GACP: Global Aerosol Climatology Project 30.07.

08 20:14

+ NASA Portal
+ Goddard Space Flight Center
+ GSFC Earth Sciences Division

+ GISS Home

The Global Aerosol Cliatology Project (GACP) was established in 1998 as part of the NASA Radiation
Sciences Program and the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX). Its main objectives
have been to

1. Analyze satellite radiance measurements and field observations in order to infer the global
distribution of aerosols, their properties, and their seasonal and interannual variations; and
2. Perform advanced global and regional modeling studies of the aerosol formation, processing, and
transport.

To accomplish these objectives, the Earth Science Enterprise (formerly called Mission to Planet Earth) of
NASA Headquarters had established a processing center at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
and issued a research announcement (NRA-97-MTPE-16). The principal investigators of the successful
proposals formed the GACP Science Team. Besides pursuing their individual research objectives, the
members of the Science Team have participated in selecting candidate algorithms to be applied to the full
period of satellite measurements in order to estimate parameters of significance to the aerosol climatology.
The processing center has been employing the algorithms recommended by the Science Team to produce
the satellite element of the combined GACP aerosol product.

A major outcome of this collective research effort is a 23-year global aerosol climatology compiled from
channel-1 and -2 AVHRR data and supplemented by data from other satellites, field observations, and
chemical-transport modeling. The resulting datasets and analysis products have been documents in
numerous peer-reviewed publications, including a special issue of the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences.
They have been used to improve the understanding and modeling of the climate forcing due to changing
aerosols, including both the direct radiative forcing by the aerosols and the indirect radiative forcing caused
by the effects of changing aerosols on cloud properties.

Hal Maring, Program Manager Paul D. Try, Director

Radiation Sciences Program International Gewex Project Office
Sun-Earth System Division 1010 Wayne Ave.
NASA Headquarters Suite 450
300 E ST SW Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA
Washington DC 20546-0001 Phone: (301) 565-8345
Phone: (202) 358-1679 Fax: (301) 565-8279
Fax: (202) 358-2770 E-mail: gewex@gewex.org
E-mail: hal.maring@nasa.gov

Joyce E. Penner, Science Team Leader Michael Mishchenko, Project Manager

Dept. of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
University of Michigan 2880 Broadway
2455 Hayward Street New York, NY 10025
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143 Phone: (212) 678-5590
Phone: (734) 936-0519 Fax: (212) 678-5552
Fax: (734) 764-5137 E-mail: crmim@giss.nasa.gov
E-mail: penner@umich.edu

GACP Website Curator: Nadia Zakharova

Website Technical Contact: Robert B. Schmunk
+ NASA Privacy Policy and Important Notices
Responsible NASA Official: Michael I. Mishchenko
Page updated: 2007-03-09

1 of 1 http://gacp.giss.nasa.gov/