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Projects > A - C > BLAST

Preferred term

BLAST  

Definition

  • The Bromine Latitudinal Air/Sea Transect (BLAST) expeditions by NOAA/CMDL consisted of 3 cruises. BLAST I in 1994 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, BLAST II, also in 1994 in the Atlantic Ocean, and BLAST III in 1996 in the Southern Oceans near Antarctica. The BLAST I 1994 expedition was intended to test the reliabilty of a gas chromatograph / mass spectrometer (GC/MS) combination instrument at sea and then measure methyl bromide (CH3Br) in the marine air and the surface waters of the East Pacific Ocean to determine whether the ocean is a source or a sink for this compound. Along with methyl bromide, about 20 other compounds in both air and surface waters was measured. The BLAST I expedition started in Seattle, WA, crossed several regions of the East Pacific and reached the inland passage of Chile at 41 degrees S, and finally Punta Arenas, Chile, at 54 degrees S about 4.5 weeks after its beginning. The NOAA Ship Discoverer (R 102) was used in the BLAST I expedition. The BLAST II 1994 cruise was a continuation of the BLAST I 94 mission in order to verify findings from the first cruise, but in the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Pacific. In addition to all compounds that were measured during BLAST 94, other halogenated methanes were also measured. The cruise covered an equally wide latitudinal range as BLAST 94, similar oceanic regimes such as coastal and coastally influenced waters, upwelling regions and open ocean gyres, but slightly different seasons, fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. The entire cruise was almost 5 weeks long and was conducted between 18 October, 1994 and 21 November, 1994. The data for methyl bromide basically confirmed what was seen during BLAST I 94 and contributed valuable information to NOAA/CMDL's database for methyl halides. The ship FS Polarstern, used for the BLAST II expedition, operates out of Bremerhaven, Germany, and is run by the Alfred Wegener Polarforschung mainly as a research vessel and supply ship for the German Antarctica station Georg von Neumayer. The BLAST III cruise was conducted between February 22nd and April 7th, 1996 from McMurdo, Antarctica, along the coast and through the ice of Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile. This cruise was a continuation of previous BLAST cruises. The main focus on these expeditions has been the measurement of methyl bromide and a suite of other methyl halides, very similar to the setup during BLAST II. The ship Nathanial Palmer, used for the BLAST III expedition, is operated by Antarctic Support Associates which headquarters located in Englewood, Colorado. References: Net Sink for Atmospheric CH3Br in the East Pacific Ocean, J.M. Lobert, J.H. Butler, S.A. Montzka, L.S. Geller, R.C. Myers, and J.W. Elkins, Science 267, 1002-1005 (1995) BLAST 94: Bromine Latitudinal Air/Sea Transect 1994: Report on Oceanic Measurements of Methyl Bromide and Other Compounds. J.M. Lobert, J.H. Butler, L.S. Geller, S.A. Yvon, S.A. Montzka, R.C. Myers, A.D. Clarke, and J.W. Elkins. NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL CMDL-10. The Latitudinal Distribution of Atmospheric Sulfur Hexafluoride, L.S. Geller, J.W. Elkins, R.C. Myers, J.M. Lobert, and J.H. Butler. submitted to GRL (1996). The distribution and cycling of halogenated trace gases between the atmosphere and ocean. J.H. Butler, J.M. Lobert, S.A. Yvon, and L.S. Geller. In: G. Kattnetterer (eds.), The Expedition ANTARKTIS XII of FS Polarstern in 1994/95, Reports of Legs ANT XII/1 and 2. Berichte zur Polarforschung, Vol 168, 27-40, 1995. Bremerhaven, Germany: Alfred Wegener Instir Polar- und Meeresforschung. Undersaturations of CH3Br in the Southern Ocean, J.M. Lobert, S.A. Yvon-Lewis, J.H. Butler, S.A. Montzka, and R.C. Myers, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24(2), 171-172, 1997. BLAST I Contacts: James H. Butler +1 303 497 6898 (tel) 6290 (fax) jbutler@cmdl.noaa.gov Jurgen M. Lobert +1 303 497 7006 (tel) 7850 (fax) jurgen@fiji.ucsd.edu BLAST II and III Contacts: James H. Butler +1 303 497 6898 (tel) 6290 (fax) jbutler@cmdl.noaa.gov Jurgen M. Lobert +1 303 497 7006 (tel) 7850 (fax) jurgen@fiji.ucsd.edu Shari A. Yvon +1 303 497 7015 (tel) 7850 (fax) syvon@cmdl.noaa.gov Data are available on the NOAA/CMDL/NOAH anonymous FTP account: "ftp://ftp.cmdl.noaa.gov/noah/ocean/blast_94" "ftp://ftp.cmdl.noaa.gov/noah/ocean/blast_ii" "ftp://ftp.cmdl.noaa.gov/noah/ocean/blast_iii" For more information see: "http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/noah" and "http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/noah/ocean/ocean.html" (en)

Broader concept

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https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/03866903-66a9-42d7-a5d6-aef57067da0d

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