ASIA-AQ: DC-8 Aircraft In-Situ Aerosol and Meteorology Data

ASIA-AQ_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data contains in-situ aerosol and meteorological measurements from the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality campaign. The data, collected from January to March 2024 over the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, and Thailand, includes particle size, composition, and atmospheric state variables. Its primary purpose is to validate satellite observations, quantify emissions, and evaluate air quality models across Asia.

Use Cases

• Validating hourly air quality observations from South Korea's Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) satellite.
• Quantifying aerosol emissions and verifying model performance for Asian megacities.
• Analyzing aerosol chemistry and ozone formation processes from in-situ aircraft measurements.
• Studying cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and its impact on regional climate.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete and features measurements from eight specialized instruments, including an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
• Represents an international cooperative field study conducted in full partnership with local scientists and environmental agencies across four Asian countries.
• The dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), indicating its importance and vetted provenance.

Limitations

• Column names and specific data structure are not provided in any source, limiting immediate usability.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-03-13 on Data.gov vs. 2024-04-02 on NASA Earthdata).
• Row counts, file sizes, and detailed license terms are not specified.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected in-situ onboard the DC-8 aircraft using specialized atmospheric instrumentation.

Time Range

January 2024 - March 2024

Freshness

2026-03-13

Geography

Flights conducted over the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, and Thailand.