Developing an Observing System

for Atmospheric Water

Management Activities-II

April 23, 2014

Tom DeFelice, PhD, CO, PMP

Technology Innovations Wx Mod Series - XV

Background

Series began over 14 years ago

Conceptual high-level plan for the “next phase” in

weather modification science and technology

development.

– “…. Comprehensive research and development efforts

directed toward optimizing current technologies used to

manage “treatable” atmospheric processes. …. (DeFelice,

2002-JWM-nRev-short Contribution; DeFelice &

Golden, 2005-JWM)”

Mendoza Meeting (mention UAV – “in passing”)

…..

An Observing System has [up to]

multiple sensor platforms (satellite, air, UAV/S, &/or

ground, UGV/S)

multiple sensors with non-uniform spatial, spectral

characteristics at multiple atmospheric levels,

observing/monitoring specific process parameters (e.g.

hydrologic cycle-precip amount, Microstructure, soil

moisture, latent heat flux),

A processing system for these data, and a

Disseminating capability to provide (& archive) as

needed/desired information (Atmospheric Water

Management Operation/Evaluations).

Definition – Observing System

Goals

UAS to specifically identify atmospheric conditions

conducive to beneficial precipitation augmentation,

hail suppression, and (supercooled) fog dispersal.

UAS to specifically carry-out the beneficial

precipitation augmentation, hail suppression, and

(supercooled) fog dispersal operations.

Explore the possibility of using and developing a:

Plan (High Level) 1) Project Management Principles , Processes, and Tools (PMO).

2) Identify, design, develop, test and document the sensing suite that will

optimally provide temporal, spatial (& spectral) sensitivities to over-

come the predictability or sparseness of environmental parameters.

3) Design, develop, test and document the Information processing system

for producing and disseminating the information obtained under 2).

4) Design, develop, test and document the C4ISR for this system.

5) (a). Design, develop, test and document the optimal integration

scheme of the Payload - sensor suite, processing system, protection

(placeholder), & C4ISR components on 1).

(b). Integrate 2) through 5a) & test operability.

(c), Perform optimization trade studies as needed.

6) Field Test, develop, deploy, and maintain system.

Observing System to ID AWM

Opportunities: Capabilities Function Capability

Sensing *Atmospheric profiles-(Sfc to Flight-level: T, Td, Wind field, P, Spectral

Irradiance)

*Atmospheric Constituents & Composition (Aerosols, Cloud, Precip; gas)

*Surf Characteristics (spectral reflectance, SM/ST profiles)

*Ancillary, Auxiliary (e.g. GPS, TOPO30, Video)

Sensor

Coverage

Omni-slight skew toward forward hemisphere

Data

Processing

Ability to process up to Terabytes of data per second; Functional Tools-

decision support; Cal/Val

Software Algorithms to provide Required Information; CMMI III

C4ISR Secure, Remote, Virtual Platform

Protection Stall for Reinforcements during a Terrorist Attack

Observing System to Carry out

AWM Operations: Capabilities

HYS

Function Capability

Sensing *Atmospheric profiles-(Sfc to Flight-level: T, Td, Wind field, P,

Spectral Irradiance)

*Atmospheric Constituents & Composition (Aerosols, Cloud, Precip;

Gas; Supercooled Liquid Water-SLW)

*Surf Characteristics (spectral reflectance, SM/ST profiles)

*Ancillary, Auxiliary (e.g. GPS, TOPO30, Video)

* AgI, Dry Ice?, (hygroscopic) agent dispenser

Sensor Coverage Omni-slight skew toward forward hemisphere; Sub-UAV point(AgI)

Data Processing Ability to process up to Terabytes of data per second; Functional

Tools-decision support; Cal/Val (Seed-Start & Stop, locations-

GPS, GPS-delays, amt AgI/DI burned/dispensed)

Software (CMMI III Level, ) Algorithms to provide Required Information,

Control (e.g., Ignite Squib-burn AgI Solution/flare, TA and flight

path), Communication, Command, C?, I, S(e.g. Video), R.

