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| TRACE-P | |
|---|---|
| Name | TRACE-P |
| Mission type | Atmospheric chemistry research |
| Operator | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| Launch date | 2001 |
| Mission duration | Spring 2001 (campaign) |
| Instruments | Multiple airborne in situ and remote sensors |
| Orbit | Airborne campaign |
TRACE-P
TRACE-P was a focused airborne field campaign conducted in spring 2001 to investigate transpacific transport of pollution and its effects on atmospheric composition over the western Pacific. The campaign assembled aircraft, research institutions, and international agencies to study chemical transformation, long-range transport, and radiative forcing associated with Asian outflow. TRACE-P integrated measurements with regional modeling and satellite observations to quantify sources, sinks, and processes affecting tropospheric ozone, aerosols, and reactive nitrogen species.
TRACE-P brought together research aircraft operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and partner institutions including University of Washington, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and NASA Ames Research Center. Flight operations staged from Misawa Air Base and Yokota Air Base in Japan to intercept plumes from East Asian source regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, and the Yangtze River Delta. Campaign planning involved coordination with programs such as ACE-Asia, PEM-West B, and the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry community. TRACE-P leveraged satellite datasets from NOAA-15, Aqua, and Terra platforms, and used chemical transport models developed at institutions including Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, and National Center for Atmospheric Research.
TRACE-P aimed to (1) characterize chemical composition of Asian outflow, (2) determine lifetimes and transformation pathways of ozone precursors, and (3) evaluate model representations of long-range transport. The experimental design combined targeted intercept flights over the North Pacific Ocean with boundary layer sampling near coastal source regions such as Seoul and Shanghai. Objectives tied to broader assessments by panels including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and workshops hosted by World Meteorological Organization and International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. TRACE-P defined observational strategies to address issues raised in assessments by National Research Council and reports from U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Aircraft platforms carried instruments for in situ and remote measurements including gas analyzers for ozone, carbon monoxide, methane, and volatile organic compounds from laboratories at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California Institute of Technology, and University of California, Irvine. Aerosol instruments were provided by teams at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Desert Research Institute, and University of Colorado Boulder for size distribution, composition, and optical properties. Nitrogen oxides and reactive nitrogen species were measured by groups at University of Washington, Harvard University, and Georgia Institute of Technology using chemiluminescence and laser-induced fluorescence. Radionuclide and tracer sampling involved collaborators from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. Remote sensing payloads included downward-looking spectrometers and lidar systems developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
TRACE-P documented elevated ozone and aerosol concentrations in transpacific plumes originating from urban and industrial centers such as Beijing and Shanghai, with contributions traced to combustion and industrial processes characterized by signatures similar to emissions from South Korea and Japan. Observations revealed rapid photochemical production of ozone downwind of source regions, implicating precursor emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds measured by teams from University of California, San Diego and Purdue University. Isotopic and tracer analyses involving researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory helped separate contributions from fossil fuel, biomass burning, and biogenic sources. Comparisons with model simulations run at NCAR and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory indicated systematic biases in modeled transport and chemical loss rates, prompting revisions to emissions inventories maintained by Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research contributors.
TRACE-P datasets underwent quality assurance and intercomparison coordinated by data managers at NASA Ames Research Center and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. Processing pipelines converted raw signals from instruments built by Hewlett-Packard-affiliated labs and academic instrument teams into calibrated concentration and flux products. Chemical transport and inverse modeling efforts utilized frameworks from GEOS-Chem developers housed at Harvard University and modeling groups at NCAR and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, assimilating satellite retrievals from MODIS, MOPITT, and AIRS. Sensitivity studies applied regional models from University of Washington and global simulations from Goddard Institute for Space Studies to constrain emissions and photochemistry.
TRACE-P involved an international consortium including NASA, NOAA, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, and academic partners such as Stanford University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, University of Colorado Boulder, University of California, Berkeley, University of Tokyo, and Peking University. National laboratories participating included Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Data sharing and synthesis were facilitated through workshops hosted at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and meetings organized by the American Geophysical Union and European Geosciences Union.
TRACE-P advanced understanding of intercontinental pollution transport and stimulated improvements in emissions inventories used by IPCC assessments and regional air quality planning in East Asia. Results influenced subsequent campaigns such as INTEX-B and follow-on studies by ACE-Asia teams, and informed satellite mission validation for platforms like Aura. Datasets and model intercomparisons served as benchmarks for atmospheric chemistry modules in Earth system models at NCAR, GISS, and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, contributing to policy-relevant analyses by agencies including United Nations Environment Programme and national air quality agencies in China and Japan.
Category:Airborne campaigns