START08

Stratosphere-Troposphere Analyses of Regional Transport (START08) was deployed in Spring 2008 to study the chemical and transport characteristics of the extratropical upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric (ExUTLS) region using the NSF/NCAR HIAPER aircraft. In the ExUTLS, multi-scale dynamics, coupled with chemistry, controls and redistributes a suite of radiatively important trace species, including ozone, water vapor, and CO2 in addition to aerosols and particles. Results from this study will lead to improved representation and prediction by global chemistry-climate models of the coupling between dynamics and chemistry under the current and projected climate regimes.