2001

The third Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE) focused on Asia (ACE-Asia) to study the effects of the aerosol emanating from this region on atmospheric chemistry and climate. The experiment was conducted during the spring (mid-March to mid-April of 2001) to capture outbreaks of Asian dust associated with frontal systems moving eastward through the dust-producing regions. The dust is routinely transported to Korea and Japan, out over the North Pacific, and occasionally as far east as North America. En route over China and coastal regions, the dust aerosol mixes with aerosol derived from industrial, combustion, volcanic, and natural sources. Hence by the time the Asian aerosol has reached the western margin of the Pacific Ocean it is a complex mixture of dust, organics, elemental carbon, sulfates, nitrate, sea salt, and liquid water.  

For ACE -Asia,  the PMEL Atmospheric Chemistry Group made measurements onboard  the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown (RHB).  The RHB left left Honolulu, Hawaii on 15 March  and headed to the ACE-Asia study region.  During the transit across the Pacific, marine air with little influence from continental sources was sampled. Eleven days later on 26 March and 2000 km from the east coast of Japan, RHB encountered continentally influenced air. For the rest of the cruise, air masses heavily impacted by Asian emissions were sampled