Topic 3d - Part 1: Measurements from aircraft - overview of IAGOS
Commercial passenger aircraft have also been successfully utilised for taking atmospheric measurements. Using commercial aircraft has made it possible to carry out observations of atmospheric composition on a scale that would be impossible to achieve using research aircraft.
IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) project has a fleet of 9 aircraft made up of Lufthansa, China airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Air France planes. These aircraft were fitted with instrumentation which take regular in situ measurements of atmospheric chemical species (O3, CO, CO2, CH4, NOx, NOy, H2O) 1 , aerosols and cloud particles.
IAGOS data are being used by researchers worldwide for process studies, trend analysis, validation of climate and air quality models, and the validation of space borne data retrievals.
Featured Educators
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Dr Valerie Thouret
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Dr Philippe Nedelec
Optional mini task
View the Global Map of Methane Sites and have a look at the sources of methane around the world. What is the most common source in your country?
Don’t forget you can download the video, transcript and take any quizzes available with the links on the right.
Interative Apps
Explore global methane data in 3D with this interactive globe. Toggle the data sets on and off using the check box in the workbench located on the left side of the screen. You can also use the tools on the right side of your screen such as “toggle splitter” to view and compare different data layers at the same time. You can also change the base map and map view by clicking on the map icon on the top right of the screen
Images
IAGOS
