers. Size categories are as follows: 5-40 ?m range with 5 ?m bin width (7 bins), 40-150 ?m range with 10 ?m bin width (11 bins), 150-1000 ?m range with 50 ?m bin width (17 bins), and 1-3 mm range with 200 ?m bin width (10 bins). FSSP data are used for the 5-40 ?m size range, CPI data for the 40-150 ?m size range, 2DC data for the 150-1000 ?m size range, and 2DP data for sizes greater than 1 mm. If the available instruments on an aircraft are not able to provide the desired information for a particle size bin, a value of -999.99 is set. The 45 size bins are summarized below where d is the dimension of a particle in the direction orthogonal to the diode array: 1. 5 micrometers <= d < 10 micrometers .... FSSP 7. 35 micrometers <= d < 40 micrometers 8. 40 micrometers <= d < 50 micrometers .... CPI 18 140 micrometers <= d < 150 micrometers 19 150 micrometers <= d < 200 micrometers .... 2DC 35 950 micrometers <= d < 1000 micrometers 36 1000 micrometers <= d < 1200 micrometers .... 2DP 45 2800 micrometers <= d < 3000 micrometers Please direct questions and comments to the developer of this product: David Kingsmill Desert Research Institute davidk@dri.edu