The EAQUATE campaign was designed to study the atmosphere using aircraft
and ground based instruments, demonstrating the benefit of these measurements
in validating hyperspectral satellite sounding observations. In particular,
it was aimed at validating radiances and level 2 products from the Atmospheric
Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
grating spectrometer onboard the AQUA
satellite.
This campaign had 2 phases. The first phase took place in Italy (5th
- 10th September 2004) and the second phase in the UK (13th - 22nd September
2004). The Proteus
high altitude aircraft participated in both campaigns, providing measurements
from the NAST
thermal infrared interferometer and microwave radiometer, the Scanning
HIS infrared interferometer, the FIRSC far-IR interferometer, and the
micro-MAPS CO sensor.
The data from this campaign can be accessed by participants from the
BADC.
First phase: Italy
This phase, funded by the Integrated Program Office and by the Province
of Benevento, was carried out within an international collaboration
between NASA Langley Research Center, University of Wisconsin, the Istituto
di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (IMAA-CNR), the Mediterranean
Agency for Remote Sensing (MARS) and the Universities of Basilicata
and Napoli. The experiment involved the Scaled Composites Proteus aircraft,
a range of ground based remote sensing instruments (lidars, microwave
radiometer, infrared interferometer, ceilometer) as well as an Earth
Observing System-Direct Readout Station. A radiosonde system has been
also used as ancillary instrumentation. The aircraft was based at the
military side of the Napoli Capodichino airport. Aircraft and crew were
hosted by the V GMV of the Italian airforce.
Four flights were successfully completed with two different AQUA overpasses.
The aircraft flew over the Napoli, Potenza and Tito Scalo ground stations
several times allowing the collection of coincident aircraft and in-
situ observations.
Second phase: UK
This phase, based out of Cranfield airport, was carried out within
an international collaboration between NASA Langley Research Center
and the UK Met Office. The experiment involved the Proteus and the FAAM
BAe146-301 aircraft. FAAM provided measurements from spectrometers and
radiometers covering visible to microwave wavelengths; a full suite
of cloud physics instrumentation for in-situ measurements of aerosols,
liquid water and ice particles; in-situ aircraft and chemistry instrumentation
for temperature, pressure, humidity, ozone and CO; and dropsondes to
supplement the data gathered during aircraft profiles.
During this phase of the campaign, three successful flights were made.
In two of the flights the two aircraft were coordinated and coincident
with an AQUA overpass. During the other flight, when the Proteus was
grounded, the BAe146 aircraft was coincident with two AQUA overpasses.
1st phase PI: Bill Smith (NASA Langley), Vincenzo Cuomo (IMAA-CNR)
Campaign Manager: Paolo Antonelli
2nd phase PI: Jonathan
P Taylor (Met Office), Bill Smith (NASA Langley) Campaign Manager:
Paul James