The GSFC Lidar Observation and Validation Experiment (GLOVE) field campaign

John E Yorks; Edward P Nowottnick; Steven Platnick; Kerry G Meyer; Matthew Walker McLinden; Meloe S. F Kacenelenbogen; Kenneth E Christian; Joseph A Finlon; Natalie A Midzak; Natalia Roldán-Henao; Patrick A Selmer; Matthew J McGill; Erica K Dolinar; Charles N Helms; Robert Koopman; Jonas von Bismark; Montserrat Pińol Solé

doi:10.5194/essd-18-3833-2026

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The GSFC Lidar Observation and Validation Experiment (GLOVE) field campaign

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

The GSFC Lidar Observation and Validation Experiment (GLOVE) field campaign

John E Yorks, Edward P Nowottnick, Steven Platnick, Kerry G Meyer, Matthew Walker McLinden, Meloe S. F Kacenelenbogen, Kenneth E Christian, Joseph A Finlon, Natalie A Midzak, Natalia Roldán-Henao, …

Earth system science data, Vol.18(6), pp.3833-3852

06/04/2026

DOI: 10.5194/essd-18-3833-2026

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Abstract

The Goddard Space Flight Center's Lidar Observation and Validation Experiment (GLOVE) was a field campaign conducted from 27 January to 28 February 2025, based out of NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Its main goals were to validate atmospheric data products from the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) and the Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite missions. The campaign utilized NASA's high-altitude Earth Resources-2 (ER-2) aircraft, equipped with four remote sensing instruments – including two lidars, a radar, and a spectrometer. GLOVE carried out eight flights totaling 40 flight hours and successfully captured seven ICESat-2 and six EarthCARE underflight segments of varying atmospheric conditions (i.e., aerosols, cirrus, and stratocumulus clouds) and surface types. The data collected during ICESat-2 underflights, especially of cirrus clouds and aerosols, offer valuable opportunities to assess the performance of both the operational and newer research-grade atmospheric ICESat-2 data products during daytime. Notably, the data from the Cloud Radar System (CRS), especially from snow-producing clouds, will play an important role in understanding the potential errors and uncertainties in EarthCARE Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) Doppler data, the first-ever radar Doppler velocity measurements from space. All GLOVE data products are publicly accessible through a NASA Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) or other free, open-access repositories (please see Sect. 4, “Data availability”, for the DOIs and full data set citations). GLOVE serves as an example for conducting cost-effective and efficient airborne satellite validation campaigns.

Clouds

Lidar

Radar

Remote Sensing

Aerosols

Aircraft

Altitude

Atmosphere

Atmospheric conditions

Atmospheric data

Aviation

Cirrus clouds

Doppler sonar

Earth resources

Flight

High altitude

Lasers

Lidar observations

Neural networks

Performance assessment

Radar data

Radar equipment

Radiation

Radiation-cloud interactions

Research facilities

Satellites

Sensors

Space flight

Stratocumulus clouds

Details

Title: Subtitle: The GSFC Lidar Observation and Validation Experiment (GLOVE) field campaign
Creators: John E Yorks - Goddard Space Flight Center
Edward P Nowottnick - Goddard Space Flight Center
Steven Platnick - Goddard Space Flight Center
Kerry G Meyer - Goddard Space Flight Center
Matthew Walker McLinden
Meloe S. F Kacenelenbogen
Kenneth E Christian - Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
Joseph A Finlon
Natalie A Midzak - Goddard Space Flight Center
Natalia Roldán-Henao - University of Maryland, College Park
Patrick A Selmer - Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
Matthew J McGill - University of Iowa
Erica K Dolinar - Naval Research Laboratory Marine Meteorology Division
Charles N Helms - Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
Robert Koopman - European Space Research and Technology Centre
Jonas von Bismark - European Space Research and Technology Centre
Montserrat Pińol Solé
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Earth system science data, Vol.18(6), pp.3833-3852
DOI: 10.5194/essd-18-3833-2026
ISSN: 1866-3516
eISSN: 1866-3516
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Number of pages: 20
Grant note: Division of Earth Sciences: NA
This research has been supported by the Division of Earth Sciences. GLOVE was funded by the ICESat-2 mission (Thorsten Markus, Tom Neumann, and Nathan Kurtz), NASA's Earth Science Research Program (Jack Kaye), NASA's Weather and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Program (Will McCarty), NASA's Radiation Sciences Program (Hal Maring).
Language: English
Date published: 06/04/2026
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9985174809902771

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