The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) was a NASA field investigation that aimed to better understand how tropical cyclones form and intensify into major hurricanes. GRIP had one deployment in August-September 2010 over the Tropical Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, eastern North Pacific, and Caribbean Sea. NASA DC-8, WB-57, and Global Hawk were equipped with in situ and remote sensors to observe and characterize the lifecycle of tropical storms. GRIP supported NASA's Hurricane Science and TRMM missions.
2010-08-15 — 2010-09-25
Tropical Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Eastern North Pacific, Caribbean Sea
The Airborne Second Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-2) is a dual-frequency, cross-track scanning radar that measures precipitation from aircraft. It detects radar backscatter from rain to determine reflectivity, Doppler velocity, and linear depolarization ratio (LDR). APR-2 operates at 13.4 GHz and 35.6 GHz with a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5000 Hz. At an altitude of 11,000 feet, it provides horizontal resolutions of 730 meters at 13.4 GHz and 920 meters at 35.6 GHz. The radar has a vertical resolution of 60 meters and a ground swath width of 10 km.
The Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) is an airborne lidar system developed at NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC). LASE uses the differential absorption lidar technique to provide profile measurements of atmospheric water vapor and aerosols. LASE operates at 815 nm and has a measurement frequency of 5 Hz. For aerosol scattering profiles, LASE has a horizontal resolution of 200 m and a vertical resolution of 30 m. For water vapor measurements, it has a horizontal resolution of 5 km and a vertical resolution of 0.2 km.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles
Dropsondes, also known as dropwindsondes, are in situ instruments released from aircraft. They are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and sensors that collect vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. Dropsondes are important during field investigations because they enable researchers to collect vertical profiles in remote locations and during severe weather. Typically, dropsondes have a vertical resolution of 5 meters and provide wind speed and direction measurements every 0.25 seconds, while temperature, pressure, and humidity are recorded every 0.5 seconds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
The Cloud Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS) is an in situ airborne spectrometer manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It integrates the Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer (CAS), and the Hotwire Liquid Water Content (LWC) Sensor into a single instrument. CAPS measures the size distribution of aerosol, cloud, and liquid droplets for particles between 50 and 1600 μm, with a time resolution of 1 Hz. It can also capture images of cloud particles and provide measurements of temperature, pressure, and LWC.
The Precipitation and Imaging Probe (PIP) is an airborne optical spectrometer developed by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It measures the size and shape of particles from 100 to 6200 μm and provides two-dimensional images with a 100 μm pixel resolution. PIP operates at 660 nm and typically samples every second. It has a sample area of 260 mm by 6.2 mm and can operate at airspeeds of 10 to 200 meters per second.
The Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) is an in situ airborne instrument that measures atmospheric state parameters. MMS provides high-resolution, accurate measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind direction and speed immediately around the aircraft. Additional parameters that can be derived include potential temperature, true airspeed, turbulence dissipation rate, and Reynolds number. Measurements of all parameters are typically collected at a rate of 20 Hz.
The Cloud Spectrometer and Impactor (CSI) is an in situ airborne probe that measures total condensed water (TCW) content in clouds. It combines a counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) with a lightweight cloud droplet probe. It measures cloud particles from 2 to 50 μm and has a typical sampling frequency of 1 second.
The Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE) is an in situ airborne instrument suite that measures aerosol and cloud microphysical and optical properties, including size distribution, number concentration, and scattering and absorption coefficients. LARGE includes the Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS), Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler (PILS), Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer (CAS), Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), and additional cloud and aerosol sensors. The LARGE instruments operate over the 450-700 nm wavelength range, detect particles from 0.003 to 20 μm, and measure at 1 Hz. It is primarily used for airborne measurements but can also be deployed on ground-based platforms, such as vehicles.
The Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN) is an airborne lidar developed by NASA Langley Research Center. DAWN uses a pulsed, solid-state laser operating at 2 micrometers to detect atmospheric aerosol backscatter. It also provides vertical profiles of horizontal winds below the aircraft and line-of-sight winds at each azimuth angle. Typically, DAWN delivers profiles with a 60-m resolution and emits pulses at 10 Hz.
The Optical Particle Counter (OPC) is an optical instrument that measures aerosol particle size and concentration. It determines particle size and concentration by detecting the intensity of scattered light. Most OPCs operate in the visible to near-infrared range (500-1100 nm) and have a time resolution of 1 second. They are typically used to measure particles larger than 0.5 μm in diameter. OPCs can be used for both airborne and ground-based applications.
The Condensation Nuclei Counter (CNC) is an in situ optical sensor produced by Droplet Measurement Technologies and TSI, Inc. It detects cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) by supersaturating the sampled air, making CCN particles detectable. The particles are then measured by an optical particle counter (OPC). The CNC detects particles from 0.75 to 10 μm in diameter and operates at a sampling rate of 1 Hz. It is suitable for both airborne and ground-based operations.
The Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS), developed by Droplet Measurement Technologies, is an in situ spectrometer that can be deployed on airborne and ground-based platforms to measure aerosol size distribution and concentration. It determines particle size by detecting peak light signals from aerosol particles illuminated by a 1054 nm laser. It samples particles in the 60–1000 nm size range and operates at a sampling frequency of 10 Hz.
Nephelometers are in situ optical sensors that can be airborne or ground-based. They measure the total scattering and backscattering of atmospheric aerosol particles. Nephelometers operate at three wavelengths: 450 nm, 550 nm, and 700 nm, with a typical time resolution of 1 Hz.
The Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) is an in situ spectrometer manufactured by TSI Instruments. It measures aerodynamic particles in the 0.5-20 μm size range and light-scattering intensity in the 0.37-20 μm optical size range. The APS provides particle size distributions for 52 channels at a typical sampling time of 1 second. It uses a laser diode operating at 655 nm and has a size resolution of 0.02 μm at 1 μm. The APS can be deployed on aircraft, ships, or ground-based platforms.
The Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP) is an in situ cloud probe manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies. It measures the particle size distribution and concentration of cloud particles in the 2-50 μm range. The CDP detects pulses of light scattered by a 658 nm laser to count and size individual cloud droplets. It has a typical measurement rate of 1 Hz and can detect concentrations of up to 2000 particles per cubic centimeter.
Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) are in situ sensors that measure aerosol particle concentrations. CPCs determine aerosol concentrations by condensing a fluid onto particles, causing them to grow to sizes detectable by optical scattering. Typically, CPCs detect particles from 7 nm to 3 μm, measure concentrations up to 100,000 particles per cubic centimeter, and provide readings every second. CPCs are manufactured by TSI Incorporated and can be used on airborne, shipborne, and ground-based platforms.
The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) is an airborne, single-polarization, passive C-band radiometer. It measures brightness temperature to determine rain rate and wind speed. HIRAD operates at four frequencies (4, 5, 6, and 6.6 GHz) and typically has a spatial resolution of 1-3 km. Its design is based on the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) and includes wide-swath measurement capabilities.
The Lightning Instrument Package (LIP) is an in situ airborne system that detects electric fields. LIP uses eight electric field mills and a conductivity probe to measure the three-dimensional components of electric fields in thunderstorms surrounding it. LIP has a sampling frequency of 0.02 seconds and an accuracy of 2.5%.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Electricity > Electric Field
The High-Altitude Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP) is an airborne Ka- and Ku-band, dual-beam Doppler radar system. It measures radar reflectivity and 3-D wind fields within clouds and precipitation, making it well suited for research missions on hurricanes and severe storms. It was designed to operate at higher altitudes (~ 20 km) than previous airborne wind profilers, enabling a more complete vertical profile of the troposphere. HIWRAP has a range resolution of 150 m and operates at the following frequencies: 13.5 GHz, 13.9 GHz, 33.7 GHz, and 35.6 GHz.
The High Altitude Monolithic Microwave integrated Circuit (MMIC) Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) is an airborne microwave sounder developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory through the NASA Instrument Incubator Program. HAMSR measures brightness temperature, which can be used to derive three-dimensional profiles of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, and cloud liquid water. It operates across 25 spectral channels in three microwave bands (50-60 GHz, 118 GHz, 183 GHz) and has a sampling frequency of 5 seconds. HAMSR has a horizontal spatial resolution of 2 km at nadir and a field of view of approximately 40 km at an altitude of 20 km.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Absolute Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Relative Humidity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Total Precipitable Water
Accelerometers are in situ sensors that measure the acceleration experienced by an object. They use electromagnetic sensing to detect the object's vibration. The vibration exerts a force on the sensor, producing an electrical charge that indicates the magnitude of the force and can be used to determine the acceleration. Accelerometers are typically used on aircraft to collect flight navigation information. They have also been deployed on research vessels and other water-based platforms, such as buoys.
Earth Science > >
Dropsondes, also known as dropwindsondes, are in situ instruments released from aircraft. They are equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and sensors that collect vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. Dropsondes are important during field investigations because they enable researchers to collect vertical profiles in remote locations and during severe weather. Typically, dropsondes have a vertical resolution of 5 meters and provide wind speed and direction measurements every 0.25 seconds, while temperature, pressure, and humidity are recorded every 0.5 seconds.
Radiosondes are balloon-borne instrument packages that collect profiles of pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind. These sensors are connected to a radio transmitter that sends the measurements to a ground receiver, typically operating in the 400-406 MHz range. They typically provide measurements every 1-6 seconds, depending on the radiosonde type and manufacturer. Radiosondes are used for weather forecasting, ground-truthing satellite data, atmospheric research, and as input for weather prediction models.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Profiles
