Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Abstracts: 32

The Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation (ITCT) "2k2" Field Mission

Joost deGouw

The Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation (ITCT) project is a major new research activity of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Program that directly addresses the tropospheric chemistry and long-range transport of ozone, fine particles and other chemically active greenhouse-compounds, and the impact that this intercontinental transport has on regional climate and air quality. The month-long inaugural ITCT field campaign (dubbed "ITCT 2k2") started April 21 in Monterey, CA and involved CIRES and NOAA researchers in several NOAA Research labs, as well as colleagues in other agencies and academia. The campaign specifically focused on east Asia-to-east Pacific "inflow" into the West Coast region of North America, with the aim of understanding how the Pacific basin affects the chemical processing and removal of compounds of anthropogenic origin that influence the regional budgets of ozone and fine particles downwind over the continental U.S. CIRES scientists from the Aeronomy Laboratory [ About this Lab ] deployed instruments on the WP-3D research aircraft to measure the amount of the pollutants and to determine the chemical transformation that occurs as they move from one continent to another. Eleven science flights of the P-3 were flown in the Pacific coastal region extending from California to the Canadian border during the month-long mission. Highlights of from the "first look" results of the aircraft measurements will be presented.

In addition to measurements from the P3, ETL deployed wind-profiling radars along the coast from San Francisco to northern Washington to diagnose whether the wind measured was local air or had been transported from across the Pacific. CMDL established a monitoring site at Trinidad Head, CA, where scientists made ground measurements of surface ozone and other gases, aerosol particles, and solar radiation. ITCT research will benefit decision-makers in government and industry in two areas: climate/climate change; and air quality. Results will become available as the analysis proceeds in the coming months. A special session on ITCT will take place at the AGU Fall Meeting in December 2002.