The Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (AAOE), Including Halley Bay Ozonesonde Data on CD-ROM

This CD-ROM contains data pertaining to the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (AAOE) which was based in Punta Arenas, Chile during August and September 1987. The data was primarily collected onboard the NASA ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft which flew into the ozone hole, along with ozonesonde data collected from April through November at 4 Antarctic stations--Halley Bay, McMurdo, Palmer Station, and the South Pole. The experiment tested the chemical and dynamical theories of the ozone hole using the aircraft data in theoretical computer models of the chemistry and dynamics of the stratosphere. The mission was organized and funded by NASA, NOAA, NSF, universities, Chemical Manufacturer's Association, and meteorological agencies overseas.

The NASA ER-2 is a high altitude research aircraft that sampled air at those altitudes where the ozone hole was at its most intense, with data gathered on the air mass within the confines of the hole itself. The ER-2 collected information on three-dimensional winds, pressure, temperature, temperature profiles +/- 1 km from flight level, chlorine monoxide, bromine monoxide, ozone, nitric oxide, reactive nitrogen, total water, nitrous oxide, whole air sampling, condensation nuclei, aerosol size distribution and composition, and cloud particle images and sizes.

The DC-8 aircraft flew at the lowermost extremities of the hole and deployed a combination of remote sounding of the overlying atmosphere with some in situ sampling. Vertical distributions of ozone and aerosols above the cruising altitude of the aircraft and within the hole were mapped. The DC-8 collected ozone and aerosol profiles overhead by LIDAR; and measured ozone, bromine oxide, OClO, nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, and hydrogen chloride. In situ methods yielded ozone, total water, and whole air sampling.

This CD-ROM also contains the results of the ozonesonde program at Halley Bay (76 degrees South, 27 degrees West) in 1987, where one file corresponds to one ozonesonde ascent. Instances of abnormal conditions affecting the data are noted.

All files within this release are standard ASCII files with variable length records. The file naming convention uses a two character prefix to identify the instrument followed by a six digit number giving the year, month, and day (GMT) of the flight (or balloon launch). A three character name as in ER2, DC8, or OZn is used to denote the data is from either the ER-2, DC-8, or ozonesonde (OZ1 for the first launch, OZ2 for the second launch on a particular day).