CONTRAST and CAST Mission Planes (IMAGE) University of Maryland Caption Two research planes on complementary missions flew over Guam measuring the levels of dozens of chemicals in the atmosphere in January and February 2014. The British Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe-146 research aircraft flew during the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council Coordinated Airborne Studies in the Tropics (CAST) mission. The aircraft that flew during the CONvective Transport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST) mission was the HIAPER (High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research), a Gulfstream V jet sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Atmospheric Research and modified for advanced research. Taken together, the data collected by the two aircraft gave research collaborators a detailed view of air masses spanning tens of thousands of feet from the ocean surface to the stratosphere. Credit Loretta Kuo/Shawn Honomichl Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.