7 South East Asian Studies - Dongsha Island

Date Range: 

Monday, March 8, 2010 to Friday, June 18, 2010

The NASA/GSFC SMART-COMMIT (Surface-sensing Measurements for Atmospheric Radiative Transfer - Chemical, Optical, and Microphysical Measurement of In-situ Troposphere) was deployed at Dongsha Island, Taiwan for investigating the evolution of regional atmospheric pollutants (e.g., dust, anthropogenic, and biomass-burning aerosols) and their interactions with cloud and precipitation during the period of March-June 2010. The deployment is a pilot experiment for the scheduled 2013-2015 springtime 7-SEAS (7 South East Asian Studies) project involving a collaboration between NASA, US-Navy, and many regional agencies. On March 21st, 2010, a super dust storm spanning from the Gobi Desert to the W. Pacific was measured by our observatory. Beyond scientific studies, we also collaborate with local scientists, and train on-site technicians to help establish Dongsha as an atmospheric/oceanic supersite.