The aircraft have different jobs. NASA says its DC-8 carries 26 instruments and will fly low to sample air close to the ground, where people and habitats are affected. Its G-III is planned to fly at 28,000 feet, mapping how pollution is distributed within each study area and changes through the day. Korean aircraft will join the NASA planes in supplementing and cross-checking satellite and ground observations. [S1]
NASA says adding airborne measurements to models alongside satellite and ground observations can help scientists evaluate those models from multiple perspectives. Better understanding of how the models simulate pollution could eventually support forecasts and information for the public, according to NASA platform scientist Laura Judd. [S1]
NASA is conducting the Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) with international partners, including Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research. NASA program scientist Barry Lefer said participating countries' scientists and agencies would focus the study on their regional air-quality questions and work on forecast-model improvements and policy advocacy. [S1]
Source documents
- NASA Collaborates in an International Air Quality Studyhttps://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/nasa-collaborates-in-an-international-air-quality-study/