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Aircraft Measurement Support of TexAQSII
| Project Period: | 08/01/2006 - 03/15/2007 |
| Total Budget: | $258,038 |
| Sub-Contractors: | Baylor
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During the 2006 intensive of the Second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II), the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) will deploy a Twin Otter with several observing systems aboard, including a nadir-looking differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for measuring boundary layer ozone, an infrared radiometer for observing surface skin temperature, an in situ ozone measuring instrument, and a dropsonde launch facility for deploying dropsondes over the water. The NOAA Twin Otter has allotted about 120 hours to examine several key objectives relating to regional air pollution in the Houston region and beyond, including:
- Quantify the effect of mixing levels on pollution levels
- Improve prediction of pollutant events associated with diurnal processes, including the local sea breeze
- Assess the importance of detrainment of boundary layer pollutant as a loss mechanism
- Validate and improve air quality forecast models
- Develop data sets for potential data assimilation into forecast models
- Examine the impact of regional transport of pollutants into Houston on local air quality
- Examine the effect of export of Houston-area pollutants on rural air quality downwind
- Investigate the role of nighttime transport of pollutants by the low-level jet
These flight hours will be coordinated with research investigations from other platforms, including the NOAA P-3, CIRPAS Twin Otter, and NOAA research ship Ronald H. Brown.
A total of 120 hours is planned for the NOAA Twin Otter during the Houston experiment. Flights will occur primarily in the Houston area in cooperation with the Baylor University Institute for Air Science’s Aztec aircraft, which will provide in situ observations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and meteorological observations to augment and extend the remotely sensed NOAA observations.
The Baylor Aztec
A total of 50 hours will be assigned for the Baylor Aztec to: 1) support the NOAA Twin Otter on missions of direct interest to the Texas Environmental Research Consortium (TERC), and 2) conduct additional independent or coordinated missions as time, resources, and weather allow.
A fast formaldehyde instrument will be added to the Aztec payload to better understand the role formaldehyde plays in determining the ozone productivity of Houston.
It is anticipated that preliminary graphical data products (invalid and ground data removed, nominal calibration factors applied) will be available within 24 hours of the flight. Final data products, including 5-second averaged delimited text files, time series plots, spatial plots, and vertical profile plots when applicable, along with supporting documentation will be available within 30 days after the completion of the last flight of the program.
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| Page Updated/Reviewed: 10/03/2007 1:23 PM |
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© 2005 - 2008 Texas Environmental Research Consortium
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