ATom Postcard - Ascension Island to the Azores Islands

Atmospheric scientists Bernadett Weinzierl of the University of Vienna, Paul Newman of Goddard Space Flight Center, and Róisín Commane of Harvard University sent back a video postcard from the last three legs of the Atmospheric Tomography, or ATom mission. Departing Ascension Island in the tropics, the science team traveled up the Atlantic to Terceira Island in the Azores off the coast of Portugal, and then back to the Arctic by way of Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Finally the team crossed North America to return home to Palmdale, California. The ATom mission aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins. Related pages

Atmospheric scientist Jack Dibb of the University of New Hampshire sent a video postcard from the Hawaii leg of the Atmospheric Tomography or ATom mission. On its second worldwide tour, the ATom team flew into Kona, Hawaii, to study small particles like sulfate and nitrate in the atmosphere. Volcanoes like Kilauea, in Hawaii, constantly release sulfate particles, which can oxidize to make sulfuric acid, a component of acid rain. Complete transcript available. The ATom mission aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins. Related pages

On its second worldwide tour, the Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) team starts by surveying the north’s polar regions during winter, which is marked by a build-up of pollution from the United States, Canada, northern China, and Russia. In the spring, sunlight spurs chemical reactions that remove those pollutants and greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.Music credit: Ice Lands by Rik Carter [PRS]Complete transcript available. The ATom mission aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins. Related pages

ATom 1 Flight Path ATom 2 Flight Path ATom 3 Flight Path ATom 4 Flight Plan DC-8 Flight Pattern The second world­survey of the atmosphere has begun! NASA’s Atmospheric Tomography or ATom mission completed its first science flight to the equator and back on January 26. Tour the DC­8 flying laboratory loaded withair­sampling instruments and out intrepid science team. Credit: Chelsea Thompson Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel DC-8 Takeoff Video by Steve Parcel Video by Steve Parcel Sea ice in the Arctic as seen from ATom’s DC-8 in Janaury, 2017.Credit: NASA / Róisín Commane ATom is investigating the atmosphere above the remote oceans. Above the Atlantic ocean near Ascension Island, the research team saw haze from African fires during ATom’s February, 2017, flight.Credit: NASA The DC-8 is a research laboratory that has inlets in place of windows to draw air into ATom’s 20 instruments while it flies through the air.Credit: NASA / Róisín Commane The DC-8 at sunset on ATom’s second deployment in February, 2017.Credit: NASA / National Center for Atmospheric Research / Becky Hornbrook The DC-8 flies over Terceira Island in the Azores of the North Atlantic ocean, February, 2017.Credit: NASA Researcher photographing the sea ice as the DC-8 flies over the Arctic, January, 2017.Credit: NASA / National Center for Atmospheric Research / Sam Hall The Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) mission takes flight through Earth's atmosphere to understand how short-lived greenhouse gases like ozone and methane contribute to climate change. A suite of instruments aboard NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory will be taking measurements as the science team flies down the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, then north up the Atlantic to Greenland to measure more than 200 gases and particles in the air and their interactions around the world. B-roll available here is from the July 28, 2016, science flight from to the equator and back from Palmdale, California.For more information: NASA Airborne Study Surveys Greenhouse Gases in World Tour: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-airborne-study-surveys-greenhouse-gases-in-world-tourNASA Airborne mission Chases Air Pollution Through the Seasons: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-airborne-mission-chases-air-pollution-through-the-seasons Related pages

Postcard #3Atmospheric scientist Róisín Commane and Principal Investigator Steven Wofsy both of Harvard University sent back a video postcard from the Atlantic legs of the Atmospheric Tomography, or ATom mission. The science team left Christchurch New Zealand and traveled past Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile at the bottom of the world. Then they went up the Atlantic Ocean to Ascension Island, just south of the equator. The ATom mission aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins. Related pages

Snakes on a NASA plane! No, not that kind of snake. Donald Blake from the University of California Irvine with the #EarthExpedition ATom mission explains why "snakes" are part of the Whole Air Sampler from behind the scenes on the DC-8 aircraft.Complete transcript available. To measure the background atmosphere you need a sensitive instrument. Róisín Commane of Harvard University with the #EarthExpedition ATom mission explains how her instrument uses lasers to detect greenhouse gases. Complete transcript available. A flat line of data may not look interesting, but Tom Ryerson of NOAA with the #EarthExpedition ATom mission explains how it could reveal how tropospheric ozone is removed from the atmosphere.Complete transcript available. Flying into "clean" air during #EarthExpedition ATom mission, Jack Dibbs of the University of New Hampshire explains what he expects to find on his aerosol filters as they travel to the remotest parts of the atmosphere.Complete transcript available. The ATom mission aboard NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins.Below are interviews with four scientists participating in the research flights:* Donald Blake, UC Irvine* Róisín Commane, Harvard University* Tom Ryerson, NOAA* Jack Dibbs, University of New HampshireFollow along with all eight of our #EarthExpeditions here: http://www.nasa.gov/earthexpeditions Related pages

Principal Investigator Steven Wofsy of Harvard University and atmospheric scientist Paul Newman of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center sent back a video postcard of the second two legs of the Atmospheric Tomography, or ATom mission. They and the science team traversed the tropical Pacific from Kona, Hawaii to Pago Pago, American Samoa, and then to Christchurch, New Zealand. The ATom mission aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins. Related pages

Principal Investigator Steven Wofsy of Harvard University and atomsperhic scientist Paul Newman of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center sent back a video postcard of the first two legs of the Atmospheric Tomography, or ATom mission. The science team first traveled from Palmdale California to Anchorage Alaksa by way of the North Pole, and one their second leg flew south to Kona, Hawaii. The ATom mission aboard NASA’s DC-8 aircraft and flying laboratory is sampling world-wide in one of the most extensive surveys of the atmosphere to date, measuring over 200 gases as well as airborne particles. The science team is particularly interested in methane, tropospheric ozone and black carbon particles, which have strong effects on climate and which all have both human and natural origins. Related pages