TRACE-A DC-8 Aircraft Meteorology and Trace Gas Data

Aircraft in situ meteorology, navigation, and trace gas data collected during the NASA TRACE-A suborbital campaign. The dataset originates from 19 instruments aboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft, which flew missions over the Atlantic Ocean from September 21 to October 24, 1992. The campaign aimed to determine the source of high ozone concentrations between southern Africa and South America.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the relationship between ozone concentrations and other trace gases like CO, CH4, and N2O measured by the DACOM instrument.
• Studying atmospheric dynamics using in-flight meteorology and navigation data such as altitude, pressure, and humidity.
• Investigating aerosol profiles and nitrogen compounds from instruments like the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and Laser-Induced Fluorescence.
• Modeling the transport and chemistry of pollutants contributing to the South Atlantic ozone maximum.

Strengths

• Data collected by 19 specialized instruments on a dedicated research aircraft, providing multi-parameter atmospheric profiles.
• Campaign provides a focused temporal snapshot of a significant atmospheric phenomenon over a 34-day period in 1992.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA and government data portals indicates established curation and archival importance.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and column names are not provided by any source, limiting immediate assessment of data volume and structure.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between sources (1992-11-02 vs. 2026-03-12), indicating potential metadata inconsistencies.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in partnership with the Brazilian Space Agency (INPE).

Collection Method

In situ measurements collected from 19 instruments onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft, supplemented by ozonesonde drops.

Time Range

1992-09 21 to 1992-10-24

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:00:09.520129

Geography

Atlantic Ocean region between southern Africa and South America.