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Instrument

AVAPS
Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System

The Airborne Vertical Atmospheric Profiling System (AVAPS) is an airborne system that utilizes dropsondes and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to collect in situ profiles of atmospheric state parameters. It provides profile measurements of temperature, pressure, and humidity at a sampling frequency of 0.5 s and measurements of atmospheric winds at a frequency of 0.25 s. AVAPS has a vertical resolution of about 10 m and can allow for dropsonde launches every 20 s. AVAPS was developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for the NASA Global Hawk, but it can be deployed on other aircraft such as the DC-8 and P-3.

AVAPS being installed during HS3
NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Instrument Details

Multi
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles > Wind Velocity/speed Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature > Vertical Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles > Wind Direction Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Full Column Profile
0.25 s, 0.5 s
10 m
N/A
Currently unavailble
TOST

The Observing system Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Observing System Test

2003
Pacific Ocean, California, Hawaii (PTOST) Atlantic Ocean, Eastern United States, Canada (ATOST)
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 0 Data Products

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10.5067/HS3/AVAPS/DROPSONDE/DATA202External Link
http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/OLYMPEX/AVAPS/DATA101External Link
10.5067/CAMEX-3/DROPSONDE/DATA101External Link
10.5067/IMPACTS/AVAPS/DATA101External Link