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| Titel |
Global Hawk dropsonde observations of the Arctic atmosphere obtained during the Winter Storms and Pacific Atmospheric Rivers (WISPAR) field campaign |
| VerfasserIn |
J. M. Intrieri, G. de Boer, M. D. Shupe, J. R. Spackman, J. Wang, P. J. Neiman, G. A. Wick, T. F. Hock, R. E. Hood |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1867-1381
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques ; 7, no. 11 ; Nr. 7, no. 11 (2014-11-25), S.3917-3926 |
| Datensatznummer |
250115961
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/amt-7-3917-2014.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
In February and March of 2011, the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS)
was deployed over the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic during the Winter Storms and Pacific Atmospheric Rivers (WISPAR) field
campaign. The WISPAR science missions were designed to (1) mprove our
understanding of Pacific weather systems and the polar atmosphere;
(2) evaluate operational use of unmanned aircraft for investigating these
atmospheric events; and (3) demonstrate operational and research applications
of a UAS dropsonde system at high latitudes. Dropsondes deployed from the
Global Hawk successfully obtained high-resolution profiles of temperature,
pressure, humidity, and wind information between the stratosphere and
surface. The 35 m wingspan Global Hawk, which can soar for ~ 31 h at
altitudes up to ~ 20 km, was remotely operated from NASA's Dryden
Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California.
During the 25 h polar flight on 9–10 March 2011, the Global Hawk released
35 sondes between the North Slope of Alaska and 85° N latitude,
marking the first UAS Arctic dropsonde mission of its kind. The polar flight
transected an unusually cold polar vortex, notable for an associated
record-level Arctic ozone loss, and documented polar boundary layer
variations over a sizable ocean–ice lead feature. Comparison of dropsonde
observations with atmospheric reanalyses reveal that, for this day,
large-scale structures such as the polar vortex and air masses are captured
by the reanalyses, while smaller-scale features, including low-level jets and
inversion depths, are mischaracterized. The successful Arctic dropsonde
deployment demonstrates the capability of the Global Hawk to conduct
operations in harsh, remote regions. The limited comparison with other
measurements and reanalyses highlights the potential value of Arctic
atmospheric dropsonde observations where routine in situ measurements are
practically nonexistent. |
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