2.12
Integrated approach to observing the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, and glaciers in the polar regions
Judith A. Curry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO; and J. Maslanik, G. Holland, and M. Gonella
The Aerosonde is a small robotic aircraft designed to obtain a wide variety of environmental observations. NSF OPP has funded a five year project under its Long Term Observations Program to establish an observing system at Barrow, to support observations of the atmosphere, sea ice and ocean surface, land surface, and glaciers. The goals of this NSF effort are to: • adapt the Aerosonde to make environmental observations in the extreme Arctic environment, • adapt and integrate miniature instrumentation for deployment on the Aerosonde in the Arctic to make measurements of meteorological state variables, atmospheric chemistry, turbulent fluxes, cloud properties, radiative fluxes, and remote sensing of cryospheric surfaces (melt ponds, sea ice thickness distribution, topographic mapping of glaciers, ice stream velocity); • establish a facility at Barrow for deployment and reconnaissance of Aerosondes; • coordinate with numerical weather prediction and sea ice modeling centers to assimilate the Aerosonde data into their predictive models; • coordinate with U.S. and international field programs in the Chukchi/Beaufort sectors of the Arctic to support their scientific efforts and evaluate the Aerosonde measurements. The overall project will be described. Test flights conducted from Barrow during August 2000, will be described, including tests of a variety of icing mitigation strategies.
Session 2, Interrelationships Between Oceanographic and Atmospheric Observing Systems (NOPP Special Session)
Monday, 15 January 2001, 2:00 PM-6:00 PM
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