^^^trips
NASA ER-2 Atmospheric research plane.
DCOTSS will use the NASA ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft to measure the composition of these convective plumes and determine their effects on the chemistry and composition of the stratosphere. ER-2 flights for DCOTSS will be based in Salina, KS, which offers an ideal location for sampling convective plumes in the stratosphere. The ER-2 will carry an extensive suite of instruments to measure trace gases and aerosol properties and can operate at altitudes as high as 70,000 feet. Commercial airliners, by comparison, typically fly at around 35,000 feet.
By combining NEXRAD and GOES-16 observations of overshooting tops with forecasts of atmospheric winds from the National Weather Service, we will be able to predict the paths of air injected by overshooting storms. ER-2 flights will be planned to intercept plumes from those storms hours to days after they occur. Flights on consecutive days will allow us to to visit the same plumes at different times to study how the chemicals within the plumes evolve in the stratospheric environment.
Three eight-week field deployments of the ER-2 are planned to take place during the summers of 2021 and 2022. The three deployments will observe early, middle, and late summer conditions.
https://www.dcotss.org