ATom: Back Trajectories and Influences of Air Parcels Along Flight Track, 2016-2018

This dataset contains back trajectories, boundary layer influences, and convective influences of air parcels along NASA DC-8 aircraft's flight tracks during the four ATom campaigns that occurred from 2016 to 2018. Back trajectories were interpolated using National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA2) meteorology. Back trajectory analysis determines the origin of air masses by modeling the path of an air parcel backward in time. It can be used to better understand the sources of atmospheric compounds. Boundary layer Influences were determined based on 30 Day Back Trajectories. The atmospheric boundary layer is the lowest part of the troposphere that is directly influenced by earth's surface. The boundary layer influences wind patterns and thus the dispersal of pollutants and other atmospheric compounds of interest. Convective influences were based on 10 Day Back Trajectories and NASA Langley cloud products. Convective influences model the effects of convection on the movement of water vapor through the atmosphere, which influences cloud behavior.