Airborne Imaging Spectrometer Level 2 Ungridded Data

IMPORTANT NOTE: As of 30 September 2024, the PI has asked that this dataset be hidden/removed from the archive. Users should contact Steve Wofsy (Harvard) for the latest version of the data. The data in the EOL archive is not the latest version and the PI will manage all versions of this dataset.

MethaneAIR (“MAIR”) is a dual imaging spectrometer observing reflected sunlight at 1.65 µm (CH4 and CO2) and 1.27 µm. It measures absorption spectra with high spectral resolution, fine spatial resolution, wide swath, and high signal-to-noise ratio, enabling high-contrast, fine-grained images of CH4 column mean dry mole fraction. MAIR duplicates the spectroscopy of the upcoming MethaneSAT satellite (“MSAT”, launch Q1 2023). Development of the MAIR sensor and associated retrieval algorithms was supported by MethaneSAT LLC (a subsidiary of the Environmental Defense Fund). In 2019, NSF supported science demonstration flights of MAIR with an EAGER grant, carried out in August 2021 on the NCAR Gulfstream V. Two engineering test flights in Nov. 2019 (TF01, TF02) were successful, but the flight series was terminated due to avionics failures on the GV. The series was rescheduled for March 2020, but the US shut down that month due to COVID-19. Flights rescheduled for June 2021 were pushed to late July/August of 2021 to accommodate another mission that had been displaced by unavailability of the C-130. After a short test flight (TF03), research flights RF04-RF09 targeted oil and gas infrastructure in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota. There were also 21 flight segments on RF04 and RF05 to compare emission rates of methane derived from MethaneAIR data to controlled releases carried out near Odesa, TX, by the Stanford group of Adam Brandt. Engineering test flight TF10 was carried out at the end of the flight series. The spectrometer was

inverted to view the upward-looking port of the G-V, recording the spatial pattern of airglow in

the 1.27 µm band. This is a large dataset. Please only order the flights needed. See the readme for more information.

To Access Resource:

Questions? Email Resource Support Contact:

  • EOL Data Support
    datahelp@eol.ucar.edu

Temporal Range

  • Begin:  2021-07-30T00:00:00Z
    End:  2021-08-13T23:59:59Z

Keywords

Resource Type dataset
Temporal Range Begin 2021-07-30T00:00:00Z
Temporal Range End 2021-08-13T23:59:59Z
Temporal Resolution N/A
Bounding Box North Lat 48.52733
Bounding Box South Lat 31.42560
Bounding Box West Long -112.04560
Bounding Box East Long -91.28174
Spatial Representation N/A
Spatial Resolution N/A
Related Links

Documentation #1 : MethaneAIR_Dataset_Documentation_reva.pdf
Additional Information N/A
Resource Format NetCDF: Network Common Data Form (application/x-netcdf)
Standardized Resource Format NetCDF
Asset Size 65471 MB
Legal Constraints

none
Access Constraints none
Software Implementation Language N/A

Resource Support Name EOL Data Support
Resource Support Email datahelp@eol.ucar.edu
Resource Support Organization N/A
Distributor N/A
Metadata Contact Name EOL Data Support
Metadata Contact Email datahelp@eol.ucar.edu
Metadata Contact Organization N/A

Author Christopher Chan Miller
Jonathan E. Franklin
Sébastien Roche
Jonas S. Wilzewski
Kang Sun
Xiong Liu
Kelly Chance
Amir H. Souri
Eamon K. Conway
Jenna Samra
Jacob Hawthorne
Carly Staebell
Apisada (Ju) Chulakadabba
Maryann Sargent
Joshua S. Benmergui
Yang Li
Joshua Laughner
Steven C. Wofsy
Bruce C. Daube
Publisher N/A
Publication Date 2023-02-28T00:33:16
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) https://doi.org/10.26023/J2CB-E2RX-J700
Alternate Identifier 598.011
Resource Version 1.0
Topic Category climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere
Progress completed
Metadata Date 2025-08-01T18:05:21Z
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.eol::598.011
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Christopher Chan Miller, Jonathan E. Franklin, Sébastien Roche, Jonas S. Wilzewski, Kang Sun, Xiong Liu, Kelly Chance, Amir H. Souri, Eamon K. Conway, Jenna Samra, Jacob Hawthorne, Carly Staebell, Apisada (Ju) Chulakadabba, Maryann Sargent, Joshua S. Benmergui, Yang Li, Joshua Laughner, Steven C. Wofsy, Bruce C. Daube. (2023). Airborne Imaging Spectrometer Level 2 Ungridded Data. 1.0. https://doi.org/10.26023/J2CB-E2RX-J700. Accessed 26 August 2025.

Harvest Source