On his most recent visit, Klinger and his colleagues collected volatile organic carbon emissions from a wide range of plant species and sampled ambient air concentrations. The study region finally chosen extends from the northeast part of the CAR southward into the rain forests of the Congo. Across this band, about 800 kilometers long, average annual rainfall jumps from 80 to 180 centimeters per year. The north-south wobbling of the equatorial convergence zone produces wet conditions at the north end of the study area while the south is dry, with rains to the south when the north is dry. Collaboration with local CAR and Congolese scientists will take place at each location.
Several students hope to glean material from the experiment for their doctoral dissertations.
Lee Vierling, a NASA fellow and doctoral student at the University of Colorado, is working on characterization of remote sensing over tropical regions. The picture of local climate thus gained will help guide the deployment of radiosondes and ground-based stations. This could really be a landmark study for the atmospheric chemistry community. The July 1995 issue of National Geographic featured the Congolese national park that includes the Bomassa field site.