A145-0010
Observing the Marine Boundary Layer During ATOMIC/EUREC4A Using the RAAVEN Remotely Piloted Aircraft System

Monday, 14 December 2020
Poster
Gijs de Boer1, Radiance Calmer2, Steven Borenstein3, Michael E Rhodes4, Jonathan Hamilton3, Christopher Choate5, Janet M Intrieri6 and Brian M. Argrow3, (1)University of Colorado Boulder, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States, (2)University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, United States, (3)University of Colorado at Boulder, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States, (4)U. of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (5)University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (6)NOAA, ESRL Physical Sciences Division, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
During the 2020 Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign (ATOMIC) and ElUcidating the Role of Cloud- Circulation Coupling in ClimAte (EUREC4A) field campaigns, a team from the University of Colorado Boulder deployed the RAAVEN Remotely-Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), equipped with the miniFlux measurement system to observe the marine boundary layer upwind of Morgan Lewis, Barbados. Over the course of 23 days, the team completed 39 flights covering nearly 80 flight hours. Flights were conducted in and just above the boundary layer at altitudes between 10 and 1000 m, with a focus on capturing regular thermodynamic and kinematic profiles of the lower atmosphere, along with statistics on vertical transport and spatial variability.

In this presentation, we will give an overview of observations collected during these combined campaigns, and provide initial insight into analysis being completed to understand variability in the boundary layer environment and its connection to cloud cover and organization over the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Quantities and relationships that we are targeting include connections between cloud fraction and moisture, winds and turbulence, the vertical velocity structure of the boundary layer under different cloud regimes, and general information on variability of key quantities in the boundary layer. Initial results from these evaluations will be presented.

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