INTEX-B / MILAGRO
In March 2006 several coordinated experiments studied gaseous and aerosol pollutants originating primarily in Mexico City and in biomass burning regions of Mexico and Central America . The March phase of INTEX-B ( the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment ) was closely coordinated with MILAGRO (Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations), which includes the programs MIRAGE-Mex , MAXMex , and MCMA2006 . INTEX-B aims to understand the transport and transformation of gases and aerosols on transcontinental/intercontinental scales and assess their impact on air quality and climate. MILAGRO studies the chemical and physical transformations of gaseous and aerosol pollutants in the outflow of the world's second largest metropolitan area, Mexico City . Both INTEX-B and MILAGRO involve coordinated aircraft measurements supported by extensive modeling and satellite observations.

Our airborne sunphotometer, AATS-14, flew on the Jetstream 31 (J31) aircraft based in Veracruz, Mexico, measuring aerosols and water vapor in outflow from Mexico City and biomass burning regions of Mexico and Central America. The scientific goals and approaches of AATS-14 and the other J31 instruments are described at http://www.espo.nasa.gov/intex-b/platforms.html and in the presentations and other materials accessible at left.