Transport and Composition of the Southern Hemisphere UTLS - SouthTRAC
Mission Time Period: September - November 2019, Mission completed
Principle Investigators
- M. Rapp, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Atmospheric Physics (DLR-IPA), Oberpfaffenhofen
- M. Riese, FZ Jülich
- P. Hoor, Mainz University (JGU Mainz)
- A. Engel, Goethe University Frankfurt
- B. M. Sinnhuber, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Partner Institutions
The SouthTRAC campaign is a joint atmospheric research project by German research centres and universities within the DFG HALO-SPP 1294 framework. HALO was relocated in Río Grande at the southern tip of South America, in order to perform atmospheric measurements of meteorological quantities and trace gases at southern hemispheric mid- and high-latitudes. Onboard of HALO a set of 13 instruments allowed to study the atmospheric state, composition and dynamical parameters by in-situ sampling and down-, up- and sideways-pointing remote sensing. The extensive aircraft campaign was conducted in two phases taking place in September and November 2019, respectively, covering the late winter and spring season. HALO returned to Germany between both phases. Transfer flights between Europe and South America were used to study interhemispheric differences and exchange.
The HALO measurements were accompanied by ground-based measurements (e.g., lidar, radar, radiosondes) and measurements onboard a glider operating from El Calafate. Meteorological and chemical forecast models provided information about local weather, atmospheric circulation, and trace gas distributions necessary for precise flight planning. These activities included contributions from local groups in South America, USA, and other European institutions outside the HALO community.
Further Information
