G-V
Gulfstream-V

The Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) is an airborne microwave radiometer developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and later modified by NCAR. It measures thermal emissions from oxygen molecules in the atmosphere to prove temperature profiles above, below, and at flight level. It operates between 55 to 59 GHz and provides profiles every 17 seconds with 4 km horizontal spacing. MTP has a vertical resolution of 150 m near the aircraft.

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a miniature, lightweight, low-power cloud particle spectrometer that measures droplets in the range of 2-50 µm in concentrations as high as 2000 particles/cm3

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If instrument model information is not available, can use this instrument entry for temperature, pressues, wind speed, wind direction, humidity

The Georgia Institute of Technology Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (GT-CIMS) is an in situ airborne spectrometer. It uses a lower-pressure flow tube reactor to measure reactive nitrogen species such as nitric acid and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the lower atmosphere. GT-CIMS has a typical temporal resolution of 1 second and a detection limit of 10 pptv.

The HIAPER Airborne Radiation Package (HARP) is an in situ airborne radiometer that was developed by NCAR, the University of Colorado, the Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research, Metcon, Inc., and enviscope GmbH. The instrument provides measurements of actinic flux and spectral irradiance. HARP operates in the 280-680 nm wavelength range for actinic flux and the 260-2400 nm range for irradiance. HARP has a typical sampling frequency of 1 Hz.

The Trace Organic Gas Analyzer (TOGA) is an in situ airborne analyzer that measures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. It uses a combination of fast gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to provide atmospheric mixing ratios of VOCs. It can detect a wide range of VOCs with high precision (<3%) and accuracy (20% or better) at a time resolution of 40 seconds for a 2-minute cycle.

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 Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) is an in situ spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It can be utilized on both airborne and ground-based platforms to measure aerosol size distribution and concentration. UHSAS determines the particle size by detecting the peak light signals of the aerosol particles which are illuminated by a 1054 nm laser. UHSAS can sample particles within the 60 - 1000 nm size range and has a sampling frequency of 10 Hz.

The Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) is a laser-induced photometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. SP2 provides measurements of the black carbon (BC) mass content of individual aerosol particles as well as the optical and physical properties of the particles containing BC. SP2 can be utilized on airborne or ground-based platforms and can be deployed with a paired Humidified-Dual SP2 (HD-SP2). It can detect aerosol particles with a diameter size of 200-400 nm and can measure 25,000 particles/second.

The Whole Air Sampler (WAS) is an airborne in-situ instrument that collects samples of air for analysis of trace gases, such as nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), Halocarbons, Alkyl Nitrates, and various sulfur compounds that are present in the troposphere. Air samples collected via the WAS then undergo gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to determine which gasses are present in the sample. The WAS collects samples every minute, which enables scientists to get a clear picture of the chemical composition of the environment as research aircraft pass through.

The VCSEL hygrometer is an open-path, laser-based hygrometer that measures absolute concentration of water vapor (molecules per cm-3) at a rate of 25 Hz. The instrument is designed for operation throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Two water vapor absorption lines are used: a “weak” line at 1853.37 nm for lower tropospheric mixing ratios and a “strong” line at 1854.03 nm for middle and upper tropospheric concentrations. VCSELs have a wide current tuning capability and can probe each line by changing the laser injection current with only slight adjustments to the laser temperature. Switching between the absorption lines generally occurs near a fractional absorption of 10-3, though a hysteresis is built in to prevent rapid switching near this transition (generally a factor of four in each direction). The thresholds for line switching changes slightly with temperature and pressure, but it generally is in the -15 to -25 C frost point range.

The Nucleation-mode Aerosol Size Spectrometer (NMASS) is an airborne, in situ spectrometer used to measure particle size distribution and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). NMASS consists of 5 parallel condensation nucleus counters (CNCs) that are used to sample particles within the 3 to 60 nm diameter range. It can be equipped on multiple types of aircraft and is ideal for sampling cirrus clouds in the upper atmosphere. NMASS provides fast time response measurements at a temporal resolution of 10 Hz.

NOx/NOxy is an in situ chemiluminescence instrument. It provides measurements of nitrogen oxides and ozone in the atmosphere at a spatial resolution better than 100m for typical DC-8 research flight speeds. NOx/NOxy can be utilized on ground-based, airborne, and shipborne platforms allowing it to be used in various types of atmospheric chemistry and air quality studies.

The 2D-Stereo Particle Probe (2D-S) is an in situ airborne optical imaging probe developed by SPEC Inc. The 2D-S uses two diode laser beams to produce stereo cloud particle images through linear array shadowing. Through the imagery, cloud particle size distribution, particle number concentration, and ice/liquid water content can be determined. It has a resolution of 10 µm and can measure hydrometeors in the 25-1280 µm range.

The Three-View Particle Imager (3V-CPI) is an in situ airborne spectrometer and particle imager manufactured by SPEC, Inc. The 3V-CPI is a combined Cloud Particle Imager (CPI) and a 2D-Stereo Particle Probe (2D-S). Its main capabilities is collecting high-resolution imagery which are utilized to determine the size, shape, and concentration of hydrometeors. The 3V-CPI contains a resolution of 10 μm and can detect hydrometeors up to 1280 μm.

