Data Management Info

For any questions regarding data formats or access, contact the Data Manager.

Submitting Data

The preferred method of submitting data to the data manager is to use the Chemical Sciences Division's FTP site. If possible please submit files in the ICARTT format (more info below).

NOAA WP-3D Aircraft Data

Alignment in time with aircraft flight-level data is required for both field and final data:

1. Time-align your data to the open-path TDL H2O instrument AND
2. Ensure number of data points is identical to AOC flight-level data (1Hz AOCTimewave) AND
3. Provide start and stop times for data rates other than 1 Hz

Ground Site Data

For ground site data, the default time resolution is one minute; alternatively, provide your own start/stop times for each measurement.

Data Access

Preliminary and final data files will be posted to data download (NOAA WP-3D, Centreville Ground Site) as soon as they are available. Access is password protected.

File Format

Data files will be available in the ICARTT format. Please note that this format specifies that the data is comma-delimited, not space-delimited. Info on the ICARTT format also contains a file format-checker to make sure files comply with the ICARTT standard.

In addition, NASA maintains the complete documentation for the ICARTT format. For users of the application Igor, there are software data tools available including GeneralMacros.ipf, and IcarttFormat.ipf and more.

ICARTT data file names are defined as dataID_locationID_YYYYMMDD_R#.ict

• dataID is the species measured or the instrument (see the NOAA WP-3D dataID table; Centreville ground site (use identifiers on the SOAS ftp site)).
• locationID is NP3 for NOAA WP-3D; CTR for Centreville ground site
• YYYYMMDD indicates date of the beginning of the measurement
• R# indicates revision number. For final data, the character following the R is a number starting with 0. Preliminary data uses letters, starting with A.

Time values are reported in UTC as seconds after midnight from the date given in the file name.

Many investigators use a software program called Igor for data analysis. While the text-based ICARTT format is the data exchange format, all data files will also be available in Igor binary format.