Vertical profiling using a complementary kite and tethered balloon platform at Ferryland Downs, Newfoundland, Canada: Observation of a dry, ozone‐rich plume in the free troposphere

Abstract

Abstract. Vertical profiles of ozone mixing ratio, water vapor mixing ratio, and temperature obtained during August 3-13, 1995, at Ferryland Downs, Newfoundland, Canada, as part of the North Atlantic Regional Experiment (NARE) demonstrate the use of high-altitude tethered balloons and kites as measurement platforms. In combination with a novel, fast winching system, previously developed for use with kites, tethered balloons were used for profiling chemical species and meteorological parameters to altitudes as high as 7.6 km. Tethered balloon profiling complements profiling with kite systems by expanding the range of wind conditions over which data can be obtained. A total of 65 profiles were collected using these platforms. Elevated ozone mixing ratios highly anticorrelated with water vapor mixing ratios observed during August 4-7 suggest an upper atmospheric source for ozone-rich air during summertime in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Ozone mixing ratios reaching 100 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) in this air mass were associated with water vapor mixing ratios as low as 0.1 g kg-1. Profiles collected during August 11-13 demonstrate the use of kite and balloon systems to obtain vertical profiles over a wide range of wind conditions. Ozone mixing ratios of 65 ppbv were observed at 1 km altitude on August 12, while profiles collected on August 13 exhibit no evidence of elevated ozone. These results document the rapid transport of an air mass containing elevated ozone levels over the sampling site that would not have been possible with either system alone.

Composite study of aerosol export events from East Asia and North America

“…A study by Dickerson et al (2007) found that dry convection, with little precipitation, may be especially effective in the vertical transport of aerosols over NE China during spring. Furthermore, as warm air from the polluted continents advects over colder marine air, stable conditions with minimal vertical mixing can be produced (Angevine et al, 1996;Knapp et al, 1998). As a result the pollution layers are isolated from the ocean surface and soluble species, such as aerosols and nitric acid, can be transported hundreds of kilometers downwind at relatively low altitudes (Daum et al, 1996;Neiman et al, 2006;Owen et al, 2006).…”

<title>In-situ turbulence measurement technique using state-of-the-art kite/blimp platforms</title>

“…During these campaigns, the CIRES group obtained excellent height resolution profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, and ozone as well as other trace gases (see, for example, Baisley et al, 1994;Knapp, et al, 1998). In addition, we also obtained preliminary high-time-resolution temperature and wind velocity fluctuation data to determine atmospheric turbulence properties (Balsley, et al, 1998). These data were typically obtained up to heights extending well above the atmospheric boundary layer.…”

Evaluation of ARM Tethered Balloon System instrumentation for supercooled liquid water and distributed temperature sensing in mixed-phase Arctic clouds

“…Tethered balloon systems have been used to collect tropospheric atmospheric measurements for over 40 years, including profiles of biogenic compounds, chemical species, turbulence, radiation, and meteorological parameters (e.g., Morris et al, 1975;Owens et al, 1982;Greenberg et al, 1998;Knapp et al, 1998;Egerer et al, 2019). Morris et al (1975) developed a portable tethered balloon system that essentially behaved as a tethered radiosonde that was able to be operated by one person at altitudes up to 750 m above ground level (AGL) in wind speeds as high as 10 m/s.…”

“…Greenberg et al (1998) further promoted tethered balloon system development by deploying sampling packages used to measured biological volatile organic compounds in the mixed layer in a series of deployments conducted over 11 years. Knapp et al (1998) combined tethered balloon system and kite measurements to study the anticorrelation between ozone and water vapor mixing ratios. Most recently, in Egerer et al (2019 operated sets of 25 instruments to measure turbulent, energy, and radiative fluxes to altitudes of 1.5 km AGL within Arctic clouds.…”