CRISTA-NF Cloud and Trace gas Observations During the SCOUT-O3 Tropical Aircraft Campaign

The Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere - New Frontiers (CRISTA-NF) experiment has been developed and integrated onboard the high-flying research aircraft M55-Geophysica. The instrument is an infrared limb-sounder based on the central telescope and spectrometers of the CRISTA instrument, which was successfully operated during two space shuttle missions of NASA in November 1994 and August 1997 (STS 66 and STS 85). CRISTA-NF measures about 10 trace constituents in the UTLS region with a vertical field of view (FOV) and a vertical sampling step of about 200 m (each). The first scientific flight took place during the SCOUT-O3 Tropical Aircraft Campaign in November/December 2005. The paper presents observations of cloud fields and trace gas distributions obtained during Geophysica transfer flights between Germany and Australia (Darwin) and local flights from Darwin. The observations are discussed in terms of cirrus cloud formation and troposphere-to- stratosphere transport in the vicinity of the extra-tropical tropopause.