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Extremely Fine-Grained Observations of Atmospheric Gasses
Water vapor measurements from the VCSEL hygrometer
Garnet AbramsOctober 7, 2011
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Outline Project, affiliations, and motivations Instrumentation Water vapor-climate science and feedbacks Sampling - flight paths and patterns Preliminary Results
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Acronyms National Science Foundation and National Center for
Atmospheric Research funded operation HIPPO – Highly Instrumented Aerial Platform for
Environmental Research (HIAPER) Pole-to-Pole Observations A series of 5 pole-to-pole flights (N. Pole to S. Pole and back) Capture each season – January (1), November (II), March-April (III),
June (IV), August-September (V), Instruments on board
Multiple Enclosure Devise for Unfractioned Sampling of Air | MEDUSA O2, CO2, Ar/N2, 13CO2, C18O16O
Whole Air Sampler | WAS CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, Solvents, Methyl Halides, Organic Nitrates, Non-
Methane Hydrocarbons, Perflourocarbons; See the comprehensive list of chemical species
Quantum Cascade Laser System | QCLS CO2, CO, CH4, N2O
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Instrument – VCSEL Hygrometer
Operates at 1854 nm 25 Hz readings Temperature and pressure
probes Beam makes 25 passes, heaters
beneath mirrors Sits outside the boundary layer
of the plane The only in-situ water vapor
instrument on the flight
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Water Vapor in the Atmosphere Water vapor has 4 times the
radiative forcing of CO2, however considered a feedback, not anthropogenic source
The warmer the atmosphere, the more water if can hold . . .
Clouds, depending upon their height, color, and time of day can insulate and absorb or reflect solar energy
Clouds pose difficulty for modelers
Water vapor is sticky, making it difficult to measure
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/warmer_humidity.html
CLOUDS?
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Research Flights
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Preliminary Results Temporal
differences just between the beginning and end of June.
Lack of profiling in Southern Pacific on return flight
Sampling avoids extreme convection
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Special Thanks I would like to extend a
special thanks to Professor Mark Zondlo, Minghui Diao, and the Atmospheric Chemistry Lab
GV crew and NCAR researchers
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