CAMP: an instrumented platform for balloon-borne aerosol particle studies in the lower atmosphere
<p>Airborne observations of vertical aerosol particle distributions are crucial for detailed process studies and model improvements. Tethered balloon systems represent a less expensive alternative to aircraft to probe shallow atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). This study presents the newly de...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/15/6889/2022/amt-15-6889-2022.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Airborne observations of vertical aerosol particle distributions are crucial
for detailed process studies and model improvements. Tethered balloon
systems represent a less expensive alternative to aircraft to probe shallow
atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). This study presents the newly developed
cubic aerosol measurement platform (CAMP) for balloon-borne observations of
aerosol particle microphysical properties. With an edge length of 35 cm and a weight of 9 kg, the cube is an environmentally robust instrument platform intended for measurements at low temperatures, with a particular focus on applications in cloudy Arctic ABLs. The aerosol instrumentation on board CAMP
comprises two condensation particle counters with different lower detection
limits, one optical particle size spectrometer, and a miniaturized
absorption photometer. Comprehensive calibrations and characterizations of
the instruments were performed in laboratory experiments. The first field
study with a tethered balloon system took place at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) station in Melpitz, Germany, in the winter of 2019. At ambient temperatures between <span class="inline-formula">−</span>8 and 15 <span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span>C, the platform was operated up to a 1.5 km height on 14 flights under both clear-sky and cloudy conditions. The continuous aerosol observations at the ground station served as a reference for evaluating the CAMP measurements.
Exemplary profiles are discussed to elucidate the performance of the system
and possible process studies. Based on the laboratory instrument
characterizations and the observations during the field campaign, CAMP
demonstrated the capability to provide comprehensive aerosol particle
measurements in cold and cloudy ABLs.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |