SBIR Phase II: Balloon-Based Instrument for Measurements of Atmospheric Water Vapor and Methane

这一小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段研究项目将开发、试飞和比较一种基于气球的传感器，用于测量大气水蒸气和甲烷。化学探测器是基于低功率垂直腔激光器，紧凑的光学细胞，和降低噪音的数据分析算法。水蒸气是大气中最重要的辐射气体，但对对流层上部和平流层下部水蒸气的精确测量仅限于定制的、独一无二的仪器。甲烷是第二重要的人为温室气体，在平流层中光化学分解成水蒸气，并且是对流层-平流层交换的有用示踪剂。结合起来，基于水蒸气和甲烷气球的传感器可以更准确地了解大气化学（例如臭氧层的恢复），大气动力学和地球的辐射预算。改进对流层上部和平流层下部的水蒸气和甲烷数据将有助于更好地了解和预测未来气候的变化。在气候变化问题上采取行动和不采取行动的代价预计将很大，社会必须执行最大限度地保护环境同时最大限度地减少经济代价的政策。对气候变化的更准确评估将使社会有时间准备和适应未来气候的潜在变化，从而间接造福于经济。

ThisSmall Business Innovation Research ( SBIR) Phase II research project will develop, test fly, and inter-compare a balloon-based sensor for measuring atmospheric water vapor and methane. The chemical sonde is based upon low power vertical cavity lasers, compact optical cells, and noise-lowering data analysis algorithms. Water vapor is the most important radiative gas in the atmosphere, but accurate measurements of it in the upper troposphere and lower stratsophere are limited to custom, one-of-a-kind instruments. Methane is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, photochemically breaks down into water vapor in the stratosphere, and is a useful tracer for troposphere-stratosphere exchange. In combination, the water vapor and methane balloon based sensor offers more accurate insight into atmospheric chemistry (e.g. recovery of the ozone layer), atmospheric dynamics, and the Earth's radiative budget. Improved data on water vapor and methane in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere will help to better understand and predict how climate will change in the future. The costs of action and inaction on climate change are expected to be large, and it is imperative that society implement policies that maximize environmental protection while minimizing economic costs. More accurate assessments of climate change will indirectly benefit the economy by giving society time to prepare and adapt to potential changes in future climate.