TOTE-VOTE: DC-8 Aircraft In Situ Trace Gas Measurements

NASA's TOTE-VOTE_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data contains in situ atmospheric measurements from the DC-8 aircraft during the Tropical Ozone Transport Experiment – Vortex Ozone Transport Experiment. The campaign, conducted from December 1995 to February 1996, involved 19 flights over the Pacific region to study transport processes from tropical and polar regions to midlatitudes. Data from instruments including DACOM, LICOR, and a 4-channel chemiluminescence instrument quantify trace gases like NOx, NOy, ozone, and carbon monoxide.

Use Cases

• Modeling stratospheric transport filaments based on high-resolution in situ trace gas profiles.
• Analyzing correlations between nitrogen compounds (NOx, NOy) and ozone (O3) concentrations in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.
• Studying the composition and boundaries of the arctic polar vortex using aircraft transect data.
• Validating satellite retrievals of atmospheric constituents with calibrated in situ measurements from the DC-8 platform.

Strengths

• Data originates from a focused NASA campaign with 19 documented research flights, providing a structured observational basis.
• Includes measurements from multiple calibrated instruments (e.g., DACOM, chemiluminescence) for cross-validation of trace gas species.

Limitations

• Specific column names and data structure are not provided, complicating initial data exploration.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata (1996 vs. 2026) creates uncertainty about data currency and potential reprocessing.
• Dataset size (rows, file size) is unknown across all sources.

Provenance

Source

NASA/LARC_ASDC, collected as part of the TOTE-VOTE campaign.

Collection Method

In situ measurements gathered onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft using instruments including DACOM, LICOR, and chemiluminescence sensors.

Time Range

December 1995 to February 1996

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:21:14.331619 (noted on nasa_earthdata and datagov, but conflicts with an earlier 1996 date)

Geography

Pacific region, with flights targeting the arctic polar vortex and tropical stratospheric reservoir.