Ground - based data are more detailed, and in areas like Central America where large
sulfur dioxide - emitting volcanoes are close together, they better distinguish which specific volcano
gas plumes come from.
The specialized instruments onboard the aircraft sampled the
plume for aerosol particle size distribution and composition as well as concentrations of pollutant
gases such as
sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen
dioxide, ozone, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).