ACLOUD 2017

Arctic CLoud Observations Using airborne measurements during polar Day                     May 22 to June 28 2017, Longyearbyen/Svalbard

ACLOUD_Logo_small2

26 June 2017: Final science flight of Polar 5 and 6 finishing with about 80 flight hours each.

23 May 2017: First science flight with Polar 5 characterizing clouds above sea ice and open water

20 May 2017: Polar 5 and 6 arrived in Longyearbyen

12 May 2017: Polar 5 and 6 succesfully landed from certification and test flights

18 April 2017: Integration of Polar 5 started

10 April 2017: Integration of Polar 6 started

ACLOUD is a joint project of different German universities and research institutes embedded in the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre TR 172: ArctiC Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and SurfaCe Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC)³. The general goal of ACLOUD is to obtain a comprehensive data set of a diversity of atmospheric parameters that will be used to understand and quantify specific physical processes in, above, and below Arctic clouds. The analysis of the measurement data will, in combination with different kinds of atmospheric models, be used to estimate the role of Arctic clouds for the amplified climate change in Polar Regions.

 

Strategy

ACLOUD employs two research aircraft, Polar 5 & 6, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Marine and Polar research. The research flights aim to measure properties of cloud and aerosol particles, trace gas concentration, the energy fluxes in the atmospheric column including radiative fluxes as well as fluxes of sensible and turbulent latent heat. In situ measurement techniques and remote sensing instruments will be applied. The flights will be performed simultaneously with both aircraft. In total, 80 flight hours for each aircraft within 5 1/2 weeks (22. May – 28. June 2017) are planned. Polar 5 & 6 will approach the ice-pack mainly in altitudes of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). Then flights will be performed in different levels above, in and below clouds if visibility conditions are sufficient. The lowest possible flight level is at 60 m (200 ft) above ground which is needed to characterize turbulent fluxes in the lower part of the atmospheric boundary layer and the surface reflectivity. The base for the aircraft operation will be Longyearbyen, (Svalbard lufthavn, LYR). The airborne observations will be closely coordinated with surface based observations at the AWIPEV station (Ny Ålesund) and with surface based observations from an ice camp around RV Polarstern that will be drifting in sea ice north of Svalbard during the period of the aircraft campaign. Some flights will be performed also while the ship is sailing in the Fram Strait along its way to the final position in the ice pack.

 

Objectives

The research activities of ACLOUD combine investigations of clouds, atmospheric aerosol, trace gases, and of turbulent and radiative fluxes in cloudy and clear-sky conditions. The main aim of the cloud studies is to improve the understanding of the cloud-related processes in the Arctic atmosphere and to obtain data which can be used for testing the performance atmospheric models in the Arctic ranging from small-scale (LES) to regional and global climate models. Data will be used also for a test of parameterizations (e.g. radiation and turbulence). ACLOUD will characterize the cloud microphysical properties (cloud particle size, concentration, thermodynamic phase and shape), cloud radiative properties and aerosol properties to estimate the impact of cloud-aerosol interactions on the characteristics of the clouds. ACLOUD will focus on low level clouds within the lowest 10,000 ft of the atmosphere and especially on the atmospheric boundary layer clouds. These clouds strongly interact with the Arctic surface and potentially change the surface energy budget in sea ice and ice free areas. Therefore, ACLOUD aims to characterize cloud-surface interaction including turbulent and radiative fluxes, precipitation of snow and rain.

 

Location

The operation area of Polar 5 & 6 will be adjusted to the position of Polarstern. Polarstern is expected to sail along the west coast of Svalbard north into the sea ice. The ice station is supposed to be initially at about 82.5° N and 15° E and is expected to drift towards south-west. The Polar 5 and Polar 6 aircraft will perform multiple science flights in a sector between 75-85°N and 30°W-28°E.

Polar_5_and_6

Polar 6 – In situ measurements

ACLOUD_Polar6_instrumentation

Polar 5 – Remote Sensing

ACLOUD_Polar5_instrumentation

2016

21 – 22 November: ACLOUD Workshop

The ACLOUD workshop took place from 21st to 22nd of November, 2016 in Bremen (Germany).

The ACLOUD campaign will take place from May 22nd to June 28th, 2017. The AWI Polar 5 and Polar 6 research aircrafts will be deployed in Ny-Ålesund.

