Measurement report: Properties of aerosol and gases in the vertical profile during the LAPSE-RATE campaign

<p>Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are increasingly being used as observation platforms for atmospheric applications. The Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation – a Remotely-piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) in Alamosa, Colorado, USA, on 14–20 July 2018 investigated and vali...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: D. Brus, J. Gustafsson, V. Vakkari, O. Kemppinen, G. de Boer, A. Hirsikko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2021-01-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/21/517/2021/acp-21-517-2021.pdf
Description
Summary:<p>Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are increasingly being used as observation platforms for atmospheric applications. The Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation – a Remotely-piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) in Alamosa, Colorado, USA, on 14–20 July 2018 investigated and validated different UASs, measurement sensors and setup configurations. Flight teams from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and Kansas State University (KSU) participated in LAPSE-RATE to measure and investigate properties of aerosol particles and gases in the lower atmosphere. During the experiment, the performance of different UAS configurations were investigated and confirmed to operate reliably, resulting in a scientifically sound observational dataset. As an example, concentration of aerosols – including two new particle formation events, <span class="inline-formula">CO<sub>2</sub></span> and water vapor, and meteorological parameters in the atmospheric vertical profile were measured during the short experiment. Such observations characterizing atmospheric phenomena of this specific environment would have not been possible in any other way and, thus, demonstrate the power of UASs as new, promising tools in atmospheric and environmental research.</p>
ISSN:1680-7316
1680-7324