Autonomous Aircraft Observations and Analysis of Cross-equatorial Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) Evolution during EPIC2001

东太平洋海气耦合系统气候过程调查(EPIC)是美国CLIVAR计划的一项活动。EPIC 2001由四个部分组成，重点是(I)热带辐合带/暖池现象；(Ii)热带辐合带的越赤道流入；(Iii)上层海洋结构和混合；以及(Iv)东南信风区边界层云特性的探索性研究。EPIC 2001的实地阶段定于2001年9月1日至10月15日期间进行，为期6周。除了ATM颁发的八项奖项外，这项合作研究还获得了NSF/OCE和NOAA/OGP颁发的奖项。在现场阶段，PI将通过称为探空仪的小型机器人飞机收集数据。航空探空仪的测量将描述从5S到5N纬度-高度横断面上风、温度、相对湿度和气压的垂直结构的演变。这些数据将使计算和解释跨赤道气流中的质量、热量、水汽和动量的收支成为可能，从而更好地理解局地海气相互作用、边界层云和决定跨赤道大气边界层结构演变的大尺度动力学。这项工作很重要，因为它将改善对东热带太平洋气候变异性的理解和建模。

EPIC (Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate processes in the coupled ocean-atmosphere system) is an activity of the US CLIVAR Program. EPIC 2001 consists of four components focussing on (i) intertropical convergence zone/warm pool phenomena; (ii) cross-equatorial inflow into the intertropical convergence zone; (iii) upper ocean structure and mixing and (iv) an exploratory study of boundary layer cloud properties in the southeasterly tradewind regime. The field phase of EPIC 2001 is scheduled for a 6-week period during the interval Sept 1 to Oct 15, 2001. In addition to the eight awards made by ATM, this collaborative research has awards made by NSF/OCE and NOAA/OGP.During the field phase, the PIs will collect data by small robotic aircraft called aerosondes. The aerosonde measurements will describe the evolution of the vertical structure of winds, temperature, relative humidity and pressure in the latitude-height cross sections from 5S to 5N. These data will make it possible to calculate and interpret budgets of mass, heat, water vapor and momentum in the cross equatorial flow, leading to better understanding of local air-sea interaction, boundary layer clouds, and large-scale dynamics in determining the evolution of cross equatorial atmospheric boundary layer structure. The work is important because it will improve understanding and modeling of climate variability over the eastern tropical Pacific.