Airborne Measurements of Important Ozone-depleting and Climate-forcing Trace Gases from 1991 to HIPPO and Beyond

Through collaborations with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory Global Monitoring Division (NOAA/ESRL/GMD) has measured a number of trace gases from manned and unmanned aircraft up to 21 km, and balloon platforms up to 32 km since 1991 at locations spanning the globe. Over 40 trace gases, including nitrous oxide (N₂O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), methyl halides, numerous other halocarbons, sulfur gases (COS, SF₆, CS₂), and selected hydrocarbons, have been measured at Earth's surface and at altitude. This presentation will highlight our recent observations of halocarbons and other trace gases during the NSF and NOAA sponsored HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) campaigns (2009-2011) that included flyovers of NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change), AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment), and NOAA stations. Other observations from the recent NASA and NOAA sponsored Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) GloPac and ATTREX campaigns (2010 - present) will also be highlighted, along with comparisons to proximate NDACC and satellite observations (ACE-FTS, Aura MLS and TES instruments). Our goal is to assemble a complete data set of geolocated airborne observations of halocarbons and other important trace gases measured by NOAA/ESRL airborne gas chromatographs for the purpose of facilitating model development and studies of atmospheric chemistry and transport processes in the troposphere and lower stratosphere.