NASA ATom Air Parcel Back Trajectories and Influences from Aircraft Flights

Back trajectories, boundary layer influences, and convective influences of air parcels along NASA DC-8 aircraft flight tracks during the four ATom campaigns from 2016 to 2018. The dataset models air parcel paths backward in time using NCEP GFS and MERRA2 meteorology to determine air mass origins and influences. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the source regions and history of air masses sampled during ATom flight campaigns using back trajectory data.
• Studying the influence of the planetary boundary layer on pollutant dispersal via 30-day back trajectory analysis.
• Modeling the effects of convection on water vapor and cloud behavior using 10-day back trajectories and NASA Langley cloud products.
• Investigating wind patterns and upper-level atmospheric dynamics that affect air parcel movement.

Strengths

• Data is derived from four distinct NASA ATom measurement campaigns, providing a multi-year temporal scope from 2016 to 2018.
• Trajectories are calculated using two established meteorological models: NCEP GFS and MERRA2, enhancing reliability.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates recognized importance and curation.

Limitations

• Key quantitative details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• Conflicting last update dates exist: Data.gov lists 2026-03-13 (a future date, likely an error), while NASA EarthData lists 2018-05 21.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Back trajectories interpolated from NCEP GFS and MERRA2 meteorology along NASA DC-8 aircraft flight tracks.

Time Range

2016 to 2018

Freshness

2018-05-21 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Global, following NASA DC-8 flight tracks during ATom campaigns.