Atmospheric composition changes affect air quality, weather, climate, and critical constituents, such as ozone. Atmospheric exchange links terrestrial and oceanic pools within the carbon cycle and other biogeochemical cycles. Solar radiation affects atmospheric chemistry, and is thus a critical factor in atmospheric composition. Atmospheric composition is central to Earth system dynamics, since the atmosphere integrates surface emissions globally on time scales from weeks to years and couples several environmental issues.
NASA's research for furthering our understanding of atmospheric composition is geared toward providing an improved prognostic capability for key processes and issues, including the recovery of stratospheric ozone and its impacts on surface ultraviolet radiation, evolution of greenhouse gases and their impacts on climate, and evolution of tropospheric ozone and aerosols and their impacts on climate and air quality. Research within the Atmospheric Composition Focus Area addresses the following science questions:
Deadlines:
This program element seeks proposals for members of the SAGE III Science Team. Proposals are sought in six topical areas. The first five areas are presented in no particular priority order, while the sixth topic, Independent Validation (Section 3.6), is deemed of somewhat lower priority. While NASA is soliciting proposals in all of the areas, it is not committing to funding proposals in each of these areas.
