SONEX: 1997 DC-8 Aircraft Trace Gas Measurements Over the North Atlantic

October-November 1997 data from the SASS Ozone and NOx Experiment (SONEX) campaign, measuring in-situ atmospheric composition from a NASA DC-8 aircraft. The dataset captures trace gases, aerosols, and meteorological parameters to assess the impact of subsonic aircraft emissions on upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric chemistry. Flights were conducted from staging locations in Bangor, Maine, and Shannon, Ireland, targeting the North Atlantic Flight Corridor.

Use Cases

• Modeling perturbations to ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from aircraft emissions based on in-situ CO, NOx, and NOy measurements.
• Analyzing the composition of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) using hydrocarbon, halocarbon, and nitric acid data.
• Studying atmospheric radiative forcing by correlating water vapor, aerosol, and sulfur oxide (SOx) observations.
• Validating chemical transport models with concurrent measurements of photolysis rates, temperature, pressure, and winds.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated international campaign (NASA SONEX and DLR POLINAT-2), ensuring multi-platform validation.
• Includes measurements from over ten specific instruments (e.g., WAS, ATHOS, FASTOZ, DACOM), providing a multi-parameter atmospheric snapshot.
• Campaign employed three distinct sampling approaches, including targeted meteorological flights, for focused data collection.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing: row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided on any platform.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1997 vs. 2026) suggest potential metadata inconsistencies across repositories.
• The license is specified only as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms, requiring user investigation.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in partnership with German Aerospace Agency (DLR).

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft using a suite of chemical and meteorological instruments.

Time Range

October 1997 - November 1997

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:43:11.817516 (most recent update from datagov, though this conflicts with the 1997 end date)

Geography

North Atlantic Flight Corridor, with primary operations from Bangor, Maine (USA) and Shannon, Ireland.