In one of the largest-ever experiments to determine the effects of atmospheric pollution on global climate, an international team of scientists will measure gasses and airborne particles over the Pacific Ocean south of Australia, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today. In the experiment, which begins Nov. 15, scientists from NOAA and 43 other research institutions from 11 countries will measure the varying amounts of microscopic particles and gasses in the atmosphere, called aerosols, that can cool the Earth's surface by reflecting sunlight back into space. The experiment will provide more accurate and reliable information about the extent and distribution of these aerosols to scientists and policy makers concerned with human-induced changes in the global atmosphere.
Aerosols are visible as haze when present in large quantities.
Although chemically complex, this haze is increasingly made up of sulphate particles, principally from fossil fuel combustion. In the first phase of the experiment, dubbed ACE-1 for Aerosol Characterization Experiment, scientists will measure aerosols in the minimally polluted atmosphere south of Australia. C- 130 aircraft, four satellites, and balloons carrying sampling instruments launched from Hobart, Australia. Land-based measurements will also be made at Cape Grim and Macquarie Island, Australia, and Baring Head, New Zealand. The data set collected enroute will be extremely valuable in testing global aerosol climate models and in determining the processes controlling the distribution of these particles.