The NASA Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE) Program Page

Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) was based out of Salina Municipal Airport in Salina, KS from May-June 2012. The project was funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and was led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). DC3 investigated the impact of deep convection (i.e. thunderstorms) and related processes (like strong updrafts and lightning) in the central U.S. on the composition and chemistry of the upper troposphere. During DC3, three aircraft were used to take measurements: the NASA DC-8, NSF Gulfstream-V, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Falcon.

Thunderstorms provide a mechanism for rapid lifting of air from the surface to higher altitudes in a matter of minutes to hours, and this allows molecules that are short-lived and more abundant near the surface to be transported to the upper troposphere in amounts that could not happen under normal atmospheric conditions

The LARGE team collected measurements aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft, which took observations in three locations: northeastern Colorado, west Texas and central Oklahoma,
and northern Alabama.

For more information about the DC3 field campaign, visit http://www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/dc3/

Diagram of Thunderstorms Airmass and Squall Line The DC3 mission collected observations that will enhance understanding of the processes (shown above) that occur within thunderstorms. Photo Credit: UCAR

NASA's DC-8 aircraft complete with the probes and modifications that allow it to collect data from the atmosphere while flying. Credit: NASA

Radar imagery of thunderstorms in northeastern Colorado and the flight track of
NASA's DC-8 while investigating them. Image Credit: UCAR