Atmospheric Chemistry with Large and Small UAS in the Arctic

James W. ElkinsNOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory

Global Monitoring Division

The NOAA-Environment Canada UAS Arctic Scoping Workshop

September 25, 2012

Outline of Talk

1.Motivation and Introduction

2.Science: Transport & Ozone Depletion

3.Future Possibilities: ATTREX and SkyWisp UAS

4.Conclusions

Arctic Sea Leads observed during GloPac by ACAM from Scott Janz NASA Goddard

PlatformAltair

(Turbo Prop)Predator-B

Global Hawk(Jet)

SkyWisp(Glider)

Endurance (hr) 32 31 24

Altitude(ft) 52,000 65,000 100,000

Range(nm) 6,500 11,000 <40

Payload(lb.) 750 <1500 3

UAS used or proposed for NOAA Atmospheric Chemistry Apps

Mission Dates Platform Flights

NOAA UAS Demo

2005 Altair 5

NASA Fire Mission

2006 Altair 6

GloPac 2010Global Hawk

5

ATTREX 2011-16Global Hawk

5+

StratCore 2012-13 SkyWisp 4

Atmospheric ChemistryUAS Experiments

Box weighs 27 kg (60 lb.), 24.6 x 40.6 x 45.7 cm (9.7x16x18.1”), 45.6 liters. Inlet Pump (KNF model 627), and two gas cylinders (N2 carrier & reference gas) adds another 9 kg (20 lbs.)Measures O3 once every 10 seconds (commercial unit 2B,Inc.)Measures N2O, SF6 every 70 seconds and CO, H2, CH4 every 140 seconds. On board calibration.Also measures water vapor (Maycomm, LLC), relative humidity, and ambient temperature (Vaisala LTD. probe) once every second. New improved ozone and H2O instruments supported by NASA.

Compounds in red are measured by NASA Aura Satellite Instruments.

Unmanned aircraft systems Chromatograph for Atmospheric Species

(UCATS)

In bay #25 of Global Hawk

Observation of Tropopause Fold on the UAS Altair

Five hour test flight finds fold aboveGray Butte, CA airfield.

PV plot courtesy ofLeslie Lait, (NASA/GSFC)

A

B

NCAR’s HIAPER or GV

0.5 - 0.7 ppm

13

Ozone loss observed on 7 April

CLaMS Model Simulation for 7 April 2010 (450K ~ 17 km)

Courtesy of Jens-Uwe Grooss, Forschungszentrum Juelich

CLaMS Accumulated Ozone Loss since 1 Dec 2009

NOAA SkyWisp UAS Configuration

•Glider plus payload (3)

•Ground Station (2)

•GlideTerm Software

• Trackable Antenna System

•Glider Comms System

•Manual RC System

• Launching System

• Launching Supplies Fred Moore, Co-I, with SkyWisp

NOAA Aircore

•U.S. Patent No. 7597014 (10/6/2009) by Pieter Tans NOAA/GMD

• First design was 150 m x 1/4” SS tubing, Smaller now.

•Weighs ~ 16 lbs.

• Launched locally by balloon.

Passive AirCore Sampling System

100,000 feet

Fill Gas

Captured profile

CO2Jan. 14, 2012 Jan. 15, 2012

SGP Tower

Typical SkyWisp flight profile

SkyWisp is produced by Southwest Research Institute

Summary•Overflight of the Global Hawk over the GV

during HIPPO/3 produced similar tracer-tracer relationships with structure.

•Breakup of the polar vortex with low ozone during HIPPO/3 and GloPac was observed in filaments. Agreement of ozone loss between ozone loss and model simulation.

•EC collaboration on Global Hawk during ATTREX with British (contact: Eric Jensen)?

•EC Collaboration with SkyWisp in Boulder and Canada

•Questions?

Thanks for Listening to My Presentation