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Instrument

SAGA
Soluble Acidic Gases and Aerosols

The Soluble Acidic Gases and Aerosols (SAGA) is an in situ airborne sampler owned and operated by the University of New Hampshire. It uses a mist chamber and ion chromatography to collect and analyze specific aerosol species. It can provide samples of nitric acid, chloride, sulfates, nitrates, sodium, potassium, ammonium, and calcium. SAGA has a typical sampling interval of 5 to 15 minutes and a detection limit of 1 to 25 pptv, depending on the species sampled.

Image of the SAGA instrument

Image of the SAGA instrument

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

Measurement Type

Sampler

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Sulfate Particles

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Nitrate Particles

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Nitric Acid

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Sulfur Compounds > Sulfate

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry

Vertical Measurement Regions

Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

5-15 min

Spatial Resolution

Point

Measurement Frequency

N/A

Calibration Details

Currently unavailable

Online Information

https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/instrument/Soluble_Acidic_Gases_and_Aerosols

Lead Investigator
Jack Dibb
Technical Contact
Jack Dibb
Instrument Maker
University of New Hampshire
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repositories
- Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (ORNL)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

Douglas DC-8

45 Campaigns · 182 Instruments

Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys

North America including portions of Canada, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico

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· 20 Data Products

Student Airborne Research Program

Southern California, Virginia

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Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2025-06-15	2025-08-02
2025-06-22	2025-08-09
2009-07-12	2009-08-13
2010-06-20	2010-07-30
2011-06-19	2011-07-29
2012-06-17	2012-08-10
2013-06-09	2013-08-02
2014-06-15	2014-08-08
2015-06-14	2015-08-07
2016-06-12	2016-08-05
2017-06-18	2017-08-11
2018-06-18	2018-08-10
2019-06-16	2019-08-09
2021-12-03	2021-12-10
2022-06-12	2022-08-05
2023-06-11	2023-08-04
2023-06-18	2023-08-11
2024-06-16	2024-08-09
2024-06-23	2024-08-16

· 25 Data Products

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

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· 21 Data Products

Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

Northeastern Colorado, West Texas to Central Oklahoma, Northern Alabama

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· 19 Data Products

Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites

Alaska, Western Canada, California

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· 27 Data Products

Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling

Costa Rica, tropical Eastern Pacific

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· 2 Data Products

Korean United States - Air Quality

South Korean peninsula, including surrounding seas

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· 20 Data Products

Atmospheric Tomography Mission

Western Arctic, South Pacific, Atlantic Ocean, Greenland, Central North America

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· 56 Data Products

Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

Northwestern and Southeastern US

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· 27 Data Products

Polar Aura Validation Experiment

Northeastern United States, Eastern Canada

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· 0 Data Products

Subsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

North Atlantic Ocean, Ireland, Newfoundland, Bangor, Maine, Azores

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· 10 Data Products

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study

Central and Western United States

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· 1 Data Product

Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality

East and Southeast Asia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand

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· 8 Data Products

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

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· 0 Data Products

Image of research vehicles used during DISCOVER-AQ

Image of research vehicles used during DISCOVER-AQ

Vehicle

21 Campaigns · 68 Instruments

Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

Northwestern and Southeastern US

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· 27 Data Products

Data Products

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

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

FIREX-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

DC3 In-Situ DC-8 Aircraft Aerosol Datahttps://doi.org/10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DC3_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsDeep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

DC3 In-Situ DC-8 Aircraft Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DC3_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsDeep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

SEAC4RS DC-8 Aircraft In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SEAC4RS_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsStudies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

SARP 2016 Data10.5067/SUBORBITAL/SARP/DATA001/2016

CampaignsStudent Airborne Research Program

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

INTEXB_DC8_AIRCRAFT10.5067/ASDCDAAC/INTEXB/0008

CampaignsIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FIREX-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

FIREX-AQ MACH2 Surface Mobile In-Situ Measurements10.5067/ASDC/FIREXAQ_SurfaceMobile_MACH2_InSitu_Data_1

CampaignsFire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

PlatformsVehicle

FormatsICARTT

SASS (Subsonics Assessment) Ozone and NOx Experiment (SONEX) DC-8 In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsSubsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsAmes

SASS (Subsonics Assessment) Ozone and NOx Experiment (SONEX) DC-8 In-Situ Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_TraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsSubsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsAmes

ARCTAS DC-8 Aircraft In-situ Aerosol Trace Gas Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/ARCTAS_AerosolTraceGas_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsArctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

ASIA-AQ DC-8 In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/SUBORBITAL/ASIA-AQ/DATA001/DC8/Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_1

CampaignsAirborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT, JPEG

SARP 2019 Data10.5067/SUBORBITAL/SARP/DATA001/2019

CampaignsStudent Airborne Research Program

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT, HDF

ATom: Merged Atmospheric Chemistry, Trace Gases, and Aerosols10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1581

CampaignsAtmospheric Tomography Mission

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsnetCDF

ATom: Measurements of Soluble Acidic Gases and Aerosols (SAGA)10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1748

CampaignsAtmospheric Tomography Mission

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsICARTT

ATom: Merged Atmospheric Chemistry, Trace Gases, and Aerosols, Version 210.3334/ORNLDAAC/1925

CampaignsAtmospheric Tomography Mission

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsnetCDF