Authors
Jeff Peischl (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Kate Baugh (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Steve Borenstein (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Molly Crotwell (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Monica Madronich (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Anna McAuliffe (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Kathryn McKain (NOAA/GML), Eric Moglia (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Tim Newberger (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Sonja Wolter (CIRES,NOAA/GML), Colm Sweeney (NOAA/GML)
Abstract
NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory operates a network of greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring sites across the U.S. and the globe. Part of this network includes aircraft vertical profiles - a network of aircraft profiles collecting whole air samples which are later analyzed in the laboratory for CO2, CH4, CO, and numerous other trace gas species. In North America, there are 13 such vertical profile sites currently operating. The National Observations of GHGs using Aircraft Profiles (NOGAP) campaign is designed to fill spatial gaps in the vertical profile network. The NOGAP campaign involves a series of 96 vertical profiles across the conterminous U.S. aboard a Scientific Aviation Mooney aircraft. On board measurements include fast measurements of CO2, CH4, CO, H2O, O3, temperature, relative humidity, GPS latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, and wind speed and direction as well as 3 whole air samples per profile leg. The profiles range from approximately 500 ft. above ground level to 20kft above sea level.
Here, we present an initial look at the data from the first seven NOGAP campaigns from November 2023 through present. These data will eventually be used to constrain carbon cycle models using the fast measurements of concentration and winds, which will help to enhance model accuracy of horizontal transport, vertical mixing, and boundary layer height, which will in turn improve model accuracy of emissions and sinks in the carbon cycle.