Aura Validation Experiment (AVE) October-November 2004

The Aura Validation Experiment (AVE) was a NASA-led science mission to acquire high quality measurements of the urban atmosphere to validate data from NASAs Aura satellite (launched July 15, 2004). AVE was the second in a series of Aura validation missions to help understand the transport of gases and aerosols in the lower atmosphere (or troposphere) and their exchange with the lower stratosphere.

Utilizing the NASA WB-57F high-altitude research aircraft and balloons, AVE collected valuable science data, especially on ozone and ozone-destroying radicals from an excellent suite of atmospheric remote sensing and in situ instruments. The mission, based near Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, conducted eight science flights in late October and early November 2004. The WB-57F aircraft were loaded with instrumentation to collect data on aerosols, cloud physical properties and on atmospheric gases, such as ozone, methane, and water vapor. A total of 90 science and support personnel were deployed for the four-week mission.

The information gathered will be combined with data from the Aura satellite to validate measurements and enable improved modeling of global scale air quality and climate change predictions. Atmospheric constituents, such as ozone and water vapor in the upper troposphere are important "greenhouse gases that impact global temperature. Aerosols tiny airborne particles like dust and smoke, work to absorb or reflect radiation, and also play a significant role in both global air quality and the regulation of the Earths climate.

Contacts:

Don Anderson
Program Manager
Headquarters, Washington DC
Donald.Anderson@hq.nasa.gov

Mike Gaunce
Project Manager
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA
Michael.T.Guance@nasa.gov

Paul Newman
Project Scientist
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD
newman@notus.gsfc.nasa.gov

Science Goals:

• Validation of Aura's Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument through WB-57F underflights of the Aura satellite over open water and clear sky conditions, as well as underflights during satellite overpass of radiation ground sites.
• Validation of Aura's Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) through aircraft underflights as Aura passes over urban area.
• Validation of Aura's Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument through spiral flight profiles of the aircraft between 20,000-60,000 feet for atmospheric column measurements under a variety of cloud conditions.
• Integration of new atmospheric measurement instruments and capabilities onto the WB-57F to support Aura validation flights.
• Gathering of data on atmospheric conditions from the Gulf of Mexico to U.S. Midwest during October-November.

Partners:

NASA scientists worked in close collaboration with several researchers from other government and private institutions, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aeronomy Lab and Aerospace Corporation.

When:

October 18 November 12, 2004

Where:

The mission was conducted from Ellington Field, Houston, Texas.

Links:

Mission Site:

http://cloud1.arc.nasa.gov/ave-houston/

For information about Aura:

http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/

For more information about the Aura Validation Data Center:

http://avdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/Overview/index.html