PEM-Tropics-A: In-Situ Aircraft Trace Gas and Aerosol Data

PEM-Tropics-A_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data contains in-situ measurements from the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM) Tropics A campaign in August-September 1996. The dataset features trace gas data from instruments including DACOM, laser induced fluorescence, and gas chromatography, with a related dataset (PEM-Tropics-A_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_P3B_Data) providing aerosol measurements from the P-3B aircraft. These coordinated flights aimed to assess anthropogenic impacts on tropospheric chemistry and sulfur aerosol effects across the tropical Pacific basin.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal contrasts in atmospheric oxidizing power using data from the dry-season PEM-Tropics A and wet-season PEM-Tropics B campaigns.
• Modeling the impact of marine biogenic dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emissions on aerosol loading and radiative effects.
• Studying vertical profiles of trace gases like CO, CH4, N2O, and ozone across the Pacific basin from aircraft surveys.
• Investigating the influence of biomass burning on reactive nitrogen species and non-methane hydrocarbon precursors.

Strengths

• Data collection is explicitly stated as complete for both the trace gas and aerosol products.
• Campaign design provides a controlled seasonal contrast, with PEM-Tropics A targeting the end of the dry season (Aug-Sep 1996).
• Measurements are from a major NASA field experiment (Global Tropospheric Experiment) with coordinated multi-aircraft sampling.

Limitations

• Column names and specific row counts are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of data structure.
• Metadata freshness is inconsistent; the trace gas data shows a 2026 update date while the aerosol data shows a 1996 date, suggesting potential documentation gaps.
• The aerosol dataset description is truncated and lacks the detailed tags and metadata present for the trace gas dataset.

Provenance

Source

NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE), Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM) Tropics A

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected onboard NASA DC-8 and P-3B aircraft using instruments including DACOM, condensation nuclei counters, laser induced fluorescence, and gas chromatography.

Time Range

August-September 1996

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:24:15.755379 (for trace gas data on nasa_earthdata and datagov)

Geography

Tropical Pacific basin