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Caption
for Image 1: Paul Newman, Atmospheric Scientist and
the SOLVE II DC-8 Project Scientist. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 2: Dr.
Thomas McGee and Mr. Don Silbert of NASA/GSFC Code 916 stand next to the AROTAL
lidar system. AROTAL is a laser system that shoots pulses of light through a port
in the top of the DC-8. The light that is scattered back and collected by the
telescope (seen in the photo as the large black tube in the center of the photo)
provides detailed information on ozone, temperature, and particle distributions
above the aircraft to altitudes above 100,000 feet. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 3:
Sunset over the Pacific Ocean on January 4, 2003. The sun has almost completely
dipped below the horizon. The bright layer that is immediately above the sun is
possibly scattering off of a layer of volcanic aerosols from the El Reventador
in Ecuador. El Reventador erupted on November 3, 2002, and its plume was detected
at an altitude of about 70,000 above the DC-8 by both the AROTAL and DIAL lidar
systems on this flight. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 4:
Dr. Edward Browell of NASA's Langley Research center stand next to the DIAL lidar
system. DIAL is a laser system that shoots pulses of light through ports in the
top and bottom of the NASA DC-8. Dr. Browell has his hand on the laser for the
lidar system, The laser light that is scattered back and collected by the telescope
(seen in the photo as the large black tube in the back) provides detailed information
on ozone, temperature, and particle distributions above the aircraft to altitudes
above 100,000 feet. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 5:
Sunrise observed from the cockpit of the NASA DC-8 as it approached the Norwegian
coastline during its flight into Kiruna, Sweden on January 9, 2003. The bright
cloud above the horizon on the right of the photo is a polar stratospheric cloud.
These exotic clouds are found at altitudes between 50,000 and 100,000 feet in
the polar stratosphere during the depths of winter. Normal clouds are composed
of water droplets or ice particles. This PSC was composed of crystals of nitric
acid and water. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 6: A C-130 Hercules from the Flying Vikings
(the 934th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command) prepares to depart the
Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden for its home base in Minnesota. The Flying
Vikings carried 25,000 pounds of equipment from NASA Dryden in California to Kiruna
in support of the SOLVE-II mission. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 7:
Clouds observed from the NASA DC-8 off of the coast of southern Norway during
the SOLVE-II flight of January 14, 2003. At the time this photo was taken, the
NASA DC-8 was flying at 40,000 feet. The dark low level clouds extend up to 30-35,000
feet. The clouds in the middle of the photo are polar stratospheric cloud, or
sometimes referred to as mother of pearl clouds. These clouds are found at altitudes
of 60-70,000 feet and are composed particles containing nitric acid, water, and
sulfuric acid. While these PSCs are quite beautiful, chemical reactions take place
on the surfaces of the cloud particles. These reactions release chlorine into
chemical forms that can rapidly destroy ozone. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 8:
The NASA DC-8 at the Kiruna, Sweden airport on January 23, 2003. The DC-8 carries
14 different instruments for the SOLVE II field campaign. The plane is capable
of carrying 30,000 pounds of instruments to a maximum altitude of about 40,000
feet. Credit: NASA Caption
for Image 9: The
NASA DC-8 is rolled into the Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden. The Arena
Arctica was built in 1992, and is capable of housing a Boeing 747-400. The facility
contains labs, office space, and shops for the support of field campaigns. During
SOLVE-II, the Arena housed together 3 aircraft: the NASA DC-8, the DLR Falcon,
and the Russian Geophysica. The sophisticated roll-up hangar doors and heated
hangar floor made the Arena the ideal facility for supporting a field campaign
in the Arctic. Credit: NASA
Caption
for Image 10:
Dr. James Podolske of NASA's Ames Research Center and Mr.
Thomas Slate of NASA's Langley Research Center in the NASA
DC-8 next to the Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH) and the Differential
Absorption CO Measurement (DACOM) instruments. These instruments
makes rapid measurements of water, carbon monoxide, nitrous
oxide, and methane. The instruments operate by passing laser
light through a stream of air ingested from outside the plane.
The amount of light absorbed is proportional to the concentration
of the gas in that air.
Credit: NASA
Caption
for Image 11: On the flight of January 29, 2003,
the NASA DC-8 overflew the North Pole. In this photo, Mr.
Kevin Hall points at his navigation readout showing the precise
position of DC-8 about 20 miles from the North Pole shortly
after overflying the Pole. Credit: NASA
Caption
for Image 12: Mr. Edward Winstead (seated) and
Mr. Gregory Kok (standing) monitor the DC-8 In-situ Aerosol
Parameter Experiment Rack and the Single Particle Soot Photometer
instruments. These instruments provide detailed information
on particles and clouds that the DC-8 flys through. Credit:
NASA
Caption
for Image 13: Dr. Richard Shetter (on the right)
of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is
operating The NCAR Direct beam Irradiance Atmospheric Spectrometer
(DIAS) instrument, while the Dr. Charles Trepte (NASA Langley)
observes. DIAS (the black cylinder next to the aircraft window)
directly measures the sun's ultra violet and visible light
at many different wavelengths. These light measurements are
used to derive both ozone and particle information. Credit:
NASA
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