C4ISR Secure, Remote, Virtual Platform

Protection Stall for Reinforcements during a Terrorist Attack

Title Acronym Type Measurements

Airborne Detector for

Energetic Lightning Emissions ADELE

Gamma-Rays, Relativistic

Electrons

Advanced Vertical

Atmospheric Profiling System AVAPS

Dropsonde

Pressure, Temperature,

Humidity, Wind

Cloud Physics Lidar CPL Active, Lidar

Aerosol, Optical Depth,

Particle size distribution

High Altitude Monolithic

Microwave integrated Circuit

(MMIC) Sounding Radiometer

HAMSR Microwave Radiometer,

Sounder

Temperature, H2Ov, Precip

profiles (Cloud Top to Sfc)

Hurricane Imaging Radiometer HIRAD Passive, Radiometer Sfc Wind Speed, Rain Rate

High Altitude Imaging Wind

and Rain Airborne Profiler

HIWRAP Radar, Scatterometer

Radar Reflectivity, Doppler

Velocity, Wind (3D cloud

structure and winds)

Scanning High-Resolution

Interferometer Sounder S-HIS

Interferometer Temperature, H2O profiles

Tropospheric Wind Lidar

Technology Experiment TWiLiTE Active, Lidar

Wind (profiles)

Focused Cavity Aerosol

Spectrometer FCAS

Optical particle counter Particle size distribution

Nuclei-Mode Aerosol Size

Spectrometer NMASS

CN counter,

Spectrometer

Particle size distribution,

Condensation Nuclei

Cloud Particle Imager? CPI?

Other UAV sensors

Title Acronym Type Measurements

Unmanned Aerial System Laser

Hygrometer ULH Hygrometer, In-situ H2O

Advanced Whole Air Sampler AWAS WAS

CFC-11, CFC-113, Halon-1211,

NMHCs, CO, CH4, N2O

Harvard University Picarro Cavity Ring

Down Spectrometer HUPCRS

Spectrometer CH4, CO2, CO

Hawkeye Hawkeye Particle imager Particle size distribution

mini-DOAS mini-DOAS Spectrometer BrO, NO2, O4

NOAA Water Vapor NWV CIMS, In-situ Water Vapor, H2O

O3 Photometer - UAS (NOAA) UAS-O3 Photometer O3

JPL Laser Hygrometer JLH Hygrometer, In-situ,

Spectrometer H2O

Focused Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer FCAS Optical particle counter Particle size distribution

Microwave Temperature Profiler MTP Microwave Radiometer,

Passive Temperature, Profile

Lightning Instrument Project LIP In-situ

Electric field, Lightning, Air

Conductivity

Airborne Compact Atmospheric Mapper ACAM Camera NO2, O3, Aerosol, SO2, CH2O

Diode Laser Hygrometer DLH Laser absorption H2O

UAS Chromatograph for Atmospheric

Trace Species UCATS

Gas chromatography,

Photometer, Spectrometer N2O, SF6, CH4, CO, O3

Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer SSFR Radiometer Solar flux, Irradiance

Meteorological Measurement System MMS In-situ

Wind, Turbulence, Temperature,

Aircraft position

Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Atmo Water

Sensor Package UAVAWSP

In-situ N2O, H2O isotopes, H2O, CO, CH4

Ground-based measurement

(&/or UGV)

Airborne measurement/ Satellite

with moderate resolution/ UAV

or UGV with Low-Mod

resolution

Satellite with low resolution

Satellite sensor measurement with

high resolution; UGV/UAV with

Moderate resolution

Conceptual Projected Surface Coverage

Relationships of Various Data Platforms

Unmanned ID AWM Opportunity System

Unmanned Carry-Out AWM Operations System

AVAPS CPL/HAMSR HIWRAP /

HIRAD

S-HIS/FCAS, NMASS

XXXXXX

TwiLight MMS

UCATS

AVAPS CPL/HAMSR HIWRAP /

HIRAD

S-HIS/FCAS, NMASS

AgI generator

TwiLight MMS

ADELE

Seeding Material

MLB BAT 3 (UAS) {fully autonomous or

manual; GPS-guided; UAS; 6-ft wingspan;

catapult launcher; ground station with

mission planning and flight software, and

telemetry system.

700 ft above ground:

Gnd Res=6 cm (Vis)

=13 cm (Multispectrl)

Onboard computer [timestamp, GPS

location, elevation, pitch, roll, &

heading/image].

Typical Footprint – 213 m x 160 m (color)

0 250 500 1000 M

www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=24113

Risk/Issue/Concerns

FAA Programmatic

Functional

• Conduct AWM Operations(?)

• AWM Operational & Evaluation Models, &

Decision Support Tool Development,

Improvement, &/or Validation Activities

• ‘Process’ Monitoring (e.g., Monitoring Strategies,

improved understanding of physic-chemical

atmospheric processes-govern Hydrologic Cycle,

Climate change, etc.)

• Many Others …….

Benefits: