EAGER: Studies of the Small-Scale Atmospheric Structure Associated with Turbulence Generation Using the SOUSY Radar and an Autonomous, Unmanned Mini-Glider

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。调查者将开发一种简单、有效和廉价的方法，在秘鲁Jicamara(美国国家科学基金会高层大气设施资助中心)的Sousy雷达波束附近进行非常高垂直分辨率的大气测量。为了进行这些测量，首席调查员(PI)将使用GPS控制的迷你滑翔机(Databird)，该滑翔机将使用气象气球升空。在高空释放后，Databird将被编程为滑行到雷达波束坐标，然后沿雷达天线周围的紧密螺旋下降，以提供几乎与雷达波束一致的高分辨率潜在温度分布。这些潜在的温度分布将与雷达获得的风速分布相结合，以产生当地梯度理查森数(Ri)的分布。然后将得到的Ri分布与同时测量的雷达回波分布进行比较，以确定与湍流相关的回波强度与局部动力不稳定标准(Ri 0.25)之间的关系。这项初步研究的结果有可能对局地动力不稳定轮廓和湍流回波之间的重要关系提供新的见解。数据库测量提供的另一个重要特征是获得最近发现的大气“倾覆”事件的信息。这些事件在潜在的温度分布中是可见的，并在几十米到数百米的垂直尺度上发生。翻转似乎是对流层和平流层中普遍存在的特征，而且可能延伸到更高的海拔。利用滑翔机系统，研究人员将研究翻转、临界Ri值和湍流产生之间的(可能)因果关系。这一努力的成功将首次提供0公里到10公里之间整个低层大气的高分辨率/垂直/测量。垂直分辨率在这种类型的测量中很重要，因为大多数气球携带的数据不能为模型师和理论家提供足够的信息，因为(1)分辨率太低，而且(2)气球轮廓通常沿着轨迹涂抹(风力驱动的气球在达到有用的运行高度时，可能在顺风方向有数十公里)。因此，可以预计，随着观测技术的成熟，以及在不同地点和不同大气条件下进行观测，这些数据将被广泛用于改进模型和理论。调查人员邀请在秘鲁的年轻外国科学家参与这一项目。假设最初的测试也同样成功，那么有可能启动更大规模的涉及美国研究生的项目。学生的参与可以包括滑翔机设计的方方面面，包括更高高度的能力、实地工作、分析技术、结果与其他类型的数据和模型的比较。请注意，这些想法的实现必须等待使用Databird系统进行的测试成功。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The Investigator will develop a simple, effective, and inexpensive method of obtaining very high-vertical-resolution atmospheric measurements made in close proximity to the SOUSY radar beam in Jicamarca Peru (a NSF Upper Atmospheric Facilities funded center). To make these measurements, the Principal Investigator (PI) will use a GPS-controlled mini-glider (Databird) that will be lifted to altitude using a meteorological balloon. Following its release at altitude, the Databird will be programmed to glide to the radar beam coordinates and then descend in a tight spiral around the radar antenna to provide a high-resolution potential temperature profile virtually in line with the radar beam. These potential temperature profiles will be used in conjunction with radar obtained profiles of wind speed to produce profiles of the local gradient Richardson number (Ri). The resulting Ri profile will then be compared with concurrently-measured radar echo profiles to determine the relationship between the turbulence-related echo strengths and local dynamic instability criteria (Ri 0.25). Results from this initial study have the potential to provide new insights into the important relationship between local dynamic instability profiles and turbulence echoes.An additional important feature provided by the Databird measurements will be to obtain information on recently-discovered atmospheric "overturning" events. These events are visible in the potential temperature profiles and occur on vertical scales of tens to hundreds of meters. Overturnings appear to be a ubiquitous feature in both the troposphere and stratosphere, and probably extend to much higher altitudes. Using the glider system, the investigator will examine the (possibly) causal relationship between overturnings, critical Ri values, and turbulence generation.The success of this effort will provide first-time high-resolution /vertical/ measurements of the entire lower atmosphere between 0 km and 10 km. Vertical resolution is important in this type of measurement, since most balloon borne data does not provide sufficient information for modelers and theoreticians because (1) the resolution is too poor and since (2) the balloon profiles are typically smeared along-track (wind-driven balloons can be tens of km downwind be the time they reach useful operating heights). Therefore, one can anticipate that the data will be used extensively to improve models and theory as the observing technique matures, and as observations are made at a variety of locations and under a variety of different atmospheric conditions.The investigator is involving young foreign scientists in Peru in this project. Assuming that the initial tests are as successful, it is possible that larger-scale program involving U.S. graduate students could be initiated. Student participation could include all aspects of the glider design, including higher-height capabilities, field work, analysis techniques, comparisons of results with other types of data and models. Note that implementation of these ideas must await the success of the tests to be conducted with the Databird system.