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POLARIS ER-2 Meteorological and Navigational Data

Metadata Updated: April 9, 2026

POLARIS_MetNav_AircraftInSitu_ER2_Data is the in-situ meteorological and navigational data collected during the Photochemistry of Ozone Loss in the Arctic Region in Summer (POLARIS) campaign. Data from the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS), ER-2 Nav Recorder (NavRec), Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP), JPL Laser Hygrometer (JLH), and the Composition and Photo-Dissociative Flux Measurement (CPFM) are featured in this collection. Data collection for this product is complete. The POLARIS mission was a joint effort of NASA and NOAA that occurred in 1997 and was designed to expand on the photochemical and transport processes that cause the summer polar decreases in the stratospheric ozone. The POLARIS campaign had the overarching goal of better understanding the change of stratospheric ozone levels from very high concentrations in the spring to very low concentrations in the autumn. The NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft was the primary platform deployed along with balloons, satellites, and ground-sites. The POLARIS campaign was based in Fairbanks, Alaska with some flights being conducted from California and Hawaii. Flights were conducted between the summer solstice and fall equinox at mid- to high latitudes. The data collected included meteorological variables; long-lived tracers in reference to summertime transport questions; select species with reactive nitrogen (NOy), halogen (Cly), and hydrogen (HOx) reservoirs; and aerosols. More specifically, the ER-2 utilized various techniques/instruments including Laser Absorption, Gas Chromatography, Non-dispersive IR, UV Photometry, Catalysis, and IR Absorption. These techniques/instruments were used to collect data including N2O, CH4, CH3CCl3, CO2, O3, H2O, and NOy. Ground stations were responsible for collecting SO2 and O3, while balloons recorded pressure, temperature, wind speed, and wind directions. Satellites partnered with these platforms collected meteorological data and Lidar imagery. The observations were used to constrain stratospheric computer models to evaluate ozone changes due to chemistry and transport.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: See this page for license information.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
Metadata Updated Date April 9, 2026

Metadata Source

Harvested from NASA Data.json

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
Metadata Updated Date April 9, 2026
Publisher NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC
Maintainer
Identifier 10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/POLARIS_MetNav_AircraftInSItu_ER2_Data_1
Data Last Modified 2026-04-06
Category Earth Science
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 026:00
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id 725a9772-1798-455d-a66b-dede6cfc1b84
Harvest Source Id 58f92550-7a01-4f00-b1b2-8dc953bd598f
Harvest Source Title NASA Data.json
License https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Old Spatial "CARTESIAN",{"Boundary":{"Points":{"Latitude":-29.202,"Longitude":-180},{"Latitude":-29.202,"Longitude":180},{"Latitude":90,"Longitude":180},{"Latitude":90,"Longitude":-180},{"Latitude":-29.202,"Longitude":-180}}}, Maximum Altitude, 69.1 km
Program Code 026:000
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash c2d1c4d2ab3b7815c186fe2321d4d87bb7abcfef263864439c48fcd6c291689b
Source Schema Version 1.1
Spatial
Temporal 1997-01-06/1997-09-26

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