XN000022-1994-02-24 — Page 32

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1994

HK SUPPORTS GLOBAL TROPOSPHERIC EXPERIMENT

HONG KONG IS SUPPORTING A GLOBAL TROPOSPHERIC EXPERIMENT THAT WILL DEVELOP A BASIS FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND GLOBAL EFFECTS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE.

AN

INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF MORE THAN 70 SCIENTISTS AND A SPECIALLY EQUIPPED DC-8 AIRCRAFT FROM THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) OF USA ARE TAKING PART IN THE WORK.

SINCE MONDAY (FEBRUARY 21), THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN USING HONG KONG AS THE BASE, FLYING OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND THE WESTERN PACIFIC TO TAKE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS.

THIS FOLLOWS MEASUREMENTS MADE FROM GUAM EARLY THIS MONTH. THE PACIFIC EXPLORATORY MISSION WILL MOVE ON TO JAPAN AND ALASKA NEXT MONTH BEFORE RETURNING TO CALIFORNIA.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WOULD PROVIDE METEOROLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR THE PLANNING AND OPERATION OF THE FLIGHTS DURING THE WEEK-LONG EXPERIMENT.

SAID.

"IT WILL MAKE INTENSIVE OZONE SOUNDINGS ON SCHEDULED DAYS,' HE

THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT WILL FACILITATE THE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT IN AND OUT OF THE TERRITORY.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID DATA COLLECTED BY THE AIRCRAFT COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO LOCAL SCIENTISTS IN GOVERNMENT AND TERTIARY INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH AND STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES.

AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE EXPERIMENT, THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC WILL CONDUCT CHEMICAL ANALYSES UNDER A SPECIAL RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON A CONTINUING BASIS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

THE EXPERIMENT FOLLOWS THE FIRST FIELD EXPERIMENT OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION IN 1991.

ITS MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO INVESTIGATE THE ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY OF OZONE AND ITS PRECURSORS OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND ΤΟ EXAMINE THE NATURAL BUDGETS OF THESE SPECIES AND THE IMPACT OF SOURCES.

ANTHROPOGENIC

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