This data will be added in future versions

a miniature, lightweight, low-power cloud particle spectrometer that measures droplets in the range of 2-50 µm in concentrations as high as 2000 particles/cm3

Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) are in situ sensors that measure aerosol particle concentration. CPCs measure aerosol concentration by condensing fluid onto the particles, allowing them to grow to more detectable sizes for optical scattering. Typically, CPCs can detect particles with a size range of 7 nm-3 μm, can measure particle concentrations up to 100,000 particles/cc, and can provide measurements at 1-second intervals. CPCs are manufactured by TSI Incorporated and can be deployed on airborne, shipborne, and ground-based platforms.

The Georgia Institute of Technology Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (GT-CIMS) is an in situ airborne spectrometer. It uses a lower-pressure flow tube reactor to measure reactive nitrogen species such as nitric acid and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the lower atmosphere. GT-CIMS has a typical temporal resolution of 1 second and a detection limit of 10 pptv.

The HIAPER Airborne Radiation Package (HARP) is an in situ airborne radiometer that was developed by NCAR, the University of Colorado, the Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research, Metcon, Inc., and enviscope GmbH. The instrument provides measurements of actinic flux and spectral irradiance. HARP operates in the 280-680 nm wavelength range for actinic flux and the 260-2400 nm range for irradiance. HARP has a typical sampling frequency of 1 Hz.

The Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) is an in situ airborne or ground-based aerosol sensor manufactured by TSI Incorporated. SMPS uses a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) to measure the electrical mobility diameter of aerosol particles to determine the size distribution. It also measures the number of aerosol particles by using a condensation particle counter (CNC). It can detect particles within the size range of 10-1000 nm and can provide measurements typically around 10 seconds per scan.

The Trace Organic Gas Analyzer (TOGA) is an in situ airborne analyzer that measures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. It uses a combination of fast gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to provide atmospheric mixing ratios of VOCs. It can detect a wide range of VOCs with high precision (<3%) and accuracy (20% or better) at a time resolution of 40 seconds for a 2-minute cycle.

The PCIMS instrument is a slightly modified CIMS instrument manufactured by THS Instruments LLC. Mechanically it consists of a differentially pumped quadrupole mass spectrometer. The instrument operates in negative ion mode and currently I- and O2- reagent ions are used to measure hydrogen peroxide and methylhydroperoxide, respectively, by the formation of cluster ions at masses 80 and 161. The reagent ions are produced by flowing a N2/CH3I/O2 mixture past a 210Po foil.

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 Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) is an in situ spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It can be utilized on both airborne and ground-based platforms to measure aerosol size distribution and concentration. UHSAS determines the particle size by detecting the peak light signals of the aerosol particles which are illuminated by a 1054 nm laser. UHSAS can sample particles within the 60 - 1000 nm size range and has a sampling frequency of 10 Hz.

The VCSEL hygrometer is an open-path, laser-based hygrometer that measures absolute concentration of water vapor (molecules per cm-3) at a rate of 25 Hz. The instrument is designed for operation throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Two water vapor absorption lines are used: a “weak” line at 1853.37 nm for lower tropospheric mixing ratios and a “strong” line at 1854.03 nm for middle and upper tropospheric concentrations. VCSELs have a wide current tuning capability and can probe each line by changing the laser injection current with only slight adjustments to the laser temperature. Switching between the absorption lines generally occurs near a fractional absorption of 10-3, though a hysteresis is built in to prevent rapid switching near this transition (generally a factor of four in each direction). The thresholds for line switching changes slightly with temperature and pressure, but it generally is in the -15 to -25 C frost point range.

The Closed-path Laser Hygrometer (CLH) is a tunable diode laser hygrometer that was developed by the University of Colorado along with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The CLH measures water vapor via second-harmonic absorption spectroscopy. It provides measurements approximately every 1.5 seconds and operates at the 1.37 μm wavelength.

The 2D-C/P Hydrometeor Imaging Probe (2D-C/P) is an in situ, airborne instrument that captures imagery of hydrometeors. It collects these images by recording the status (illuminated or shadowed) of the photodiode array as the shadow of the hydrometeors passes over. 2D-C/P also provides measurements of particle size distribution, cloud droplet concentration, and hydrometeor shape. Typically, 2D-C/P probes have an image resolution of 25 micrometers and can image hydrometeors with diameters up to 1600 micrometers.

This data will be added in future versions.

The Compact Atmospheric Multispecies Spectrometer (CAMS) is an in situ airborne spectrometer developed by the University of Colorado. CAMS uses mid-IR (3.53 μm) absorption spectroscopy to measure formaldehyde and ethane in the atmosphere. It utilizes difference-frequency generation (DFG) to produce the mid-IR light by mixing two near-IR (1562 and 1083 nm) laser sources. CAMS provides high-precision measurements at a sampling frequency of 1 Hz.