In order to prepare this measurement campaign, about 30 researchers from Germany (University of Leipzig, University of Köln, University of Bremen, University of Mainz, AWI, TROPOS), and France (OPGC University) took part in the workshop. Most of the participants are key international ACLOUD PIs, aircraft instrument scientists and (AC)³ researchers who will all actively take part in the ACLOUD campaign or use the data for their research.

The following items have been discussed during the workshop:

  • presentation of science questions and discussion of case studies
  • refining flight strategies
  • discussion about the ACLOUD procedures, the work plan and the interface between the different groups (instruments, flight facility, flight planning)
  • presenting the local infrastructure in Ny-Ålesund
  • discussion about a common visualization domain and a common projection

The many lively discussions between theoretical meteorologists, instrument scientists, pilots and students taking part in the campaign made this workshop a successful meeting.

ACLOUD workshop agenda and time schedule (PDF).

All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.

16 – 17 February: ACLOUD Meeting

The ACLOUD meeting of (AC)³ took place from February 16th to February 17th, 2016 in Leipzig (Germany).

Among the participants were 6 PIs, 3 PhDs and 13 scientist from the participating (AC)³ institutes and partners from the University of Mainz (IPA), Max-Planck-Institute Mainz (MPI), and the Karlsruher Institute for Technology (KIT).

The meeting has been the occasion to get to plan the aircraft campaign ACLOUD from 22 May – 28 June 2017 in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and to start collaborations within projects, between research areas and with the external partners.

ACLOUD Agenda and time schedule (PDF).

All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.




ACLOUD Campaign Video by Marek Jacob and Pavel Krobot

18. April 2017: Integration of Polar 5 started

10. April 2017: Integration of Polar 6 started

Time to go until first flight day of ACLOUD

  • 00 days
  • 00 hours
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ACLOUD is a joint project of different German universities and research institutes embedded in the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre TR 172: ArctiC Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and SurfaCe Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC)³. The general goal of ACLOUD is to obtain a comprehensive data set of a diversity of atmospheric parameters that will be used to understand and quantify specific physical processes in, above, and below Arctic clouds. The analysis of the measurement data will, in combination with different kinds of atmospheric models, be used to estimate the role of Arctic clouds for the amplified climate change in Polar Regions.

 

Strategy

ACLOUD employs two research aircraft, Polar 5 & 6, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Marine and Polar research. The research flights aim to measure properties of cloud and aerosol particles, trace gas concentration, the energy fluxes in the atmospheric column including radiative fluxes as well as fluxes of sensible and turbulent latent heat. In situ measurement techniques and remote sensing instruments will be applied. The flights will be performed simultaneously with both aircraft. In total, 80 flight hours for each aircraft within 5 1/2 weeks (22. May – 28. June 2017) are planned. Polar 5 & 6 will approach the ice-pack mainly in altitudes of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). Then flights will be performed in different levels above, in and below clouds if visibility conditions are sufficient. The lowest possible flight level is at 60 m (200 ft) above ground which is needed to characterize turbulent fluxes in the lower part of the atmospheric boundary layer and the surface reflectivity. The base for the aircraft operation will be Longyearbyen, (Svalbard lufthavn, LYR). The airborne observations will be closely coordinated with surface based observations at the AWIPEV station (Ny Ålesund) and with surface based observations from an ice camp around RV Polarstern that will be drifting in sea ice north of Svalbard during the period of the aircraft campaign. Some flights will be performed also while the ship is sailing in the Fram Strait along its way to the final position in the ice pack.

 

Objectives

The research activities of ACLOUD combine investigations of clouds, atmospheric aerosol, trace gases, and of turbulent and radiative fluxes in cloudy and clear-sky conditions. The main aim of the cloud studies is to improve the understanding of the cloud-related processes in the Arctic atmosphere and to obtain data which can be used for testing the performance atmospheric models in the Arctic ranging from small-scale (LES) to regional and global climate models. Data will be used also for a test of parameterizations (e.g. radiation and turbulence). ACLOUD will characterize the cloud microphysical properties (cloud particle size, concentration, thermodynamic phase and shape), cloud radiative properties and aerosol properties to estimate the impact of cloud-aerosol interactions on the characteristics of the clouds. ACLOUD will focus on low level clouds within the lowest 10,000 ft of the atmosphere and especially on the atmospheric boundary layer clouds. These clouds strongly interact with the Arctic surface and potentially change the surface energy budget in sea ice and ice free areas. Therefore, ACLOUD aims to characterize cloud-surface interaction including turbulent and radiative fluxes, precipitation of snow and rain.

