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Instrument

PCASP
Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe

The Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (PCASP) is an in situ airborne optical spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It detects light scattered by particles to determine aerosol size distribution and concentration within the 0.1 to 3.0 μm range. PCASP operates at a wavelength of 632 nm and typically samples at 10 Hz.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Spectrometer/Radiometer
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Particle Properties
Troposphere
10 Hz
Point
474 THz
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2349-2013External Link

  • Mike Reeves

  • Mike Reeves, Jorgen Jensen

  • Particle Measuring Systems, Droplet Measurement Technologies

  • Currently unavailable

  • Currently unavailable

Instrument Operation

BOREAS

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study

1994—1996
Boreal forests of central Canada
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2 Deployments
· 303 Data Products
CEPEX

Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment

1993
Central Pacific Ocean
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1 Deployment
· 1 Data Product
The logo for the TOGA-COARE campaign
TOGA COARE

Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere - Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment

1992—1993
Western Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998
Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska
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5 Deployments
· 131 Data Products
MAST

Monterey Area Ship Track

1994
Central California Coast, Pacific Ocean
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001
Southern Africa
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4 Deployments
· 117 Data Products
ATR-42

ATR-42

1 Campaign · 16 Instruments
Pelican

Cessna Pelican

1 Campaign · 6 Instruments
TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996
Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard
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1 Deployment
· 5 Data Products
C-131A

Convair C-131 Samaritan

6 Campaigns · 32 Instruments
TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996
Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard
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1 Deployment
· 5 Data Products
Logo for the SCAR-B deployment
SCAR

Smoke/Sulfates, Clouds, and Radiation

1993—1995
Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, Central Brazil
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3 Deployments
· 6 Data Products
MAST

Monterey Area Ship Track

1994
Central California Coast, Pacific Ocean
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001
Southern Africa
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4 Deployments
· 117 Data Products
SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001
Southern Africa
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4 Deployments
· 117 Data Products
TRMM-KWAJEX

Tropical Rain Measuring Mission-Kwajalein Experiment

1999
Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998
Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska
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5 Deployments
· 131 Data Products
PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001
Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada
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1 Deployment
· 8 Data Products
CRYSTAL-FACE logo converted to .png
CRYSTAL-FACE

Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers Florida Area Cirrus Experiment

2002
Southern Florida
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1 Deployment
· 1 Data Product
CLASIC07

Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign 2007

2007
Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, Kansas
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1 Deployment
· 7 Data Products
PACE-PAX

Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment

2024
Southern and Central California
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
The logo for the ORACLES Campaign
ORACLES

Observations of Aerosols above Clouds and their Interactions

2016—2018
Southeastern Atlantic Ocean, Southern Africa
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3 Deployments
· 8 Data Products
CAMP2Ex

Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

2019
Philippines
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1 Deployment
· 12 Data Products
MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006
Mexico City Metropolitan Area
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006
North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean
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2 Deployments
· 21 Data Products
DC3

Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

2012
Northeastern Colorado, West Texas to Central Oklahoma, Northern Alabama
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1 Deployment
· 19 Data Products
Cessna 207

Cessna 207 Stationair

1 Campaign · 7 Instruments
INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006
North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean
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2 Deployments
· 21 Data Products
Logo for the CPEX-CV campaign
CPEX-CV

Convective Processes EXperiment - Cabo Verde

2022
Cabo Verde, Tropical East Atlantic Ocean
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1 Deployment
· 10 Data Products
SNOEX logo converted from gif to png
SONEX

Subsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

1997
North Atlantic Ocean, Ireland, Newfoundland, Bangor, Maine, Azores
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1 Deployment
· 10 Data Products
Logo for SOLVE Campaign
SOLVE

SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment

1999—2003
Arctic, Kiruna, Sweden
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2 Deployments
· 32 Data Products
HIWC

High Ice Water Content Radar Study

2015—2022
Southeastern United States, Florida, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, Hawaii, Pacific Ocean
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3 Deployments
· 0 Data Products
PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001
Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada
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1 Deployment
· 8 Data Products
Cessna 188

Cessna 188 Agwagon

1 Campaign · 5 Instruments
PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001
Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada
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1 Deployment
· 8 Data Products
Sabreliner

NCAR Sabreliner

3 Campaigns · 21 Instruments
SUCCESS

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study

1996
Central and Western United States
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1 Deployment
· 1 Data Product
CAMP2Ex

Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

2019
Philippines
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1 Deployment
· 12 Data Products

Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

Campaigns
CAMPAIGNS
Platforms
PLATFORMS
Formats
FORMATS
10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0010External Link
Convair-580
ICARTT
10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/TARFOX/0002External Link
10.3334/ORNLDAAC/713External Link
http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/LPVEX/MULTPLE/DATA202External Link
10.3334/ORNLDAAC/714External Link
10.3334/ORNLDAAC/710External Link
Convair-580
P-3 Orion
ICARTT, NetCDF
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1External Link
Douglas DC-8
Ames
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_Merge_DC8_Data_1External Link
Douglas DC-8
Ames
10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/SCAR_B/0001External Link
Binary
P-3 Orion
ICARTT