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Two NASA Aircraft Make Final Flight in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung 3D Air Quality Experiment

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Today (March 27), NASA's DC-8 and GIII aircraft made their final flight to Taiwan to participate in the Seven Seas Project's Kaohsiung-Pingtung 3D Air Quality Experiment. They collaborated with approximately 200 domestic scholars and experts to conduct the fourth intensive observation of the Kaohsiung-Pingtung 3D Air Quality Experiment (KPEx). During the flights and intensive observations on March 13, the transmission of overseas pollutants such as O3 and PM2.5 from China’s haze and Southeast Asian biomass burning to Taiwan was measured. Those interacting with the local pollution accumulation in the central and the southern regions resulted in air quality levels reaching from the orange (warning) to the red (alert) level in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area from March 13 to 14. The final NASA flight in the joint international experiment has helped Taiwan better understand the atmospheric circulation, pollution sources, terrain, and their impacts on air quality in Taiwan.

The Ministry of Environment has indicated that data from the intensive observation periods (IOPs) on February 28-29 and March 13-14 shows O3 and PM2.5 concentrations at altitudes of 300-500 meters were higher than those at ground-level monitoring stations. Vertical pollutant transport from upwind areas to downwind areas resulted in higher O3 and PM2.5 concentrations in the downwind areas. During the previous IOPs, a total of 700 samples, including O3, PM2.5, VOCS, metal elements, harmful substances, PFAS, plastic particles, and persistent organic pollutants, were collected. Today, the GIII maintained flight at 28,000 feet, while the DC-8 flew at a low altitude of 2,000 feet (610 meters), descending to 46 feet (15 meters) at Tainan and Chiayi airports. This final NASA flight to Taiwan, along with the fourth consecutive 48-hour continuous intensive observation, analyzed the causes of air pollution in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area and provided satellite validation, model assessment, and control strategy references to enhance air pollution control in Taiwan. 

NASA's DC-8 Completes Its Last Mission in Collaboration with MOENV's KPEx

NASA's DC-8 Completes Its Last Mission in Collaboration with MOENV's KPEx

DC8 flight trajectory chart on March 27

DC8 flight trajectory chart on March 27

Source: 
Ministry of Environment
Updated: 
2024-03-27
Hit: 
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