Leveraging UAS for High-Resolution Trace Gas Concentration and Micrometeorological Profiling in Tropical Rainforest Environments

The integration of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) into meteorological research has opened new frontiers in observing and understanding atmospheric processes, particularly in challenging environments like tropical rainforests. Our study, conducted at the Texas A&M University Soltis Center in Costa Rica, leverages the versatility and precision of UAS to capture detailed atmospheric profiles, demonstrating their potential to enhance meteorological observations across diverse land-use types.

By deploying a retrofitted UAS equipped with high-precision sensors, we conducted a series of field campaigns over a tropical rainforest, a tree plantation, and a cassava farm. These missions revealed the capability of UAS to capture diurnal variations in key atmospheric variables. Notably, we observed a significant decrease in CO2 levels due to photosynthetic activity, with tree plantations exhibiting higher sequestration rates than rainforests. Additionally, UAS data captured consistent temperature profiles aligned closely with theoretical adiabatic lapse rates. Importantly, our UAS was able to detect changes in vertical CO2 profiles caused by fluctuations in irradiance due to cloud cover, highlighting the sensitivity of these platforms to dynamic atmospheric conditions.

Our findings underscore the ability of UAS to provide fine-scale, high-resolution data that complement traditional meteorological methods. UAS offer unique insights into scalar transport processes, such as the movement of CO2 and H2O from the canopy to the atmosphere and can detect shifts in atmospheric conditions in response to changing environmental factors. These capabilities are especially valuable in complex and remote terrains, where conventional instruments may be limited.

This work highlights the evolving role of UAS in meteorological research, demonstrating their potential not just for data collection but also for improving the accuracy of atmospheric models. As UAS technology continues to advance, their integration into routine meteorological operations could significantly enhance our understanding of atmospheric processes, providing critical data for climate research and environmental monitoring.