Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted the GLObal Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) survey missions on a NASA DC-8 aircraft over the central and near-coastal Pacific Ocean during November 6 - 30, 1989 (GLOBE I) and May 13 - June 5, 1990 (GLOBE II). These missions were designed to study the optical, physical, and chemical properties of atmospheric aerosols. Particular emphasis was given to the magnitude and spatial variability of aerosol backscatter coefficients (β, m⁻¹sr⁻¹) at mid-infrared (9-11 µm) and mid-visible to near-infrared (0.5-1.5 µm) wavelengths. Both missions concentrated on the remote middle and upper troposphere, where these aerosol properties are poorly understood.

© 1991 Optical Society of America