Extremely Fine-Grained Observations of
Atmospheric Gasses
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
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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
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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
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Multiple Enclosure Devise for Unfractioned Sampling of Air | MEDUSA
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Whole Air Sampler | WAS
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CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, Solvents, Methyl Halides, Organic Nitrates, Non-Methane
Hydrocarbons, Perflourocarbons; See the comprehensive list of chemical species
Quantum Cascade Laser System | QCLS
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O2, CO2, Ar/N2, 13CO2, C18O16O
CO2, CO, CH4, N2O
Instrument – VCSEL Hygrometer
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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
Water Vapor in the Atmosphere
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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
CLOUDS?
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/warmer_humidity.html
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Research Flights
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Preliminary
Results
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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
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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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