HIPPO

The HIAPPER pole-to pole survey, code named HIPPO, was a three year program designed to gather atmospheric data over several seasons covering an atmospheric cross-section ranging from sea level through the stratosphere. It comes to a conclusion in the coming weeks. The survey was accomplished in multiple pole-to-pole flights using a Gulfstream aircraft fitted with 24 instruments to study 80 types of gases, solid particles, aerosols and parameters that included wind speed, temperatures and pressures to achieve what amounts to a CAT scan of Earth's atmosphere not previously achievable.
Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) at $5M, the program is a fine example of efforts that can only be accomplished by the Federal Government, in this instance, as in others, to the consternation of climate change skeptics and ill-informed, anti-science, small government devotees.
For the first time there is available to analysts deep insight into global distribution of carbon dioxide, methane, black carbon and other constituents, to be studied for years at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Princeton, the University of Miami, and others.
It will be interesting if the data will shed light on whether stratosphere flights of aircraft contribute significantly to upper atmosphere carbon dioxide presence. Thousands of aircraft flights daily leave behind them flight-length sausages of carbon dioxide and water vapor exhaust that involve massive tonnage and broad area distribution.
In volcanic events huge tonnage of carbon dioxide and other substances often reach the upper atmosphere. But these are sporadic events and over time the substances drop to lower regions. In the case of aircraft, the tonnage is replaced every day. So it can be concluded that over the past sixty or so years, a new component has been introduced that wasn't there before. Whether or not it is significant could be revealed in studies of HIPPO data.