NASA/GTE MISSIONS, 1983-2001

TRAnsport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P)

A two-aircraft GTE mission over the western Pacific in February-April 2001

MISSION OBJECTIVES

• to determine the chemical composition of the Asian outflow over the western Pacific in spring in order to understand and quantify the export of chemically and radiatively important gases and aerosols, and their precursors, from the Asian continent.

• to determine the chemical evolution of the Asian outflow over the western Pacific in spring and to understand the ensemble of processes that control this evolution.

CHINESE EMISSIONS ARE GROWING – OR ARE THEY ??

Latest report from China to Energy Information Administrationclaims a decrease of CO2 emissions after 1997!

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CO2 emissionfrom China, Tgyr-1

Verification of emission estimates through atmospheric observations is critical for development of international environmental policy

QUANTIFYING CHEMICAL EXPORT FLUXES FROM LARGE GEOPOLITICAL SOURCE REGIONS

3-D CHEMICAL TRACER MODELS

EXPORT FLUXESEXPORT FLUXES

SATELLITE OBSERVATIONSGlobal and continuous but few species, low resolution

AIRCRAFT OBSERVATIONSHigh resolution, targeted flights

provide critical snapshots for model testing

SURFACE OBSERVATIONShigh resolution but spatially limited

Source/sinkinventories

Assimilated meteorological

data

Chemical and aerosolprocesses

This concept found its first application in TRACE-P

TRACE-P EXECUTION

Emissions-Fossil fuel-Biomass burning-Biosphere, dust

Long-range transport fromEurope, N. America, Africa

ASIA PACIFIC

P-3

Satellite datain near-real time:MOPITTTOMSSEAWIFSAVHRRLIS

DC-8

3D chemical model forecasts: - ECHAM - GEOS-CHEM - Iowa/Kyushu - Meso-NH -LaRC/U. Wisconsin

FLIGHTPLANNING

Boundary layerchemical/aerosolprocessing

ASIANOUTFLOW

Stratosphericintrusions

PACIFIC

INTEGRATION OF SATELLITE DATA AND CTMs INTO TRACE-P PLANNING AND EXECUTION

• PRE-MISSION EMISSION INVENTORY DEVELOPMENT:

provide the best a priori information for mission planning.

• PRE-MISSION WORKSHOP (coordinated with ACE-Asia): use analyses of satellite data, 3D CTMs for spring 1994 and 2000 to identify major outflow patterns and develop menu of flights.

• SUPPORT DURING MISSION EXECUTION: use near-real-time satellite data and CTM forecasts (in addition to meteorological forecasts) for day-to-day flight planning

CO emissions (fossil and biofuel)

CO Emissions

(Fossil & Biofuel)

Source:D. Streets, ArgonneNational Lab

EMISSION INVENTORIES PREPARED FOR TRACE-P PERIOD PROVIDED A PRIORI INFORMATION FOR CHEMICAL FORECASTS

March 4

March 7

March 13

Near-real-time AVHRR fire count data were critical

for TRACE-P flight planning

Source: G.R. Carmichael, U. Iowa

TRACE-P DC-8 PAYLOADEmphasis:high altitude outflow,large-scale mapping,photochemistry

TRACE-P P-3 PAYLOAD

Emphasis:low altitude outflow,sulfur/aerosols,fluxes to ocean

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DC-8 FlightsP-3B Flights

NASA Aircraft Flight Tracks During the TRACE-P Mission

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Longitude

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DC-8 FlightsP-3B Flights

Flight Tracks Along the Asian Pacific Rim During the TRACE-P Mission

INTERCOMPARISON FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE NASA DC-8 AND P-3B

Sampling runs were conducted on 3 occasions (Guam, Japan, and Hawaii) resulting in a total of 2.5 hours of proximity flight.

•Level flight legs were conducted at 0.5, 1, 10, and 18 Kft.

•Soundings were conducted between 0.5-10Kft and 10-18 Kft.

AOD-Dust Forecast with CFORS: for 3-21-01:: Seawifs (AOD); vis; TOMS AI

DC-8Flight track

G.R.Carmichael, U. Iowa

TOMS observations of absorbing aerosols (March 8, 2001)

Biomass burningplume

Biomass burning

Dust plume

K.E. PickeringA.M. ThompsonNASA/GSFC

K.E. Pickering, U. Maryland; A.M. Thompson, NASA/GSFC

TOMS aerosol forecast for March 10

TRACE-P COORDINATION WITH ACE-ASIA

• Two joint Asian outflow chemical characterization flights between the TRACE-P P-3 and the ACE-Asia C-130 out of Japan including a Terra underpass on each flight.

• One DIAL overpass of the ACE-Asia Twin Otter by the TRACE-P DC-8 during a column radiation closure experiment over the Sea of Japan

DID TRACE-P MEET ITS MISSION OBJECTIVES?

• Sample different patterns of Asian outflow in a way that enables quantitative test of 3-D CTMs for a very large range of radiatively and chemically important gases and aerosols

• Characterize chemical aging of Asian outflow over western Pacific

• Provide validation data for MOPITT relevant to TRACE-P objectives