TOTE-VOTE: DC-8 Aircraft Ancillary Data from 1995-1996 Campaign

Pacific region data from NASA's Tropical Ozone Transport Experiment – Vortex Ozone Transport Experiment (TOTE-VOTE) campaign, conducted from December 1995 to February 1996. The dataset contains ancillary postscript files supporting measurements from nineteen DC-8 aircraft flights, which were equipped with instruments to quantify ozone, reactive nitrogen, aerosols, and temperature. Its primary goal was to understand the transport of air filaments between the arctic polar vortex, tropical stratospheric reservoir, and midlatitudes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ozone transport pathways based on DC-8 flight track and in-situ measurement data.
• Studying aerosol properties and optical depth using data from the DIAL lidar and MASP spectrometer.
• Modeling temperature profiles in the upper atmosphere using Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) records.
• Investigating polar vortex filament dynamics using reactive nitrogen (NOy) and ozone (O3) concentration measurements.

Strengths

• Data originates from a focused NASA campaign with 19 documented flights, providing a structured observational basis.
• Describes a specific suite of advanced instruments (e.g., 4-channel chemiluminescence NOxyO3, DIAL lidar with four lasers) for multi-parameter atmospheric profiling.

Limitations

• Core data files are in postscript format, which is not a standard, machine-readable data format and requires conversion for analysis.
• Column names and row counts are unknown, limiting understanding of the dataset's internal structure.
• Update dates conflict between platforms (1996 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via instrumented NASA DC-8 aircraft flights and balloon sondes during the TOTE-VOTE campaign.

Time Range

December 1995 to February 1996

Freshness

Last updated date conflicts: one source lists 1996-02-20, another lists 2026-04-09.

Geography

Pacific region, focusing on transport from tropical/polar regions to midlatitudes.