The CO2 and Methane Experiment (COMEX) examined greenhouse gas emissions using both remote sensing and in situ measurements. COMEX had three deployments over Southern California. Two occurred in the summer of 2014, and one was a follow-on deployment in the late summer of 2015. Multiple aircraft were utilized, along with a mobile ground platform to take measurements of different greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane. COMEX was a collaborative effort between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). This campaign supported the HyspIRI mission.
The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer - Classic (AVIRIS-C) is a passive imaging spectrometer developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for Earth remote sensing. AVIRIC-C was designed to operate aboard NASA’s Earth Resources 2 (ER-2) aircraft. It has a spatial resolution of 20 meters and takes 12 scans per second. AVIRIS-C operated in the spectral region of 0.41 µm to 2.45 µm, making it particularly useful for a wide variety of Earth Science applications. It has been replaced by the Next Generation Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS-NG), though AVIRIS-C remains in operation.
The Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer - Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) is an airborne imaging spectrometer developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to operate alongside and eventually replace the AVIRIS Classic. AVIRIS-NG has been designed to operate aboard NASA’s ER-2, a Twin Otter, and a B-200. AVIRIS-NG operates between 380 nm - 2510 nm with 5nm spectral resolution. AVIRIS-NG has a spatial resolution of 18 m at 20 km altitude and is often used for terrestrial ecology research investigations.
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 within Picarro operates at 1603 nm wavelength and 1651 nm wavelength 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 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 within Picarro operates at 1603 nm wavelength and 1651 nm wavelength 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 Mako Airborne Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (Mako) is an airborne remote sensing instrument. Mako is used to measure the brightness temperature of the land surface as well as infrared radiation. Mako operates in the 21.7 - 39.5 THz frequency range and has a spatial resolution of 2 m and a variable temporal resolution. Mako has a similar operating principle to multiple satellite instruments, making it useful for validation and comparison.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) is an in situ airborne instrument suite deployed on the Alpha Jet research aircraft. It consists of an ozone (O3) monitor, a Picarro greenhouse gas analyzer, a COmpact Formaldehyde FluroescencE Experiment (COFFEE) instrument, and a Meteorological Measurement System (MMS). The O3 monitor is an analyzer manufactured by 2B Technologies that measures O3 at the 185 nm wavelength, in the 0-250 ppm measurement range, and at a typical sampling rate of 0.5 Hz. The Picarro analyzer uses cavity-ring down spectrometry (CRDS) to measure carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor mixing ratio at every 0.3 Hz. It operates at 1603 nm for CO2 measurements and 1651 nm for CH4 and water vapor measurements. COFFEE measures formaldehyde (HCHO) at 355 nm and has a sampling rate of 1 Hz. MMS provides measurements of the ambient atmospheric temperature, pressure, and the 3-dimensional winds at a rate of 1 Hz.
