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Description

This dataset contains geolocated airborne LiDAR point cloud measurements from the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE) conducted approximately 300 km offshore of San Francisco during a pilot campaign over two weeks in October 2021, and two intensive operating periods (IOPs) in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. S-MODE aims to understand how ocean dynamics acting on short spatial scales influence the vertical exchange of physical and biological variables in the ocean. The Modular Aerial Sensing System (MASS) is an airborne instrument package that is mounted on the DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft which flies long duration detailed surveys of the field domain during deployments. MASS includes a high resolution LiDAR, used to characterize the properties of ocean surface topography. The sensor has a maximum pulse repetition rate of 400 kHz, with a +/- 30° cross-heading raster scan rate of 200 Hz. Level 1 LiDAR point clouds are available in .laz format.

Product Summary

Platforms
DHC-6
Instruments
LIDAR
Spatial Extent

N: 38.1 S: 36.3 E: -121.5 W: -125.4

Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2021-10-22 to 2023-04-28
Data Partner
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA (NASA/JPL/PODAAC)
Concept ID
C2110184918-POCLOUD
Data State
COMPLETE
Number of Files/Granules
534
Processing Level
1
Science Keywords
Lidar

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

S-MODE. (2022). S-MODE MASS Level 1 Lidar Point Cloud Version 1 [Data set]. NASA Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/SMODE-MASS1L Date Accessed: 2026-05-01

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
S-mode: The sub-mesoscale ocean dynamics experiment Farrar, J. Thomas, DAsaro, Eric, Rodriguez, Ernesto, Shcherbina, Andrey, Lenain, Luc, Omand, Melissa, Wineteer, Alex, Bhuyan, Paban, Bingham, Fred, Villas Boas, A. B., Czech, Erin, DAddezio, Joseph, Freilich, Mara, Grare, Laurent, Hypolite, Delphine, Jacobs, Gregg, Klein, Patrice, Lang, Sarah, Leyba, Ines M., Li, Zhijin, Mahadevan, Amala, McWilliams, James, Menemenlis, Dimitris, Middleton, Leo, Molemaker, Jeroen, ONeill, Larry, Perkovic-Martin, Dragana, Pizzo, Nick, Rainville, Luc, Rocha, Cesar, Samelson, R. M., Simoes-Sousa, Iury, Statom, Nick, Thompson, Andrew, Thompson, David, Torres, Hector, Uchoa, Igor, Wenegrat, Jacob, Westbrook, Elizabeth Salinity, Water Depth, CURRENT PROFILES, Sea Level Pressure, OCEAN TEMPERATURE PROFILES, Oxygen, Scattering, Chlorophyll Concentration, SURFACE CURRENTS, SUBSURFACE CURRENTS, Sea Surface Skin Temperature, Visible Radiance, VISIBLE IMAGERY, Atmospheric Winds, Wind Profiles, Surface Winds, Atmospheric Temperature, Humidity, Atmospheric Pressure Measurements, Salinity/Density, Fluorescence, Conductivity, OCEAN SALINITY PROFILES, Attenuation/Transmission, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Chlorophyll, Nitrate, Ocean Mixed Layer, Fronts, Water Temperature, Water Pressure, PRACTICAL SALINITY, Potential Temperature, Ocean Temperature, Visible Wavelengths, Infrared Wavelengths, Doppler Velocity, Radar Backscatter, Ocean Chemistry, Silicate, Phosphate, Inorganic Carbon, Organic Carbon, Nitrite, Sea Surface Temperature, Relative Humidity, Surface Temperature, Surface Winds, Buoy Position, Radiance, Lidar, Reflectance, Chlorophyll, Downwelling Shortwave Radiation, Downwelling Longwave Radiation, Longwave Radiation
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