SONNE SO218

The 218th expedition of the research vessel SONNE (November 15 -November 29, 2011) leads to the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea off the coast of Malaysia and the Philippines. In the coastal waters off the coast of Borneo and Malaysia scientists suspect sources of halogens containing gases, which are largely unexplored. If those gasses reach the troposphere they damage the ozone layer. The expedition SO218 is part of the EU research project SHIVA (Stratospheric Ozone: Halogen Impacts in a Varying Atmosphere), in which researchers from five European countries and Malaysia examine the development and the paths of ozone-depleting gasses. The project is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Klaus Pfeilsticker of the University of Heidelberg. During the expedition the scientist involved want to gain knowledge about the amount of those ozone-depleting substances and to develop a better understanding of the chemical processes and transport mechanisms involved. By this they hope to make more reliable predictions about the future development of the ozone layer. Along with the research vessel SONNE from the Leibniz-Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) the research aircraft FALCON from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) takes part in the measuring campaign. Additionally the project will revert to observations made by the environmental satellite ENVISAT.