 

Location

The operation area of Polar 5 & 6 will be adjusted to the position of Polarstern. Polarstern is expected to sail along the west coast of Svalbard north into the sea ice. The ice station is supposed to be initially at about 82.5° N and 15° E and is expected to drift towards south-west. The Polar 5 and Polar 6 aircraft will perform multiple science flights in a sector between 75-85°N and 30°W-28°E.

Polar_5_and_6

Polar 6 – In situ measurements

ACLOUD_Polar6_instrumentation

Polar 5 – Remote Sensing

ACLOUD_Polar5_instrumentation
Polar_5_and_6

Polar 5 Instrumentation

Instrument Institution Products
SMART-Albedometer UniLeipzig Spectral radiance I (nadir), irradiance F (up and down) 300-2200 nm; cloud albedo, cloud optical depth and effective radius, ice indices
AISA Eagle UniLeipzig Spectral radiance I in 512 pixel (36° swath), 300-1000 nm; cloud optical thickness
AISA Hawk UniLeipzig Spectral radiance I in 256 pixel (36° swath), 1000-2500 nm; cloud phase, cloud effective radius
MiRAC Passive microwave radiometer; 6 channels at 183 GHz + 243 and 340 GHz, water vapor profiles, LWP, IWP
Cloud radar 95 GHZ (Doppler), cloud geometry, precipitation, 89 GHz for LWP estimation
 AMALi    Particle extinction coefficient, cloud-top height
 Nose Boom    3D wind vector, temperature and humidity, turbulent fluxes
 Sun-Photometer    Aerosol optical depth
 180° Fish-Eye Camera    BRDF, cloud phase function, Photo documentation
 AVAPS drop sondes    Profiles of air pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind

2016

1 – 2 December: GA Meeting

The 2nd annual (AC)³ General Assembly (GA) meeting will take place from December 1st to 2nd, 2016 in Potsdam (Germany).

The Early Career Scientist and PIs will present their scientific highlights from the first year. During breakout group discussion, the (AC)³ participants will report and discuss on onging collaborations with other Cluster groups and upcoming campaigns.

Meeting Agenda and additional information (PDF).

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All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.

21 – 22 November: ACLOUD Workshop

The ACLOUD workshop took place from 21st to 22nd of November, 2016 in Bremen (Germany).

The ACLOUD campaign will take place from May 22nd to June 28th, 2017. The AWI Polar 5 and Polar 6 research aircrafts will be deployed in Ny-Ålesund.

In order to prepare this measurement campaign, about 30 researchers from Germany (University of Leipzig, University of Köln, University of Bremen, University of Mainz, AWI, TROPOS), and France (OPGC University) took part in the workshop. Most of the participants are key international ACLOUD PIs, aircraft instrument scientists and (AC)³ researchers who will all actively take part in the ACLOUD campaign or use the data for their research.

The following items have been discussed during the workshop:

  • presentation of science questions and discussion of case studies
  • refining flight strategies
  • discussion about the ACLOUD procedures, the work plan and the interface between the different groups (instruments, flight facility, flight planning)
  • presenting the local infrastructure in Ny-Ålesund
  • discussion about a common visualization domain and a common projection

The many lively discussions between theoretical meteorologists, instrument scientists, pilots and students taking part in the campaign made this workshop a successful meeting.

ACLOUD workshop agenda and time schedule (PDF).

All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.

18 – 19 October: PAMARCMiP Kick-off Meeting

The PAMARCMiP kick-off meeting of (AC)³ took place from October 18th to October 19th, 2016 in Bremen (Germany).

Among the participants were 3 PIs, 6 Postdocs, 2 PhDs and 6 scientist from the participating (AC)³ institutes and partners from the Department of Environmental Science (ATPRO), University of Tokio (EPS), Niiggata University, and the University of Mainz (IPA).

