Instrument

PCASP
Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe

The Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (PCASP) is an in situ airborne optical spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It measures the light scattered by particles to determine the aerosol size distribution and concentration in the 0.1 to 3.0 μm size range. PCASP operates at the 632 nm wavelength and has a typical sampling rate of 10 Hz.

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)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Spectrometer/Radiometer

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Particle Properties

Vertical Measurement Regions

Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

10 Hz

Spatial Resolution

Point

Measurement Frequency

474 THz

Calibration Details

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2349-2013

Online Information

Lead Investigator
Mike Reeves
Technical Contact
Mike Reeves, Jorgen Jensen
Instrument Maker
Particle Measuring Systems, Droplet Measurement Technologies
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repository
- Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

Electra

Lockheed L-188C Electra

4 Campaigns · 34 Instruments

BOREAS

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study

1994—1996

Boreal forests of central Canada

view all deployment dates

· 303 Data Products

Falcon

Dassault Falcon 20-E5

5 Campaigns · 43 Instruments

DC3

Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

2012

Northeastern Colorado, West Texas to Central Oklahoma, Northern Alabama

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· 19 Data Products

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 21 Data Products

ATR-42

1 Campaign · 16 Instruments

HyMeX

Hydrological Cycle in Mediterranean Experiment

2012—2013

The Mediterranean

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· 3 Data Products

B-200

Beechcraft B-200 King Air

27 Campaigns · 64 Instruments

LPVEx

Light Precipitation Evaluation Experiment

2010

Gulf of Finland

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· 22 Data Products

Pelican

Cessna Pelican

1 Campaign · 6 Instruments

TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996

Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard

view all deployment dates

· 5 Data Products

C-131A

Convair C-131 Samaritan

4 Campaigns · 23 Instruments

TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996

Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard

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· 5 Data Products

SCAR

Smoke/Sulfates, Clouds, and Radiation

1993—1995

Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, Central Brazil

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· 6 Data Products

C-130

C-130 Hercules

15 Campaigns · 85 Instruments

SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001

Southern Africa

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· 117 Data Products

FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998

Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska

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· 131 Data Products

Aero Commander

Rockwell Aero Commander

4 Campaigns · 9 Instruments

SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001

Southern Africa

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· 117 Data Products

CV-580

Convair-580

7 Campaigns · 38 Instruments

SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001

Southern Africa

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· 117 Data Products

FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998

Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska

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· 131 Data Products

PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001

Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada

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· 8 Data Products

Twin Otter

DeHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

15 Campaigns · 62 Instruments

CRYSTAL-FACE

Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers Florida Area Cirrus Experiment

2002

Southern Florida

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· 1 Data Product

CLASIC07

Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign 2007

2007

Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, Kansas

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· 7 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

17 Campaigns · 104 Instruments

ORACLES

Observations of Aerosols above Clouds and their Interactions

2016—2018

Southeastern Atlantic Ocean, Southern Africa

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· 7 Data Products

G-1

Gulfstream-159

1 Campaign · 26 Instruments

CalWater

2015

California, Sierra Nevada Range

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· 0 Data Products

Cessna 207

Cessna 207 Stationair

1 Campaign · 7 Instruments

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

view all deployment dates

· 21 Data Products

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

36 Campaigns · 168 Instruments

CPEX-CV

Convective Processes EXperiment - Cabo Verde

2022

Cabo Verde, Tropical East Atlantic Ocean

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· 7 Data Products

SONEX

Subsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

1997

North Atlantic Ocean, Ireland, Newfoundland, Bangor, Maine, Azores

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· 10 Data Products

SOLVE

SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment

1999—2003

Arctic, Kiruna, Sweden

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· 32 Data Products

Field Site

Campaign Field Sites

Stationary

57 Campaigns · 160 Instruments

PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001

Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada

view all deployment dates

· 8 Data Products

Cessna 188

1 Campaign · 5 Instruments

PAC2001

Pacific 2001 Air Quality Study

2001

Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada

view all deployment dates

· 8 Data Products

Learjet

SPEC Inc. Learjet 25

5 Campaigns · 19 Instruments

CAMP2Ex

Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

2019

Philippines

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· 11 Data Products

Sabreliner

NCAR Sabreliner

2 Campaigns · 21 Instruments

SUCCESS

SUbsonic aircraft: Contrail & Clouds Effects Special Study

1996

Central and Western United States

view all deployment dates

· 1 Data Product

Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) University of Washington CV580 Aircraft10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/FIRE/0010

CampaignsFirst International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

PlatformsConvair-580

FormatsOther (HDF)

CAMP2Ex Learjet In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/Airborne/CAMP2Ex_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_Learjet_Data_1

CampaignsClouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

PlatformsSPEC Inc. Learjet 25

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational eXperiment - University of Washington instrumented C-131A aircraft Data Set10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/TARFOX/0002

CampaignsTropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

PlatformsConvair C-131 Samaritan

SAFARI 2000 JRA Aerocommander Trace Gas, Aerosol, and CCN Data, Dry Season 200010.3334/ORNLDAAC/713

CampaignsSouthern African Regional Science Initiative

PlatformsRockwell Aero Commander

GPM GROUND VALIDATION WYOMING KING AIR CLOUD MICROPHYSICS LPVEX V1http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GPMGV/LPVEX/MULTPLE/DATA202

CampaignsLight Precipitation Evaluation Experiment

PlatformsBeechcraft B-200 King Air

SAFARI 2000 JRB Aerocommander Trace Gas and Aerosol Data, Dry Season 200010.3334/ORNLDAAC/714

CampaignsSouthern African Regional Science Initiative

PlatformsRockwell Aero Commander

SAFARI 2000 CV-580 Aerosol and Cloud Data, Dry Season 2000 (CARG)10.3334/ORNLDAAC/710

CampaignsSouthern African Regional Science Initiative

PlatformsConvair-580

INTEXB_Cessna_AIRCRAFT

CampaignsIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

PlatformsCessna 207 Stationair

ORACLES Aerosol Aircraft InSitu Data10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/ORACLES_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_Data_1

CampaignsObservations of Aerosols above Clouds and their Interactions

PlatformsP-3 Orion

SASS (Subsonics Assessment) Ozone and NOx Experiment (SONEX) DC-8 In-Situ Aerosol Data10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsSubsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsAmes

SASS (Subsonics Assessment) Ozone and NOx Experiment (SONEX) Merge Data Files10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_Merge_DC8_Data_1

CampaignsSubsonic Assessment (SASS) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide Experiment

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

FormatsAmes

Sulfates, Clouds and Radiation Brazil (SCAR-B) University of Washington C131A Data10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/SCAR_B/0001

CampaignsSmoke/Sulfates, Clouds, and Radiation

PlatformsConvair C-131 Samaritan

FormatsBinary

PCASPPassive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe

Overview

Instrument Details

Instrument Operation

Data Products

PCASP
Passive-Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe