KORUS-AQ DC-8 Aircraft In Situ Meteorological and Navigational Data

KORUSAQ_MetNav_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data are in-situ meteorological and navigational data collected onboard the DC-8 aircraft during KORUS-AQ. This data product features navigational data for the DC-8 aircraft, along with measurements conducted by the DLH and CLH2. Data collection for this product is complete.

The KORUS-AQ field study was conducted in South Korea during May-June, 2016. The study was jointly sponsored by NASA and Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER). The primary objectives were to investigate the factors controlling air quality in Korea (e.g., local emissions, chemical processes, and transboundary transport) and to assess future air quality observing strategies incorporating geostationary satellite observations. To achieve these science objectives, KORUS-AQ adopted a highly coordinated sampling strategy involved surface and airborne measurements including both in-situ and remote sensing instruments.

Surface observations provided details on ground-level air quality conditions while airborne sampling provided an assessment of conditions aloft relevant to satellite observations and necessary to understand the role of emissions, chemistry, and dynamics in determining air quality outcomes. The sampling region covers the South Korean peninsula and surrounding waters with a primary focus on the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Airborne sampling was primarily conducted from near surface to about 8 km with extensive profiling to characterize the vertical distribution of pollutants and their precursors. The airborne observational data were collected from three aircraft platforms: the NASA DC-8, NASA B-200, and Hanseo King Air. Surface measurements were conducted from 16 ground sites and 2 ships: R/V Onnuri and R/V Jang Mok.

The major data products collected from both the ground and air include in-situ measurements of trace gases (e.g., ozone, reactive nitrogen species, carbon monoxide and dioxide, methane, non-methane and oxygenated hydrocarbon species), aerosols (e.g., microphysical and optical properties and chemical composition), active remote sensing of ozone and aerosols, and passive remote sensing of NO2, CH2O, and O3 column densities. These data products support research focused on examining the impact of photochemistry and transport on ozone and aerosols, evaluating emissions inventories, and assessing the potential use of satellite observations in air quality studies.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer Earthdata Forum
Last Updated August 25, 2026, 08:56 (UTC)
Created April 1, 2025, 16:48 (UTC)
accessLevel public
bureauCode {026:00}
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
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harvest_source_id b99e41c6-fe79-4c19-bbc3-9b6c8111bfac
harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier 10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/KORUSAQ_MetNav_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-08-17T22:16:01Z
programCode {026:000}
publisher NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC
resource-type Dataset
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source_hash 0d66b9ee44f64b484eb1ad67571dd3518aebdc57c046cf1e39f04842e7b337c2
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial ["CARTESIAN", [{"WestBoundingCoordinate": -180, "EastBoundingCoordinate": 180, "SouthBoundingCoordinate": 25, "NorthBoundingCoordinate": 67}]], Maximum Altitude, 12 km
temporal 2016-04-17/2016-06-21
theme {"Earth Science"}