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Status: Confirmed |
Open to sharing: Yes |
Confidential: No |
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Transnational Access: Yes |
Open to training: Yes |
Grounded / Maintenance: No |
Aircraft name: BAe146 - FAAM
Airport: The STANCO school will be held at the University of Cambridge, UK. Nearby suitable airport is the Cranfield airport, where the BAe-146 is based. In this way we will reduce the costs of transit for the aircraft, costs for accommodation and living of pilots, AVALON technicians and so on. Moreover, since at the University of Cambridge there are several researchers involved in aircraft observations, we can get some of them involved in the Training course to serve as Lecturers. Alternatively it will be held after a scientific campaign planned for summer 2017 in the airport where the campaign will based.
Project theme: TA-015. Applications of atmospheric in-situ measurements.
Project abstract: Training and education in airborne measurements of the atmospheric trace gases with special focus on new and emerging techniques, issues in the instruments calibration and links to modelling, dynamics and transport of atmospheric compounds.
Measurements to be made by aircraft: The main objective is to provide, for students on a PhD level and postdoctoral early carrier scientists, an overview about measurement techniques, data analysis and specifics of the airborne measurements of species relevant in the atmospheric chemistry. Emphasis will be on new instruments and emerging observational techniques for aircraft observations. The lectures will include an introduction on atmospheric composition focusing on pollution transport, vertical distribution of atmospheric compounds and links between air pollution and climate changes. Air pollution and climate changes are global problems and the species responsible of these environmental issues are emitted essentially by the same processes: fossil fuel burning. Observations of these compounds on aircraft platforms is worthwhile because usually most of them have a high dependence with the altitude and a big horizontal variability. Moreover aircrafts allow in-situ measurements that help to identify and track emission plume of atmospheric trace gases. The lectures will cover the technical, engineering and safety aspects of the airborne measurements, not specific issue of one particular aircraft but the general aspects related to the most aircraft platforms used for atmospheric studies. Other lectures will focus on general aspects of the atmospheric composition, trace gases transport and chemistry. The STANCO course is planned to take place in Cambridge and Cranfield (UK) in summer 2017 for approximately 10 days and will be held at the University of Cambridge (UK). The lectures will be accompanied by a short visit of the FAAM BAe 146 research airplane (2 – 3 days). Students accepted for school will be asked, prior the STANCO School, to submit a small proposal of measurements that could be taken with the scientific payload available on board the aircraft. Depending on weather conditions, FAAM airplane will try to follow the students’ plans during ferry and mission flight. Data produced in the ferry and mission flight during the course of the STANCO will provide the basis for student’s final report from the course. The core teachers will be specialists in development of chemistry instruments and on their use on aircraft campaigns. Further lectures will be carried out by one FAAM aircraft systems manager, expert on instrument installations and certifications and by two lecturers specialist on atmospheric chemistry models. The possible preliminary list of invited teachers could be: Phil Brown (Met Office, UK), Jim McQuaid (University of Leeds, UK), Stephane Bauguitte (FAAM, UK), Carl Percival (University of Manchester, UK), Alan Woolley or Stephen Devereau or Mo Smith (FAAM, UK), Radovan Krejci (Stockholm University, Sweden), Rod Jones (University of Cambridge, UK), Alex Archibald (University of Cambridge, UK), Piero Di Carlo (L’Aquila University, Italy). The duration of the STANCO school is planned for not more than 10 days. This will include lectures (2 per days) for the first 5 days. The remaining time will include visit of the BAe-146 aircraft at the Cranfield airport and at the FAAM building, preparation of the flights and data analysis. The lectures will include following subjects: 1) Introduction to the atmospheric composition (chemistry and aerosol). 2) Atmospheric transport (large-scale transport, convection, turbulent entrainment). 3) Airborne measurements, pros and cons 4) New observational system for the atmospheric composition: already installed on aircraft and techniques not yet integrated on-board aircrafts. 5) O3, NOx, NOy, CO, CO2, CH4, HCN in-situ measurement techniques, which are the main species measured during research campaigns. Furthermore these species are measured using commercial instruments, so their data are immediately ready to be used for analysis during the school. 6) Custom instruments for in-situ measurements using techniques like CIMS, LIF, CARS, those systems provide real-time data that are available after each flight, so students can analyse them immediately. 7) Design and requirements for the scientific payload on board of the aircraft 8) Logistical, operational, flight planning aspects of the STANCO flights. 9) How airborne chemistry data can be used and what we can learn from them (scientific aspects). 10) Computer exercises, including data analysis and chemistry models exercises.
Season: 14 days during summer 2017.
Weather constraints: Both, clear sky and cloudy conditions are fine to explore different aspect of atmospheric chemistry
Time constraints: Availability of suitable air space. Availability of the BAe-146 aircraft with suitable instrumentation kit on board.
Flights (number and patterns): With respect to available number of hours for BAe-146 during 2017 within EUFAR-TA, three to four short flights of 4 hours are planned (depends on the students number).
Instruments: None
Name: DI CARLO Piero
PI email: piero.dicarlo@unich.it