THE ASTEX MAGE EXPERIMENT

The Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment/Marine Aerosol and Ga s Exchange (ASTEX/MAGE) was a multinational experiment designed to stu dy the relationship between marine chemistry, aerosols, clouds, and ai r/sea exchange. Several aircraft, ships, and island sites supported me asurements of marine boundary layer chemistry in both pristine and pol luted North Atlantic air masses in the vicinity of the Azores in June of 1992. The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Program 's MAGE activity organized the chemical experiments in ASTEX because s uch experiments are beyond the capabilities of any one platform, disci pline, or nation working alone. One highlight of ASTEX/MAGE was the de velopment of a Lagrangian experimental strategy. It offered a unique w ay of constraining fluxes and reaction rates by observing the effect t hose processes have on a tagged parcel of air.