Data collected using small uncrewed aircraft systems during the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER)

F. Lappin; F. Lappin; G. de Boer; G. de Boer; G. de Boer; P. Klein; J. Hamilton; J. Hamilton; M. Spencer; M. Spencer; M. Spencer; R. Calmer; R. Calmer; A. R. Segales; M. Rhodes; T. M. Bell; J. Buchli; K. Britt; K. Britt; K. Britt; E. Asher; I. Medina; B. Butterworth; B. Butterworth; L. Otterstatter; M. Ritsch; B. Puxley; A. Miller; A. Jordan; C. Gomez-Faulk; E. Smith; S. Borenstein; S. Borenstein; T. Thornberry; B. Argrow; E. Pillar-Little; E. Pillar-Little

doi:10.5194/essd-16-2525-2024

Earth System Science Data (May 2024)

Data collected using small uncrewed aircraft systems during the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER)

F. Lappin,
F. Lappin,
G. de Boer,
G. de Boer,
G. de Boer,
P. Klein,
J. Hamilton,
J. Hamilton,
M. Spencer,
M. Spencer,
M. Spencer,
R. Calmer,
R. Calmer,
A. R. Segales,
M. Rhodes,
T. M. Bell,
J. Buchli,
K. Britt,
K. Britt,
K. Britt,
E. Asher,
I. Medina,
B. Butterworth,
B. Butterworth,
L. Otterstatter,
M. Ritsch,
B. Puxley,
A. Miller,
A. Jordan,
C. Gomez-Faulk,
E. Smith,
S. Borenstein,
S. Borenstein,
T. Thornberry,
B. Argrow,
E. Pillar-Little,
E. Pillar-Little

Affiliations

F. Lappin: Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
F. Lappin: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
G. de Boer: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
G. de Boer: NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA
G. de Boer: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
P. Klein: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
J. Hamilton: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
J. Hamilton: NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA
M. Spencer: Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
M. Spencer: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
M. Spencer: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
R. Calmer: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
R. Calmer: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
A. R. Segales: Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
M. Rhodes: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
T. M. Bell: Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
J. Buchli: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
K. Britt: Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
K. Britt: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
K. Britt: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
E. Asher: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA
I. Medina: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
B. Butterworth: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
B. Butterworth: NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA
L. Otterstatter: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
M. Ritsch: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
B. Puxley: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
A. Miller: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
A. Jordan: School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
C. Gomez-Faulk: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
E. Smith: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
S. Borenstein: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
S. Borenstein: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA
T. Thornberry: NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA
B. Argrow: Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
E. Pillar-Little: Science Department, Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
E. Pillar-Little: formerly at: Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2525-2024
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16
pp. 2525 – 2541

Abstract

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The main goal of the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER) project was to further understand the role that regional circulations and aerosol loading play in the convective cloud life cycle across the greater Houston, Texas, area. To accomplish this goal, the United States Department of Energy and research partners collaborated to deploy atmospheric observing systems across the region. Cloud and precipitation radars, radiosondes, and air quality sensors captured atmospheric and cloud characteristics. A dense lower-atmospheric dataset was developed using ground-based remote sensors, a tethersonde, and uncrewed aerial systems (UASs). TRACER-UAS is a subproject that deployed two UAS platforms to gather high-resolution observations in the lower atmosphere between 1 June and 30 September 2022. The University of Oklahoma CopterSonde and the University of Colorado Boulder RAAVEN (Robust Autonomous Aerial Vehicle – Endurant Nimble) were flown at two coastal locations between the Gulf of Mexico and Houston. The University of Colorado Boulder RAAVEN gathered measurements of atmospheric thermodynamic state, winds and turbulence, and aerosol size distribution. Meanwhile, the University of Oklahoma CopterSonde system operated on a regular basis to resolve the vertical structure of the thermodynamic and kinematic state. Together, a complementary dataset of over 200 flight hours across 61 d was generated, and data from each platform proved to be in strong agreement. In this paper, the platforms and respective data collection and processing are described. The dataset described herein provides information on boundary layer evolution, the sea breeze circulation, conditions prior to and nearby deep convection, and the vertical structure and evolution of aerosols. The quality-controlled TRACER-UAS observations from the CopterSonde and RAAVEN can be found at https://doi.org/10.5439/1969004 (Lappin, 2023) and https://doi.org/10.5439/1985470 (de Boer, 2023), respectively.

Published in Earth System Science Data

ISSN: 1866-3508 (Print); 1866-3516 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences; Science: Geology
Website: http://www.earth-system-science-data.net/

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