DISCOVER-AQ Maryland: Aircraft In Situ Trace Gas Measurements

A 2011 deployment in Maryland collected in situ trace gas data onboard a P-3B aircraft during NASA's DISCOVER-AQ field study. Measurements were obtained using instruments including DACOM, TD-LIF, DFGAS, LICOR-6252, and PTR-MS. The campaign aimed to improve the use of satellites for monitoring air quality by validating column observations with surface-level measurements.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite column observations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde based on in situ aircraft measurements.
• Analyze diurnal variability of trace gases based on surface-level and aircraft data.
• Study horizontal scales of variability, such as urban plumes and steep gradients, based on spiral profiling data.
• Correlate surface measurements with satellite observations to diagnose near-surface pollution conditions.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for the Maryland deployment.
• Measurements were made using multiple specialized instruments (DACOM, TD-LIF, DFGAS, LICOR-6252, PTR-MS).
• Part of a four-year NASA campaign involving multiple research centers and universities.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is specific to the Maryland deployment and may not represent other regions.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

In situ measurements collected onboard a P-3B aircraft during spiral profiling.

Time Range

2011

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:21:01.543190; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region, Maryland, USA.