TRACE-A Kinematic Trajectory Data

TRACE-A_Trajectory_Data is the kinematic trajectory data collected during the Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator - Atlantic (TRACE-A) suborbital campaign. Data from the Two Photon - Laser Induced Fluorescence (TP-LIF) and Differential Absorption of CO, CH4, N2O Measurements (DACOM) instruments are featured in this collection. Data collection for this product is complete.The TRACE-A mission was a part of NASA’s Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) – an assemblage of missions conducted from 1983-2001 with various research goals and objectives. TRACE-A was conducted in the Atlantic from September 21 to October 24, 1992. TRACE-A had the objective of determining the cause and source of the high concentrations of ozone that accumulated over the Atlantic Ocean between southern Africa and South America from August to October. NASA partnered with the Brazilian Space Agency (INPE) to accomplish this goal.  The NASA DC-8 aircraft and ozonesondes were utilized during TRACE-A to collect the necessary data. The DC-8 was equipped with 19 instruments. A few instruments on the DC-8 include the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL), the Laser-Induced Fluorescence, the O3-NO Ethylene/Forward Scattering Spectrometer, the Modified Licor, and the DACOM IR Laser Spectrometer. The DIAL was responsible for a variety of measurements, which include Nadir IR aerosols, Nadir UV aerosols, Zenith IR aerosols, Zenith VS aerosols, ozone, and ozone column. The Laser-Induced Fluorescence instrument collected measurements on NxOy in the atmosphere. Measurements of ozone were recorded by the O3-NO Ethylene/Forward Scattering Spectrometer while the Modified Licor recorded CO2. Finally, the DACOM IR Laser Spectrometer gathered an assortment of data points, including CO, O3, N2O, CH4, and CO2. Ozonesondes played a role in data collection for TRACE-A along with the DC-8 aircraft. The sondes were dropped from the DC-8 aircraft in order to gather data on ozone, temperature, and atmospheric pressure. 

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer Earthdata Forum
Last Updated September 11, 2025, 04:25 (UTC)
Created April 1, 2025, 19:33 (UTC)
accessLevel public
bureauCode {026:00}
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
harvest_object_id 51255e08-bae3-4ab3-ace1-49ca416b7075
harvest_source_id b99e41c6-fe79-4c19-bbc3-9b6c8111bfac
harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier 10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TRACE-A/Trajectory_Data_1
landingPage https://www-gte.larc.nasa.gov/trace/tra_hmpg.htm
modified 2025-09-10
programCode {026:000}
publisher NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC
resource-type Dataset
source_datajson_identifier true
source_hash 0535467604cb79039c083653c1cb378d6d87e6c839df58d25dc0e50369ea619f
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial ["CARTESIAN",[{"NorthBoundingCoordinate":19.95,"WestBoundingCoordinate":-180,"EastBoundingCoordinate":58.69,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":-60}]]
temporal 1990-03-13/1990-03-13
theme {"Earth Science"}