2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Spring Phase<br />
During the spring, aircraft deployed to<br />
Fairbanks and Barrow, AK to examine arctic<br />
haze associated with long-range transport<br />
of pollution from mid-latitudes. During this<br />
phase of the mission, <strong>NASA</strong> aircraft, along<br />
with partner aircraft from NOAA and<br />
DOE, documented polluted arctic airmasses<br />
of North American, Asian, and European<br />
origin. Flights were guided by forecasts from<br />
chemical transport models, were integrated<br />
with satellite overpasses by <strong>NASA</strong>’s Aura,<br />
Aqua, CALIPSO, and Terra satellites, and<br />
were supplemented by ground observations<br />
at numerous Arctic research sites (e.g.,<br />
Canadian and U.S. ozonesonde stations,<br />
Aeronet sites, Summit Greenland station,<br />
etc.). The data collected will improve future<br />
satellite monitoring of Arctic change and<br />
will aid the development of models that are<br />
better equipped to predict future changes<br />
in the arctic associated with atmospheric<br />
composition and climate. A notable early<br />
scientific result from the spring mission is the<br />
apparent discrepancy in satellite observations<br />
of BrO by Aura’s OMI instrument. Aircraft<br />
observations of BrO and ozone exhibit<br />
concentrations and distribution patterns<br />
that indicate the need to reexamine satellite<br />
assumptions governing the retrieval of this<br />
important indicator of springtime halogen<br />
chemistry, which is a major driver of nearsurface<br />
ozone variability.<br />
Summer Phase<br />
During the summer phase, the three aircraft<br />
and a portable ground station called NATIVE<br />
deployed to Cold Lake, Alberta and to<br />
Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories.<br />
The summer flights documented the impact<br />
of boreal fires at high northern latitudes<br />
by sampling near-field and downwind<br />
emissions from Canadian wildfires, as well<br />
as long-range transport of smoke and trace<br />
gases from fires in Siberia and Northern<br />
California. Observations were coordinated<br />
with partner aircraft from Germany and<br />
France, which were based in Greenland, to<br />
Figure 5<br />
Dr. Henry Fuelberg of Florida State University presents<br />
the daily weather brief from the University of Alaska in<br />
Fairbanks.<br />
12