Subject:  New data release
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008
From: Al Schanot  <schanot@ucar.edu>

All:

We have finally gotten the blended reference altitude data ready for
release - at both 1 Hz and 25 Hz rates.  The variable is called ALTX.
Per our discussions at the last PASE science meeting, Steve Conley
took GPS (GGALT), radar altimeter (HGM232) and pressure altitude
(PALT) data and produced a reference altitude primarily based on the
more accurate GGGALT & HGM232 variables and filled in gaps with the
PALT data after having removed the appropriate offset resulting from
variations in surface pressure.  We strongly recommend using the ALTX
data, particularly at low altitudes.  ALTX does show up in the
original data sets, but was set to PALT under all conditions to avoid
the intermittent data gaps noted in the other data sets.  To access
the new data files, follow the same path you used to get the original
files from the NCAR MassStore.

Note:  The dataset currently available is this new data which includes
the ALTX data. - JH