Wind Profile Data: Radiosonde (FIFE)

The wind profile data described in this document were derived from the raw radiosonde data collected during FIFE by Dr. Wilfred H. Brutsaert during the summer and fall of 1987 and the late summer of 1989 The objective of this study was to calculate wind velocity and wind direction from successive horizontal positions of a radiosonde. These data have allowed the measurement of the atmospheric profiles of wind velocity and direction. The raw data have also been corrected for sensor delays and have been interpolated to a set of standard pressure levels. Successive horizontal positions of the radiosonde balloon in relation to its release point was used to calculate average wind speed and direction. The variables used to make these calculations were obtained from the FIFE Radiosonde Data. The balloon height was calculated by adding 10 m (i.e., the length of the string) to the height of the sonde. The horizontal distance of the sonde, together with the measured azimuth angle (also obtained from the FIFE Radiosonde Data), produced the horizontal position of the sonde. Finally, successive horizontal positions allowed the calculation of average wind velocity and direction over the interval. Note, as a result of the addition of 10 m for most flights, the height of the wind measurements in this data set is 10 meters higher than the companion values in the original FIFE Radiosonde Data.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer Earthdata Forum
Last Updated March 17, 2026, 05:00 (UTC)
Created April 1, 2025, 20:03 (UTC)
accessLevel public
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harvest_source_id b99e41c6-fe79-4c19-bbc3-9b6c8111bfac
harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier 10.3334/ORNLDAAC/139
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-03-09T22:16:03Z
programCode {026:000}
publisher ORNL_DAAC
resource-type Dataset
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spatial [[{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-96.56,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":39.12,"EastBoundingCoordinate":-96.56,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":39.12}],"CARTESIAN"]
temporal 1987-05-26/1989-08-12
theme {"Earth Science"}