The Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) focused on measuring Arctic carbon storage and fluxes and how these relate to climate change. CARVE conducted three deployments over Alaska during the boreal spring, summer, and fall of 2011-2015. Ground-based sites, including flux towers, complemented airborne observations of gas concentrations, water vapor, and other parameters. CARVE was one of NASA’s Earth Venture Suborbital-1 projects.
The Picarro gas concentration analyzer is an in situ airborne or ground-based sensor manufactured by Picarro, Inc. It uses Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) to measure trace gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and water vapor. For carbon dioxide measurements, the laser operates at 1603 nm, while 1651 nm is used for methane and water vapor measurements. Picarro has a typical sampling time of 2.5 seconds. Depending on the model, Picarro can also provide measurements of carbon isotopes for gas concentrations.
The Programmable Flask Package (PFP) is an airborne whole-air sampler that includes twelve glass flasks for collecting air samples. These samples are analyzed to monitor chemical species such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons. Each flask is sampled for about 2 minutes and pressurized to 40 PSI. PFP can also be used for surface-based whole-air sampling.
LI-COR Gas Analyzers are in situ gas analyzers manufactured by LI-COR. They can be deployed on aircraft, research vessels, vehicles, balloons, and ground-based platforms. They provide measurements of trace gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapor (H2O). Most models use Optical Feedback-Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (OF-CEAS) to collect measurements. LI-COR gas analyzers have a typical measurement rate of 1 Hz and an operating temperature range of -25 to 45 degrees Celsius.
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform that measure atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed and direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
Eddy Covariance Flux Towers are in situ micrometeorological surface towers. They are equipped with gas sensors to continuously measure trace gas fluxes between the land surface and the atmosphere. Eddy Covariance Towers are typically used to measure fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O). These towers are also equipped with various meteorological sensors to measure air temperature, precipitation, wind, radiation, and soil temperature.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Temperature
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) sensors are in situ optical devices used to study photosynthesis and plant physiology. They detect light between 400 and 700 nm and convert it into signals for PAR measurement. PAR sensors can be mounted on ground- or water-based platforms or be portable and handheld. They are primarily used in agriculture, such as monitoring crop growth and analyzing light distribution in plant canopies, but they are also employed to study phytoplankton and aquatic productivity.
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation > Photosynthetically Active Radiation
The Los Gatos Research (LGR) Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (GGA) is a portable analyzer suitable for in situ measurements, either airborne or ground-based. It uses off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) to simultaneously measure methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor (H2O). It can detect CH4 up to 100 ppm, CO2 up to 20,000 ppm, and H2O up to 30,000 ppm. The device offers a selectable measurement rate from 0.01 to 1 Hz, with some models featuring a fast-flow option capable of rates up to 10 Hz.
Soil temperature sensors are in situ, ground-based sensors used to measure and monitor soil temperature. They use thermistors or thermocouples to detect changes in resistance and calculate temperature. Soil temperature sensors are used for agricultural purposes, environmental monitoring, and ecological research.
Earth Science > Agriculture > Soils
Earth Science > Climate Indicators > Land Surface/agriculture Indicators > Soil Temperature
Earth Science > Land Surface > Frozen Ground > Soil Temperature
Earth Science > Agriculture > Soils > Soil Temperature
Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils
Earth Science > Cryosphere > Frozen Ground > Soil Temperature
Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Temperature
The Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) is a high-resolution spectrometer used in both airborne and ground-based applications. FTS measures the solar radiance reflected from the surface, which can be used to estimate atmospheric concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4). It offers a spatial resolution of approximately 100m by 1000m and operates at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz during typical research flights.
The Picarro gas concentration analyzer is an in situ airborne or ground-based sensor manufactured by Picarro, Inc. It uses Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) to measure trace gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and water vapor. For carbon dioxide measurements, the laser operates at 1603 nm, while 1651 nm is used for methane and water vapor measurements. Picarro has a typical sampling time of 2.5 seconds. Depending on the model, Picarro can also provide measurements of carbon isotopes for gas concentrations.
The Passive Active L- and S-band Sensor (PALS) is a combined airborne polarimetric radiometer and radar developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was designed to evaluate the advantages of merging passive and active remote sensors for measuring ocean salinity and soil moisture. Both the radiometer and radar in PALS operate across the L-band (1.41 GHz, 1.26 GHz) and S-band (2.69 GHz, 3.15 GHz) to measure brightness temperature and radar backscatter related to ocean salinity and soil moisture. Depending on the aircraft's altitude, PALS has a spatial resolution ranging from 600 to 1500 meters. Its design allows installation on various aircraft and is typically used to validate observations from the Aquarius and SMAP satellites.
The Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) imaging camera is an airborne infrared camera that measures radiance and produces thermal images. It is used to detect the thermal properties of various land surfaces, including vegetation, water, snow, and soil. FLIR operates within the 8-12 μm spectral range. At an altitude of 600 meters above ground level, it has a field of view of 110 meters by 30 meters.
The Programmable Flask Package (PFP) is an airborne whole-air sampler that includes twelve glass flasks for collecting air samples. These samples are analyzed to monitor chemical species such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons. Each flask is sampled for about 2 minutes and pressurized to 40 PSI. PFP can also be used for surface-based whole-air sampling.
Digital cameras provide imagery for research applications. Cameras are mounted on aircraft to collect aerial imagery for mapping and surveying, environmental monitoring, cloud observations, agriculture, geological studies, and other Earth science applications. They are also deployed at field sites to capture visual observations that monitor changes in land cover, vegetation, clouds, air quality, glaciers, and other phenomena.
Video cameras capture footage of various phenomena for research. They are used on aircraft to provide continuous views of weather and terrain below the flight path. Video cameras are also employed to verify the aircraft's flight track. Additionally, they are deployed at field sites to monitor changes in vegetation, land cover, clouds, air quality, glaciers, and other Earth science phenomena.
