The European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit's Major Campaigns

Large scale field campaigns
European Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Experiment (EASOE)
The first major task the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit undertook was assisting the coordination of a large scale field campaign, EASOE, which was composed of research projects under the EC ENVIRONMENT Programme. The campaign aimed to understand the causes of the observed ozone losses in the Northern Hemisphere. From November 1991 to March 1992 over 60 research groups (mainly from Europe, with a few from the USA, the USSR and Japan) performed experiments to investigate the Arctic stratosphere. EASOE scientists made a large number of measurements of ozone and other important chemicals throughout the winter and have subsequently carried out analyses of these data. A major collection of scientific papers from EASOE, edited by the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit, appeared in a special issue of Geophysical Research Letters in June 1994. The EASOE activities and findings are summarised later. 

Second European Stratospheric Arctic and Mid-latitude Experiment (SESAME)
Similar to its work during EASOE, the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit played an important part in the second major European field campaign, SESAME. SESAME was composed of 15 projects in the framework of the EC ENVIRONMENT Programme, along with some participation by non-EU states, and took place between January 1994 and December 1995. Direct field measurements consisted of balloon launches, scientific aircraft flights, ground based remote sensing of atmospheric composition and some satellite measurements. Field measurement planning was assisted by forecasting using chemical models and complimented by similar diagnostic studies in the subsequent data analysis. These were further refined by laboratory measurements to precisely examine the parameters of stratospheric chemical reactions. In addition to the polar studies, SESAME examined the middle latitudes where long term ozone depletion has also been observed.

The scientific results of SESAME are currently the subject of a series of special sections in the Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry whose preparation the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit is managing. Separate brochures describing EASOE and SESAME are available from the European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit.

Third European Stratospheric Experiment on Ozone (THESEO)
The European Ozone Research Coordinating Unit has been involved in the early planning of THESEO, the third European measurement campaign. To run from winter 1997/98 to December 2000, THESEO will be the most ambitious programme of activities to date. In preparation for this EORCU has helped pan-European collaboration by hosting large scale planning meetings and assisted in the effective preparation of scientific proposals, in particular by facilitating communication between scientific partners throughout EU member states. THESEO will be funded under the Environment and Climate section of the European Union's Framework IV programme, and by national science programmes.

Validation of INTERnational Satelites and study of Ozone Loss (VINTERSOL)