The meeting has been the occasion to get to plan the aircraft campaign PAMARCMIP in spring or early summer 2018 from Station Nord, and to start collaborations within projects, between research areas and with the external partners.

PAMARCMiP Agenda and time schedule (PDF).

Further information can be found in the intranet.

All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.

14 – 17 July: Linux/Unix PhD Workshop

PhD Workshop: An Introduction into Linux/Unix and Programming with FORTRAN 14. – 17.07.16 in Leipzig

When interacting with a server or computing cluster, the use of the command line (e.g. the Lunix terminal) is essential. Many of these servers are using a Linux system, or a system that can be handled in a similar way and are not accessible with a graphical user interface (GUI). The knowledge about the functions ot the terminal will make it a powerful tool for everyda work, not only when interacting with computing centres but also with peronal Linux/Unix machines.

FORTRAN is still one of the most commonly used programming languages in the field of meteorology/climatology. Its performance makes it useful for modelling as well as for data handling and analysis.

This workshop will give a short introduction into theses fields through exercises and coaching. It will be held by PhD students who are experienced users.

The workshop is capped at 14 participants for room capacity reasons.

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1 – 2 June: PhD Kick-off Meeting

The Kick-off PhD meeting of (AC)³ tooks place from June 1st to June 2nd, 2016 at Kloster Nimbschen, Grimma (Germany).

This meeting is for the (AC)³ PhDs to organize themselves and to improve their collaboration and productivity between the different locations.

The program of the PhD Kick-off meeting and additional information is available here. (PDF)

Group_foto_PhD
30 May – 1 June: Kick-off Meeting

The Kick-off meeting of (AC)³ tooks place from May 30th to June 1st, 2016 at Kloster Nimbschen, Grimma (Germany).

The meeting had the occasion to get to know each other and to start collaborations within projects, between research areas and with the international guests.

The program of the Kick-off meeting and additional information is available here.

Further information can be found in the intranet.

IMG_0456

All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.

16 – 17 February: ACLOUD Meeting

The ACLOUD meeting of (AC)³ took place from February 16th to February 17th, 2016 in Leipzig (Germany).

Among the participants were 6 PIs, 3 PhDs and 13 scientist from the participating (AC)³ institutes and partners from the University of Mainz (IPA), Max-Planck-Institute Mainz (MPI), and the Karlsruher Institute for Technology (KIT).

The meeting has been the occasion to get to plan the aircraft campaign ACLOUD from 22 May – 28 June 2017 in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and to start collaborations within projects, between research areas and with the external partners.

ACLOUD Agenda and time schedule (PDF).

All meeting pdfs can be found in the (AC)³ cloud.

Schedule of field observations, planned in Phase I of (AC)³. CONCORD: Continuous characterization of the Ny–Ålesund column and radiative effects from ground–based remote sensing; PASCAL: Physical feedback of Arctic ABL, Sea ice, Cloud and Aerosol; ABEX: Arctic Balloon–borne profiling EXperiment; ACLOUD: Arctic Clouds – Characterization of Ice, aerosol Particles and Energy fluxes; PAMARCMiP: Polar Airborne Measurements and Arctic Regional Climate Model Simulation Project; AFLUX: Arctic Amplification: Fluxes in the Cloudy Atmospheric Boundary Layer; MOSAiC: Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. The colouring is defined as follows: yellow: ground–based; blue: ship–based; red: tethered balloon; green: aircraft; gray: space–borne.

Schedule of field observations, planned in Phase I of (AC)³. CONCORD: Continuous characterization of the Ny–Ålesund column and radiative effects from ground–based remote sensing; PASCAL: Physical feedback of Arctic ABL, Sea ice, Cloud and Aerosol; ABEX: Arctic Balloon–borne profiling EXperiment; ACLOUD: Arctic Clouds – Characterization of Ice, aerosol Particles and Energy fluxes; PAMARCMiP: Polar Airborne Measurements and Arctic Regional Climate Model Simulation Project; AFLUX: Arctic Amplification: Fluxes in the Cloudy Atmospheric Boundary Layer; MOSAiC: Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. The colouring is defined as follows: yellow: ground–based; blue: ship–based; red: tethered balloon; green: aircraft; gray: space–borne.