NOx/NOxy is an in situ chemiluminescence instrument. It provides measurements of nitrogen oxides and ozone in the atmosphere at a spatial resolution better than 100m for typical DC-8 research flight speeds. NOx/NOxy can be utilized on ground-based, airborne, and shipborne platforms allowing it to be used in various types of atmospheric chemistry and air quality studies.

GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Airborne Simulator (GCAS) is an airborne push-broom instrument consisting of two spectrometers. It was developed by the Radiometric Calibration and Flight Development Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as a simulator for the GEO-CAPE mission. The first spectrometer in GCAS operates in the ultraviolet to visible (300-490 nm) range for air quality observations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), formaldehyde (HCHO), and other trace gases. The second spectrometer operates in the visible to near-infrared (480-900 nm) to provide measurements of ocean color. GCAS has a typical spatial resolution of 250m across track and 500m along track at an altitude of 9 km and has a frame rate of 12 Hz.

The Second Generation High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2) is an airborne lidar developed by the NASA Langley Research Center. HSRL-2 measures aerosol backscatter at the 355, 532, and 1064 nm wavelengths and aerosol extinction at the 355 and 532 nm wavelengths. It has a horizontal resolution of 1-2 km and a vertical resolution of 15 m, and it takes measurements roughly every 0.5 seconds. It replaced the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL).

The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used for making topographical maps and studying the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and has pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS has a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.

The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used for making topographical maps and studying the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and has pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS has a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.

The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system maintained and operated by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) located at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and swath width of about 570 m at a flight altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for a variety of scientific programs to monitor variation in environmental conditions, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters

This description will be added in future versions.

This description will be added in future versions

This description will be added in a future version.

This description will be added in a future version

A pyrometer is an instrument that measures temperature remotely, i.e. by measuring radiation from the object, without having to be in contact. The KT11 Infrared Radiation Pyrometer provides temperature measurements in the range of -30 to 500 Celsius by intercepting incoming infrared radiation emitted by surfaces. The high stability and noise suppression of the instrument allows for high response times of readings as well as the capability of temperature measurements of small objects. The KT-19II infrared pyrometer was manufactured by Heitronics, and sees a spectrum of 8-12um. The KT-19 is a radiometer that measures the brightness temperature of the surface beneath the aircraft. The KT-19 instrument can estimate the surface temperature by knowing the emissivity of the target. The response time is adjustable from 5 msec, to monitor and control extremely short production cycles, up to 10 minutes, to integrate measurements in long-term thermal processes with an extremely high resolution.

This description will be added in future versions.

This description will be added in a future version.

This description will be added in future versions.

This description will be added in a future version

A pyrometer is an instrument that measures temperature remotely, i.e. by measuring radiation from the object, without having to be in contact. The KT11 Infrared Radiation Pyrometer provides temperature measurements in the range of -30 to 500 Celsius by intercepting incoming infrared radiation emitted by surfaces. The high stability and noise suppression of the instrument allows for high response times of readings as well as the capability of temperature measurements of small objects. The KT-19II infrared pyrometer was manufactured by Heitronics, and sees a spectrum of 8-12um. The KT-19 is a radiometer that measures the brightness temperature of the surface beneath the aircraft. The KT-19 instrument can estimate the surface temperature by knowing the emissivity of the target. The response time is adjustable from 5 msec, to monitor and control extremely short production cycles, up to 10 minutes, to integrate measurements in long-term thermal processes with an extremely high resolution.

This description will be added in future versions.

This description will be added in a future version.

GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Airborne Simulator (GCAS) is an airborne push-broom instrument consisting of two spectrometers. It was developed by the Radiometric Calibration and Flight Development Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as a simulator for the GEO-CAPE mission. The first spectrometer in GCAS operates in the ultraviolet to visible (300-490 nm) range for air quality observations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), formaldehyde (HCHO), and other trace gases. The second spectrometer operates in the visible to near-infrared (480-900 nm) to provide measurements of ocean color. GCAS has a typical spatial resolution of 250m across track and 500m along track at an altitude of 9 km and has a frame rate of 12 Hz.

The Second Generation High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2) is an airborne lidar developed by the NASA Langley Research Center. HSRL-2 measures aerosol backscatter at the 355, 532, and 1064 nm wavelengths and aerosol extinction at the 355 and 532 nm wavelengths. It has a horizontal resolution of 1-2 km and a vertical resolution of 15 m, and it takes measurements roughly every 0.5 seconds. It replaced the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL).

The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used for making topographical maps and studying the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and has pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS has a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.

The Hyperspectral Thermal Emissions Spectrometer (HyTES) is an airborne pushbroom imaging spectrometer developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was created to support the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) missions and has flown in several research missions since 2012. HyTES provides high spatial and spectral resolution measurements of brightness temperature, emissivity, and land surface temperature. It operates across 256 spectral channels between 7.5 and 12 µm wavelengths and has an integration time of 30 ms. HyTES has a horizontal resolution of 7 m and a swath width of 3.6 km at a flight altitude of 4 km. HyTES was funded through NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP).