Transcript of Extremely Fine-Grained Observations of Atmospheric Gasses 1 Water vapor measurements from the VCSEL...
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- Extremely Fine-Grained Observations of Atmospheric Gasses 1
Water vapor measurements from the VCSEL hygrometer Garnet Abrams
October 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 2
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- Acronyms 3 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 4 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 CO 2, 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 5
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/warmer_humidity.html
CLOUDS?
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- Research Flights 6
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- Preliminary Results 7 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 8 I would like to extend a special thanks to
Professor Mark Zondlo, Minghui Diao, and the Atmospheric Chemistry
Lab GV crew and NCAR researchers