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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