Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility US Department of Energy
 
 

ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements (ARM-ACME V)

1 June 2015 - 15 September 2015

Lead Scientist: Sebastien Biraud

Observatory: aaf, nsa oli

The ARM Aerial Facility Gulfstream-159 will alternate between four flights patterns, such as this one.
The ARM Aerial Facility Gulfstream-159 alternated between four flights patterns, such as this one.

Long-term airborne observations from the ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements (ARM-ACME) campaign and analysis of atmospheric trace gases in the Southern Great Plains contributed to research on regional carbon budgets, atmospheric dynamics, and satellite validation. Recently, the ARM-ACME project achieved the World Meteorological Organization precision goal of validated < 0.2 ppm precision for CO2, a first for airborne measurements. We continued our long-term airborne study of atmospheric composition and carbon cycling by conducting an exploratory campaign in the North Slope of Alaska (NSA).

Atmospheric temperatures are warming faster in the Arctic than predicted by climate models. The impact of this warming on permafrost degradation is not well understood, but it is projected to increase carbon decomposition and greenhouse gas production (CO2 and/or CH4) by arctic ecosystems. Airborne observations of atmospheric trace gases, aerosols, and cloud properties at the North Slope of Alaska are improving our understanding of global climate, with the goal of reducing the uncertainty in global and regional climate simulations and projections.

From June 1 through September 15, 2015, the ARM Aerial Facility deployed the Gulfstream-159 (G-1) research aircraft to fly over the North Slope of Alaska, with occasional vertical profiling to measure trace-gas concentrations between Prudhoe Bay, Oliktok Point, Barrow, Atqasuk, Ivotuk, and Toolik Lake. The aircraft payload included the Picarro and Los Gatos Research analyzers for continuous measurements of CO2, CH4, H2O, and CO, and N2O mixing ratios, and a 12-flask sampler for analysis of carbon-cycle gases (CO2, CO, CH4, N2O, 13CO2, 14CO2, carbonyl sulfide, and trace hydrocarbon species including ethane). The aircraft payload also included instruments for measuring aerosol properties (number size distribution, total number concentration, absorption, and scattering), cloud properties (droplet and ice size information), atmospheric thermodynamic state, and solar/infrared radiation.

This research, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility and Terrestrial Ecosystem Science programs, built upon the results from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment missions (Miller et al. 2012), and the DOE Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiment Arctic project.

Co-Investigators

Margaret Torn

Timeline

  • Parent Campaign
  • Sibling Campaign

2024

Mei F and K Gaustad. 2024. ARM Aerial Facility (AAF) Merged Value-Added Product Report for Historical G-1 Field Campaigns. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-TR-299. 10.2172/2335708.

2021

Mather J, J Comstock, N Hickmon, M Ritsche, J Hardesty, H Powers, A Theisen, B Schmid, G Prakash, and R Jundt. 2021. Decadal Vision Progress Report: Progress Towards Goals Outlined in the 2014 Decadal Vision. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-TR-270. 10.2172/1804885.

Tadić J, S Miller, V Yadav, and S Biraud. 2021. "Greenhouse gas fluxes from Alaska's North Slope inferred from the Airborne Carbon Measurements campaign (ACME-V)." Atmospheric Environment, 248, 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118239.

2020

Mech M, M Maahn, S Kneifel, D Ori, E Orlandi, P Kollias, V Schemann, and S Crewell. 2020. "PAMTRA 1.0: the Passive and Active Microwave radiative TRAnsfer tool for simulating radiometer and radar measurements of the cloudy atmosphere." Geoscientific Model Development, 13(9), 10.5194/gmd-13-4229-2020.

Goldberger LA, F Mei, J Hubbe, and CD Kluzek. 2020. Navigation and Meteorological Data from Multiple Sensors on Airborne Platform (NAVMET-AIR) Value-Added Product Report. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-TR-255. 10.2172/1671342.

2019

Maahn M, F Hoffmann, M Shupe, G de Boer, S Matrosov, and E Luke. 2019. "Can liquid cloud microphysical processes be used for vertically pointing cloud radar calibration?" Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 12(6), 10.5194/amt-12-3151-2019.
Research Highlight

Wood R, G Zhang, N Hickmon, M Jensen, S Klein, R Leung, D Mechem, and P Zuidema. 2019. Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility ARM Mobile Facility Workshop Report. Ed. by Rolanda Jundt, Robert Stafford, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. DOE/SC-0197. 10.2172/1510259.

2018

Creamean J, M Maahn, G de Boer, A McComiskey, A Sedlacek, and Y Feng. 2018. "The influence of local oil exploration and regional wildfires on summer 2015 aerosol over the North Slope of Alaska." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(2), 10.5194/acp-18-555-2018.

2017

Maahn M, G de Boer, J Creamean, G Feingold, G McFarquhar, W Wu, and F Mei. 2017. "The observed influence of local anthropogenic pollution on northern Alaskan cloud properties." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17(23), 10.5194/acp-17-14709-2017.
Research Highlight

Maahn M, G de Boer, J Creamean, G Feingold, G McFarquhar, W Wu, and F Mei. 2017. "The observed influence of local anthropogenic pollution on northern Alaskan cloud properties." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, , 10.5194/acp-2017-302.


View All Related Publications

Campaign Data Sets

IOP Participant Data Source Name Final Data
Sebastien Biraud Continuous Carbon Dioxide Order Data
Sebastien Biraud Flask Samplers for Carbon Cycle Gases and Isotopes Order Data
Duli Chand Particle Soot Absorption Photometer - G-1 Aircraft Order Data
Connor Flynn Nephelometer Order Data
John Hubbe Ambient Winds- AIMMS Order Data
Chuck Long Radiometer Suite (Tilt Corrected Data) Order Data
Alyssa Matthews 2DS Particle Imaging Probe Order Data
Alyssa Matthews Cloud Droplet Probe Order Data
Alyssa Matthews High Volume Precip Spectrometer Order Data
Alyssa Matthews High Volume Precipitation Spectrometer - Images Order Data
Alyssa Matthews Video - G1 Aircraft Order Data
Alyssa Matthews Water Content Monitor Order Data
Fan Mei Cloud Particle Imager (CPI) Order Data
Fan Mei Condensation Particle Counter Order Data
Fan Mei Fast Cloud Droplet Probe (FCDP) Order Data
Fan Mei Precipitation Imaging Probe- Stormpeak Lab Order Data
Fan Mei meteorology/state/position parameters Order Data
Mikhail Pekour Optical Particle Counter - Isokinetic Order Data
Arthur Sedlacek Single Particle Soot Photometer Order Data
Stephen Springston Carbon Monoxide and Nitrous Oxide Order Data
Jason Tomlinson Passive Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Order Data
Jason Tomlinson Ultra High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer- G1 Aircraft Order Data