CARIBIC (1998 - ongoing)

Official CARIBIC homepage

Brief description

CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) will regularly survey the atmosphere from passenger aircraft, yielding a unique, extremely valuable data set. The data is especially suitable for the validation of models and satellite observations. The central objective of CARIBIC 3 is to improve our understanding of fundamental physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere, which are important for global change. The following aims are linked to this: (1) determine the temporal-spatial distribution of over 60 trace gases and ~10 physical/chemical aerosol parameters in the UTLS; (2) investigate seasonal and inter-annual changes and long-term trends; (3) identify their source and sink regions; and (4) quantify the contribution of different source processes to the observed concentrations. CARIBIC 3 primarily uses an experimental approach, supported by comprehensive model studies. An airfreight container equipped with state-of-the-art measurement devices will be operated over a period of 4 years aboard a passenger aircraft. Using additional meteorological analyses, the data will be extensively compared with model results and other data sets.

Special remarks concerning ETHmeg database content

none

Overview of measurement techniques and uncertainties

References

See CARIBIC homepage