KORUS-AQ Aircraft Remote Sensing Data for Nitrogen Dioxide and Formaldehyde

GeoTASO instrument data from the NASA B200 aircraft provides nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) trace gas slant column measurements over South Korea. This dataset was collected during the May-June 2016 KORUS-AQ field campaign, a joint study by NASA and Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research. It features coordinated airborne sampling up to 8 km altitude, focusing on the Seoul Metropolitan Area and surrounding waters.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite observations of NO2 and HCHO using airborne slant column data.
• Analyzing the vertical distribution of pollutants up to 8 km altitude over the Korean peninsula.
• Studying local emissions and transboundary transport of air pollutants in East Asia.
• Assessing future air quality observing strategies for geostationary satellites.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major international field campaign (KORUS-AQ) involving NASA and Korean agencies.
• Sampling covers a defined two-month period (May-June 2016) with a focused geographic scope on South Korea.
• Measurements include specific trace gases (NO2 and HCHO) relevant for atmospheric chemistry studies.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.
• One source lists a last updated date of 2026-03-13, which is likely a metadata processing artifact, conflicting with the 2016 collection period.

Provenance

Source

NASA/LARC_ASDC and Korea's National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER)

Collection Method

Remotely sensed data collected by the GeoTASO instrument onboard the NASA B200 aircraft.

Time Range

May 2016 to June 2016

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:19:22.325407

Geography

South Korean peninsula, surrounding waters, with a primary focus on the Seoul Metropolitan Area.