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DC-8

Deedee Montzka of the National Center for Atmospheric Research checks out the NOxyO3 instrument on NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory before the ARCTAS mission.

 
Photo Number: ED08-0064-13
Photo Date: March 7, 2008
 
Formats: 640x559 JPEG Image (284 KBytes)
1280x1117 JPEG Image (858 KBytes)
3000x2617 JPEG Image (4040 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:
Climate researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and several universities install and perform functional checkouts of a variety of sensitive atmospheric instruments on NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory prior to beginning the ARCTAS mission.
 
Project
Description:
NASA is conducting a major science field campaign in 2008 to study the atmosphere in the Arctic and high northern latitudes as part of the International Polar Year, a major scientific research effort.

The Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites, or ARCTAS, investigation is intended to improve understanding of how the composition of the Arctic atmosphere is influenced by long-range transport of pollution from lower latitudes and local emissions from boreal wildfires and their impact on Arctic quality and climate. Validation of the NASA satellites that continuously monitor the global atmosphere is also a major focus of this mission.

Three NASA research aircraft, along with ground stations, weather balloons, and modeling and forecast teams, are deployed to collect science data in two campaign phases.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory is one of the aircraft taking part in the ARCTAS mission, carrying 21 experiments and about 35 scientists for the study. The ARCTAS flights are based in Fairbanks, Alaska, with some flights to Thule, Greenland, in April. This phase of the mission is focusing on thick aerosol layers known as "arctic haze." The aircraft was scheduled to travel to Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, in July for the second portion of the study to focus on the emissions from the large boreal forest fires in northwest Canada.

 
NASA Photo by: Tony Landis
 
Keywords: Deedee Montzka, National Center for Atmospheric Research, NOxyO3 instrument, Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites, ARCTAS, Three NASA research aircraft, ground stations, weather balloons, DC-8 flying laboratory, 21 experiments, 35 scientists, International Polar Year, Fairbanks, Alaska, Thule, Greenland, thick aerosol layers, "arctic haze", Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, boreal forest fires, northwest Canada
 


Last Modified: March 14, 2008
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