TRACE-A: DC-8 Aircraft In Situ Atmospheric Chemistry Data

From September 21 to October 24, 1992, the TRACE-A mission collected in situ atmospheric data over the Atlantic Ocean using a NASA DC-8 aircraft equipped with 19 instruments. The dataset includes meteorology, navigation, and trace gas measurements from instruments like TP-LIF and DACOM, targeting ozone and other compounds. It was part of NASA's Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) to determine the source of high ozone concentrations between southern Africa and South America.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ozone source attribution based on in situ trace gas measurements.
• Studying atmospheric transport patterns using aircraft navigation and meteorology data.
• Investigating correlations between aerosols and trace gases from multi-instrument observations.
• Validating satellite or model data with high-resolution aircraft in situ measurements.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete for a focused 34-day campaign.
• Includes measurements from 19 specialized instruments on a dedicated research aircraft.
• Part of a long-term NASA program (GTE) spanning 1983-2001.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are unknown from all sources.
• Row count and dataset size are unspecified.
• Metadata freshness is conflicting: one source shows a 1992 date, another a 2026 date.

Provenance

Source

NASA/LARC_CLOUD, with partnership from the Brazilian Space Agency (INPE).

Collection Method

In situ measurements collected onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft during the TRACE-A suborbital campaign.

Time Range

September 21 to October 24, 1992.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:41:32.591244

Geography

Atlantic Ocean, between southern Africa and South America.