PEM-Tropics-A: DC-8 Aircraft Trajectory and Atmospheric Data

August-September 1996 data from the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Pacific Exploratory Mission Tropics A campaign. The dataset contains trajectory and atmospheric measurements aimed at assessing anthropogenic impact on tropospheric oxidizing power and the influence of marine sulfur chemistry. It was part of the Global Tropospheric Experiment, contrasting biomass burning effects in the dry season across the tropical Pacific.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial distribution of ozone and hydroperoxyl radicals based on airborne in-situ measurements.
• Modeling the impact of marine dimethyl sulfide emissions on aerosol loading using sulfur chemistry data.
• Contrasting atmospheric composition between biomass burning and clean conditions using dry-season campaign data.
• Studying aircraft trajectory patterns and vertical profiles across the Pacific basin.

Strengths

• Part of a major, multi-year NASA field program (Global Tropospheric Experiment, 1983-2001).
• Focuses on a specific, scientifically significant campaign (PEM-Tropics A, dry season 1996).
• Contains direct measurements of key atmospheric species like HOx, O3, and photochemical precursors.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (row count, file size) are not specified in any source.
• Conflicting license information: one source specifies 'other-license-specified', another lists 'None'.
• Metadata freshness is inconsistent, with last update dates ranging from 1998 to 2026.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via in-situ instruments onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during longitudinal, latitudinal, and vertical profile surveys.

Time Range

August-September 1996

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:24:11.002258

Geography

Tropical Pacific region